A claim comparing XRP to the "Google of crypto" has emerged. The view is that XRP is still in an early adoption phase.

On April 1 local time, blockchain outlet The Crypto Basic reported that Xaif Crypto, an XRP commentator active on X, argued that XRP remains in an early adoption stage. "XRP is the Google of the crypto industry, and we are still in 2003," he said.

Xaif Crypto argued that users who have tried XRP-based payments often do not return to traditional payment systems. He likened it to the early internet trend in which Gmail displaced Hotmail.

The remarks came in response to comments by cryptocurrency YouTuber Troy Black (트로이 블랙) about the cross-border payments market. Black argued that global cross-border transaction volume was about 190 trillion dollars in 2023 and could expand to 290 trillion dollars by 2030. He then said networks that can increase speed while lowering fees will be competitive, and in that context described XRP as a network designed to aim for instant settlement and low-cost transfers.

Optimism was also linked to Ripple's moves to connect with traditional finance. Ripple has applied for a banking licence, and there is speculation that if it secures one it could settle payments directly with central bank systems such as the U.S. Federal Reserve. Black also assessed XRP as one of the potential pillars that could support the cryptocurrency industry, alongside bitcoin and ethereum.

In December 2024, Wall Street analyst Linda Jones (린다 존스) said selling XRP now would be like selling an early stake in Berkshire Hathaway, arguing that XRP is not a meme coin but a "utility asset" with potential.

Still, it remains to be seen whether such optimism will translate directly into meaningful adoption of XRP. The growth potential of the cross-border payments market and Ripple's push into the institutional system are cited as factors for optimism, but the pace of actual adoption, the regulatory environment and competition with existing financial infrastructure remain variables.

Assessments of XRP remain split between technological utility and market expectations. The key going forward, one analysis said, will be how broadly XRP can secure use cases as an actual payment network beyond being simply an investment asset.

BREAKING: $xrp is the google of crypto and we're still in 2003. once you use it, you don't go back. just like gmail killed hotmail, $XRP is about to make every other payment network obsolete. pic.twitter.com/P4uYGnB93I