Charles Hoskinson (찰스 호스킨슨), the founder of Cardano, forecast that XRP-based decentralised finance (DeFi) could become one of the fastest-growing segments in the cryptocurrency market by 2027.

On May 27, blockchain media outlet The Crypto Basic reported that Hoskinson said in an X Spaces session that the XRP ecosystem could, over the long term, grow faster than Ethereum-based DeFi if it secures blockchain infrastructure with cross-chain technology and tax efficiency.

The key is an environment in which XRP holders can participate in DeFi without selling existing assets or converting them into a separate structure. Hoskinson said infrastructure designed for bitcoin could offer similar opportunities to XRP holders. He cited Cardano’s blockchain bridge technology, arguing it was designed to connect bitcoin to DeFi in a tax-efficient way and that the same approach could be used to expand DeFi activity on the XRP Ledger (XRPL).

The current market gap is large. Of the $81.23 billion total value locked (TVL) in DeFi protocols across blockchains, Ethereum accounts for $42.58 billion. It is followed by BNB Smart Chain at $5.57 billion and Solana at $5.39 billion. By contrast, total deposits on the XRP Ledger stand at $46.16 million. Hoskinson also said he intends to introduce easier-to-use DeFi protocols and structures that offer higher yields to narrow that gap.

Hoskinson reaffirmed his commitment to the XRP DeFi initiative. He has recently clashed with parts of the XRP community over criticism of Brad Garlinghouse (브래드 갈링하우스), Ripple’s chief executive, but said he will continue to push ahead with the plan.

He praised Ripple executives for a cooperative stance. He said Ripple provided technically meaningful help during discussions over the 'Midnight' airdrop. Hoskinson said he did not ask for permission for the airdrop, but first designed the structure independently and then received Ripple’s support. He added that Ripple executives did not demand control of the project during the support process.

XRP holders were also included among beneficiaries of the Midnight airdrop. The number of eligible XRPL addresses was 2.21 million, and the Midnight Foundation allocated 10.93 percent of NIGHT’s total supply of 24 billion tokens to XRP holders. That is about 2.623 billion tokens.

Hoskinson said David Schwartz (데이비드 슈워츠), Ripple’s former chief technology officer, voluntarily joined technical discussions and supported ecosystem growth. He criticised some blockchain brokerage operators for seeking high fees while trying to exert influence over protocol governance.

Hoskinson’s remarks are ultimately seen as placing more weight on the potential for future infrastructure expansion than on the current scale of XRP DeFi. Whether it actually grows depends on the adoption of bridge technology to improve DeFi usability within XRPL and on whether an environment is created in which XRP holders can participate while keeping existing asset structures.

JUST IN: #Cardano $ADA Founder Charles Hoskinson says "I think $XRP DeFi is going to be one of the fastest growing verticals of 2027, much faster than Ethereum." pic.twitter.com/bQWluCtvxN