ACI Worldwide, a leading provider of real-time electronic payment and banking solutions, has activated support for XRP as a settlement option in accordance with SWIFT’s new multi-chain ledger initiative. This development makes XRP Ledger a recognized payment rail within ACI’s global infrastructure.
ACI Worldwide’s key role in SWIFT integration
ACI Worldwide processes approximately 9% of SWIFT’s global payment traffic, representing an annualized payment volume of $155 trillion. The company’s adoption of real-time payment offerings ensures that solutions based on the XRP Ledger could reach a significant portion of cross-border payment flows.
The integration is possible because Ripple’s technology is compatible with ISO 20022, SWIFT’s new global messaging standard that is being adopted by financial institutions around the world. ISO 20022 is seen as a critical step in advancing interoperability and modernization of banking infrastructure.
SWIFT, a cooperative founded in 1973 that provides secure financial messaging services for over 11,000 institutions, has been expanding its engagement with distributed ledger technology (DLT) providers like Ripple to facilitate broader interoperability between traditional finance and blockchain networks.
Recent developments highlight a shift in the relationship between Ripple and SWIFT. Once perceived as direct competitors, the two entities are now increasingly seen as complementary. Ripple provides settlement and liquidity solutions that can enhance SWIFT’s existing infrastructure, rather than seeking to replace it entirely.
Mini dictionary: ISO 20022 is an international messaging standard for payments, designed to improve data quality and interoperability across financial networks. It enables richer and more consistent information sharing between banks and other payment systems.
XRP Ledger’s on-demand liquidity advantage
The XRP Ledger’s On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) service allows banks and payment providers to use XRP as a bridge currency for cross-border settlements. By leveraging ODL, financial institutions can convert local fiat money into XRP, send it instantly across borders, and convert it back to the local currency on the receiving end. This setup offers faster and more affordable international payments compared to traditional systems.
With ISO 20022 compatibility, banks using SWIFT’s upgraded messaging standards can now directly employ XRP for settlement, allowing rapid conversion between digital and fiat currencies.
In 2025, Ripple acquired GTreasury, a firm specializing in treasury management software, further enhancing its integration with the SWIFT network. The GTreasury platform now supports SWIFT messaging, reference data services such as SWIFTRef for IBAN and ABA look-ups, and digital asset accounts, including support for XRP and RLUSD.
This integration enables corporate treasury departments to handle both traditional SWIFT flows and cryptocurrency assets within a unified system. Although there is no fixed guarantee that every transaction will use Ripple’s technology stack, ACI’s move positions DLT-based solutions with native ISO 20022 compatibility at a distinct advantage in the evolving payments landscape.
These developments underline the increasing adoption of blockchain technology within mainstream financial infrastructure, as global players seek more efficient, interoperable, and cost-effective cross-border payment solutions.
