- Russia’s SWIFT exclusion in 2022 spurred different system planning.
- BRICS members search autonomy in worldwide settlements.
- XRP’s velocity and cost-efficiency seen as ideally suited for institutional use.
A brand new idea circulating amongst cryptocurrency and geopolitical analysts means that BRICS nations—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—could also be working behind the scenes to develop a gold-backed monetary system utilizing Ripple’s XRP Ledger.
This comes because the bloc continues efforts to cut back dependency on the US-led SWIFT community and the dollar-dominated world financial system.
Whereas unconfirmed by any authorities, the speculation is gaining consideration attributable to mounting proof of BRICS cooperation on foreign money independence and blockchain innovation.
How the US maintains dominance in world finance
The worldwide monetary system is basically underpinned by three core levers of Western affect: the dominance of the US greenback, the SWIFT interbank messaging system, and the liquidity framework ruled by Western central banks.
SWIFT allows worldwide banking communication and has develop into a instrument for implementing sanctions. In 2022, Russia was ejected from SWIFT as a part of coordinated Western sanctions, prompting the Kremlin to speed up efforts to create different channels for cross-border funds.
By slicing off entry to greenback reserves and freezing foreign-held belongings, the US has demonstrated the strategic energy of economic infrastructure.
International locations seen as politically adversarial or non-aligned are more and more cautious of this technique, viewing it as a vulnerability slightly than a impartial platform for commerce.
Why BRICS desires out of the greenback system
Every member of BRICS has its personal incentive to cut back publicity to the greenback. Russia’s exclusion from SWIFT and asset seizures have pressured it to pursue monetary independence. China is in search of to insulate its rising financial system from Western monetary strain.
India and Brazil wish to enhance autonomy in worldwide settlements, whereas South Africa has expressed curiosity in strengthening regional currencies.
This shared goal has sparked renewed calls inside the bloc for a brand new system of worth alternate—one that doesn’t depend on Western mechanisms.
BRICS nations have already mentioned launching a shared foreign money backed by commodities, and gold is considered as essentially the most viable asset for such backing attributable to its stability and world acceptance.
XRP Ledger as a bridge for gold-backed commerce
In response to the speculation, Ripple’s XRP Ledger might function the digital bridge between native currencies and a gold-backed reserve system. XRP was designed for high-volume institutional transfers, with a transaction time of 3-5 seconds and low charges.
Not like Bitcoin or Ethereum, XRP affords scalability and predictable prices—key for governments and central banks processing giant transactions.
On this mannequin, BRICS wouldn’t concern a brand new public token however as an alternative use XRP’s current infrastructure to settle trades. Gold may very well be held in nationwide vaults or regional repositories, and XRP can be the mechanism by which worth is transferred shortly and securely.
This is able to enable BRICS nations to bypass SWIFT and the greenback, whereas sustaining compliance and auditability by the XRP Ledger.
Strategic alerts and unconfirmed strikes
Though no official affirmation exists that BRICS is actively testing or adopting XRP, a number of developments have drawn hypothesis. Russia has already proposed a gold-pegged stablecoin for cross-border commerce with pleasant nations.
China continues to broaden its digital yuan pilot. Ripple has additionally been increasing its presence in Asia, the Center East, and Latin America—areas aligned with BRICS pursuits.
The speculation stays speculative, however it’s rooted in a broader development of de-dollarisation and rising curiosity in blockchain-based infrastructure for sovereign monetary methods.
Analysts argue that if BRICS succeeds in deploying a decentralised, asset-backed settlement mannequin, it might reshape the way forward for worldwide finance and problem the present energy constructions dominated by the West.