Cardano Founder Charles Hoskinson Praises XRP's DeFi Potential

Charles Hoskinson, the founder of Cardano, has made notable comments about the XRP ecosystem, expressing praise for its potential in decentralized finance (DeFi). In a recent assessment, he predicted that XRP-based DeFi could become one of the fastest-growing segments in crypto by 2027.

Hoskinson's remarks are significant because they mark a shift from his previous criticisms of the XRP ecosystem. He has previously criticized aspects of XRP's token distribution and governance, particularly concerns around Ripple's historical influence over supply. However, he also acknowledged XRP as a 'sleeping giant', recognizing its scale, brand recognition, and potential relevance in future financial systems.

In his latest comments, Hoskinson framed XRP as a Web2.5 system, positioned between traditional finance and fully decentralized applications. He described it as a bridge layer optimized for payments, settlement, and institutional interoperability, rather than competing directly with Ethereum's broad smart contract ecosystem.