Fed’s Crypto Revolution Positions Ripple as Payment System Core Player

The Federal Reserve just flipped the script on digital assets—and Ripple's XRP is sitting in the catbird seat.

Regulatory Waters Part for Payments

New Fed guidelines create pathways for blockchain integration in mainstream finance. Ripple's established infrastructure and regulatory clarity position it as the natural choice for institutional payment rails.

Banks finally waking up to what crypto natives knew years ago—settlement shouldn't take three business days and cost more than your morning coffee.

Wall Street's playing catch-up while Ripple's technology already moves millions in seconds. The traditional finance crowd might need another decade to understand what 'real-time' actually means.

Federal Reserve Governor Chris Waller has proposed a new “limited-access” or “skinny” master account, a move that could fundamentally change how crypto payment companies interact with the American banking system.

Announced on October 21, 2025, during the Federal Reserve’s Payments Innovation Conference, the “skinny master account” is designed to give legally eligible institutions direct access to the Fed’s payment rails without needing to rely on intermediary banks.

BIG NEWS out of the @federalreserve Payments Innovation Conference this morning.

Governor Chris Waller announced the central bank is proposing a new type of limited-access master account (or what he calls a “skinny master account”) for ALL legally eligible institutions to… https://t.co/lZh0I0Tj3a pic.twitter.com/Wg7ygjpvJj

Unlike traditional master accounts, this limited-access model wouldn’t offer full privileges such as borrowing from the Fed or earning interest on reserves. However, it WOULD still allow fintechs, stablecoin issuers, and crypto payment companies to send and receive payments directly, faster, cheaper, and more securely.

The proposal could transform how digital asset firms operate in the U.S. For years, companies like Custodia Bank, Kraken, Circle, and Anchorage have struggled to gain Fed approval for master accounts, with Custodia even taking the central bank to court.

Now, this new framework provides a clear pathway. By allowing crypto firms to connect directly to the Fed’s Core infrastructure, the U.S. is hinting that digital assets are becoming part of mainstream finance, not competitors to it.

If approved, stablecoin issuers could effectively operate as extensions of the U.S. dollar system, embedding crypto more deeply into global payments and treasury ecosystems.

Companies such as Ripple and Anchorage, both of which applied for master account access earlier this year, could be among the biggest beneficiaries. Ripple, in particular, has long aimed to bridge the gap between traditional banking and blockchain settlement systems.

By gaining direct access to Fed payment rails, Ripple and similar firms could eliminate the need for partner banks, enabling near-instant settlements, reduced transaction costs, and enhanced liquidity for both institutional and retail users.

For the first time, the Federal Reserve is acknowledging the need to integrate innovative financial institutions directly into its ecosystem, ensuring both innovation and regulatory oversight.

As Governor Waller described, the goal is to “support payment innovation while managing systemic risks.” In practice, this means crypto firms, stablecoin issuers, and fintech platforms could soon operate within a regulated, Fed-connected environment — an outcome that could accelerate the merging of digital and traditional finance.