Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson believes that Midnight, Cardano’s privacy-focused sidechain, may be needed for Ripple to unlock the next stage. $XRP Ecosystem growth. In a recent conversation with Wendy O., Hoskinson argued that Ripple has built one of the strongest payment networks in crypto, but there is still a huge opportunity to expand. $XRPThe role of in DeFi, tokenization, and institutional finance.
Hoskinson said the next phase of cryptocurrencies will focus on privacy, interoperability and real-world assets. Midnight targets each of these trends.
“We think Ripple will be one of our biggest growth areas,” Hoskinson said.
of $XRP opportunity
The most interesting thing about Hoskinson’s argument is that he doesn’t see Ripple as a competitor.
Instead, he grouped Ripple alongside companies like Tether, Circle and Binance as leaders in blockchain networks bridging traditional finance and cryptocurrencies in what he called the “Web 2.5” economy.
Hoskinson pointed out that Ripple still lacks a native smart contract ecosystem. As a result, $XRP Holders have limited access to DeFi tools, income opportunities, and tokenized assets
That’s where Midnight comes in.
“We have Bitcoin DeFi. We’re going to do it.” $XRP DeFi,” Hoskinson explained, adding that developers within the Midnight ecosystem have already begun exploring $XRPRelated applications.
“Web 2.5 is our friend”
beyond $XRP As such, Hoskinson believes there are far greater opportunities ahead.
He argued that institutions increasingly need privacy, selective disclosure, compliance tools and real-world asset infrastructure. Midnight is built to work across existing ecosystems, rather than forcing companies to migrate to a new blockchain.
According to Hoskinson, users can invest in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Cardano or $XRP.
The long-term goal is to create an open system that connects blockchains rather than competing with them.
“Web 2.5 is our friend,” says Hoskinson.
For him, the future is not Ripple vs. Cardano. Instead, he looks $XRP A complementary network is Midnight. Ripple provides institutional access, while Midnight provides privacy, DeFi, and tokenization capabilities.
