Ripple has released the Swell 2026 agenda, placing XRP, tokenization, stablecoins, and institutional settlement within a broader discussion about finance’s next phase. The New York conference will feature leaders from major financial and crypto companies.
Key Takeaways
- Swell 2026 will examine XRP ETFs, tokenization and settlement.
- More than 100 speakers will appear across three conference stages.
- David Schwartz will discuss the next phase of the XRP Ledger.
Swell Agenda Puts XRP Alongside Institutional Finance
Financial institutions, crypto companies and XRP developers will converge in New York after Ripple released the complete Swell 2026 agenda. The company shared the program in a Sept. 16 post on X, confirming appearances by Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, CME Group Chairman and CEO Terrence Duffy, Bullish Chairman and CEO Tom Farley, and Water.org co-founder Matt Damon.
The expanded conference will run from Oct. 27 through Oct. 29 at The Shed in Manhattan. The official Swell 2026 website lists more than 100 speakers, over 80 sessions, and three stages for an expected audience exceeding 1,500 people. This year’s program combines Ripple’s institutional Swell conference with its developer-focused Apex event for the first time.
The official Swell X account described the scope of the newly released program in its announcement:
“Across three stages, the program covers where finance is heading: liquidity and settlement, tokenization of real-world assets, stablecoins in bank-grade production, the first year of the spot XRP ETFs, AI agents that move money, post-quantum security, and David Schwartz on what’s next for the XRP Ledger.”
Traditional finance will have a prominent place within those discussions, with speakers representing BNY, Barclays, State Street and Jump Trading. Crypto exchange Coinbase (Nasdaq: COIN) and Robinhood Markets Inc. (Nasdaq: HOOD) will also participate. CME Group Chairman and CEO Terrence Duffy will represent one of the conference’s links to established futures, options and clearing markets.
XRP Ledger Development Moves Into the Institutional Program
XRP utility will extend beyond exchange trading as the conference examines payments, decentralized finance, interoperability and artificial intelligence. Ripple Chief Technology Officer Emeritus David Schwartz previously outlined those themes while discussing the growing range of XRP use cases ahead of Swell. His scheduled appearance will address what comes next for the XRP Ledger.
Real-world asset tokenization will receive separate attention as financial firms test blockchain infrastructure for issuance, trading, custody and settlement. Ripple has been assembling an institutional XRPL infrastructure stack that connects tokenized funds with stablecoin settlement, liquidity, credit and compliance tools. The agenda’s bank-grade stablecoin sessions place those operational questions alongside broader adoption discussions.
The XRP Ledger is a public blockchain designed to process transactions and support issued assets without relying on proof-of-work mining. XRP functions as its native digital asset and can facilitate liquidity, payments, and transaction fees. The network’s settlement and tokenization capabilities provide the technical foundation for several financial applications appearing across the conference program.
Spot XRP ETFs Add an Investor-Focused Discussion
Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) will give Swell an investor-facing subject alongside its institutional infrastructure and developer sessions. U.S. spot XRP ETFs had accumulated approximately $1.71 billion in net inflows as of Sept. 18, while their combined net assets stood near $1.39 billion. The products provide brokerage-based XRP exposure without requiring investors to hold the asset directly.
The agenda describes its ETF discussion as an examination of the products’ first year, connecting market demand with custody, liquidity and regulated access. Swell will also address AI systems that initiate payments and post-quantum security, extending the program from current financial products to emerging infrastructure risks. Schwartz’s XRP Ledger session will place those themes within the network’s next stage of development.
Author: Kevin Helms
Source: Bitcoin
Reviewed By: Editorial Team
