Coin Bureau drew attention this week to a report from Vanir Assets highlighting that SWIFT, the backbone of global interbank messaging, is working to bridge traditional finance with blockchain.
The conversation quickly went viral, as the post spotlighted XRP and HBAR as leading contenders in reshaping cross-border payments. With SWIFT modernizing its infrastructure and institutions testing tokenized value flows, the debate over which blockchain best fits the future of payments has gained new urgency.
Why SWIFT’s Blockchain Shift Matters Now
SWIFT is in the midst of its largest technical overhaul in decades: the migration to ISO 20022. This global standard, designed to enrich financial data and improve interoperability, will complete its MT/ISO coexistence phase by November 2025.
🚨SWIFT TO CHOOSE RIPPLE OR HEDERA?
Vanir Assets reports that SWIFT is working to bridge traditional finance with blockchain, highlighting $XRP and $HBAR as leading contenders in the global payments space. pic.twitter.com/CPziul6fR2
— Coin Bureau (@coinbureau) August 20, 2025
The transition not only updates how banks communicate across borders but also lays the foundation for integrating tokenized assets and digital currencies.
By aligning with ISO 20022, blockchain networks capable of structured, machine-readable payments could plug directly into the global banking system. This is why XRP and HBAR are being flagged in market conversations as serious contenders.
XRP and HBAR in the ISO 20022 Context
Ripple’s XRP Ledger (XRPL) and Hedera Hashgraph both rank among the projects considered compatible with ISO 20022-style data frameworks. This compatibility is not cosmetic; it minimizes the friction of translating between old systems and new distributed ledger technologies.
In practice, this means faster integration and fewer barriers for institutions adopting tokenized value settlement.
XRP’s core design focuses on instant settlement, liquidity provisioning, and bridging currencies across corridors. Ripple has long promoted XRP as a tool to solve pre-funding and liquidity shortages in cross-border payments — a problem that banks and payment providers continue to grapple with.
HBAR, on the other hand, offers a different value proposition. Its hashgraph consensus delivers fast throughput and predictable fees, while its governing council, composed of global corporations, aims to provide enterprise-grade stability.
Hedera is marketed not only for payments but also for tokenization, supply chain tracking, and micropayments — offering a broader use case for institutions looking beyond remittances.
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SWIFT’s Experiments and Institutional Tests
While market speculation often frames this as a race, SWIFT’s public trials suggest a more nuanced picture. The organization has been experimenting with tokenization and multi-chain interoperability, running pilots to demonstrate how tokenized assets can move across permissioned and public blockchains.
Importantly, these trials are exploratory; SWIFT has not endorsed any single token but is instead studying frameworks for interoperability and compliance.
Institutions participating in these tests are weighing factors that go beyond technical throughput. Regulatory clarity, governance structures, and cost models will all shape whether XRP, HBAR, or other platforms are integrated into future settlement rails.
The Road Ahead
The viral discussion sparked by Coin Bureau reflects the growing anticipation around SWIFT’s next moves. The question of whether Ripple’s XRP or Hedera’s HBAR becomes the preferred choice for global payments highlights the different strengths of both projects: XRP’s focus on liquidity and settlement efficiency versus HBAR’s governance-driven enterprise model.
In reality, the outcome may not hinge on a single “winner.” SWIFT’s mission is interoperability, and both XRP and HBAR could play roles in the evolving financial ecosystem. For now, the excitement lies in the recognition that blockchain is no longer a theoretical experiment but a serious candidate for reshaping the future of money movement.
Disclaimer: This content is meant to inform and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author’s personal opinions and do not represent Times Tabloid’s opinion. Readers are urged to do in-depth research before making any investment decisions. Any action taken by the reader is strictly at their own risk. Times Tabloid is not responsible for any financial losses.
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