The crypto landscape is changing fast and furiously. The tools of a tech revolution A tectonic shift just rumbled through Coinbase’s Q2 2025 earnings. XRP, yes, that XRP, snagged a whopping 13% of Coinbase's transaction revenue, eclipsing Ethereum's 12%. Let that sink in. Though Bitcoin still reigns supreme, this is more than just a blip. It sends a signal of the rising potential for power dynamics to shift and points to some of the most interesting things afoot, especially in Southeast Asia.
SEA: A Crypto Powerhouse Emerges
Examining the statistics, Southeast Asia is the sleeping giant of crypto and web3 adoption. Forget the dusty storytales of Western hegemony. Actual growth and innovation is happening in Indo, Viet, and P.I. Why? Since these are increasingly agile, rapidly growing economies with a large unbanked population eager for financial solutions. Or perhaps they’re jumping right over the conventional banking infrastructure and welcoming digital assets with open arms.
Think about it: millions of people relying on remittances, small businesses struggling with cross-border payments, and a whole generation growing up in a mobile-first world. These people require efficient, instantaneous, inexpensive solutions to transfer funds and XRP meets these demands in a way other crypto couldn’t. Its speed and low transaction fees are more than mere luxuries — they’re revolutionizing a region where every cent matters.
- Speed: Transactions complete in seconds, not days.
- Cost: Fractions of a cent compared to traditional banking fees.
- Accessibility: Open to anyone with a smartphone and internet connection.
Ethereum's Blind Spot: Real-World Utility?
Now, let's talk about Ethereum. I love Ethereum, I really do. However, despite all these gaps, the innovation in DeFi, NFTs, and Web3 more generally is certainly astounding. Let's be honest, much of that innovation is geared towards a specific demographic: tech-savvy, often Western, and already financially privileged.
While Ethereum is busy building a decentralized financial system for the already banked, XRP is quietly building bridges for the unbanked. As anyone who has ever used Ethereum knows, the platform’s gas fees are often intolerable, particularly on smaller transactions. Imagine sending $10 of ETH and paying a $5 fee. It cannot be easily integrated into everyday life; it is certainly not practical for the intended everyday use in emerging markets.
Is Ethereum missing a trick? Is it too focused on exotic DeFi protocols? Or it could be that it’s just plain out of touch with the most fundamental needs of billions of developing world denizens. I think so. For Ethereum, there is a big opportunity on the horizon to convert these gas fees. This shift has the potential to be hugely advantageous to the developing market.
XRP's Secret Weapon: Southeast Asia's Needs
The best part is that XRP is not simply a speculative cryptocurrency. It’s a tool for financial inclusion. Now picture a Filipino construction worker in Singapore remitting money home to their family. With XRP, that money can arrive instantly and cheaply, bypassing the exorbitant fees and delays of traditional money transfer services. It’s not all about convenience. It’s about building flexibility for people into communities, helping them better manage their money and time, and ultimately jumpstarting opportunity.
We’ve heard encouraging stories from small businesses in Southeast Asia using XRP to power cross-border trade. They’re eliminating a lot of middlemen and redundancy and running a much leaner operation. I've seen firsthand how it's providing access to financial services for people who have been excluded from the traditional banking system. This is real-world utility, the best kind — true public service that makes tangible differences in people’s lives.
Unexpected Connection: Think about the rise of mobile banking in Africa. It skipped over conventional brick-and-mortar banks and fundamentally changed how Americans interacted with their cash. XRP is poised to revolutionize Southeast Asia. It will leapfrog legacy financial infrastructure and further empower a new generation of digital natives.
In five years, we'll look back at this moment as the turning point, the time when XRP truly came into its own. It’s in this context that Southeast Asia could become XRP’s proving ground, the region where the utility of the token shines its brightest. Despite its successes, Ethereum has issues with scalability and regulatory uncertainty. In reality, XRP is continuing to build the financial infrastructure of tomorrow, one cost-effective transaction at a time. Ethereum watch out, the future is now, and it’s being constructed in Southeast Asia.
Analysts are already seeing bullish technical patterns, with some forecasting a price explosion up to $15. Add to that a burgeoning institutional demand and some strong Coinbase earnings, and you have a recipe for explosive growth.
This isn’t only about the profit imperative. It’s about creating a more inclusive and equitable financial ecosystem. And in Southeast Asia, XRP is at the forefront.
