Ripple Exec Urges XRP Community to Keep an Open Mind About Solana

TLDR

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Ripple’s Luke Judges built two startups and ran a $30M Solana validator before joining.
Judges says XRP can learn from Solana’s speed and practical development approach.
XRP’s active addresses dropped to 19,400 on November 28, the lowest of 2025.
XRP Ledger Smart Contracts launched on AlphaNet, marking a new tech milestone.

A top Ripple executive has urged the XRP community not to overlook Solana, despite being seen as a competitor in the blockchain space. Luke Judges, Ripple’s Global Partner Success Lead, revealed his deep involvement with Solana before joining Ripple, including running a validator with over $30 million staked. His message challenges the idea that loyalty to one blockchain should come at the expense of learning from others’ strengths.

Ripple Director Shares Solana Background and Perspective

Ripple’s Global Partner Success Lead, Luke Judges, addressed the XRP community with a direct message: Solana should not be ignored. In a post on X, Judges clarified that his current role at Ripple does not mean he has abandoned his roots in Solana.

Before joining Ripple, Judges had been deeply involved in the Solana ecosystem. He co-founded two startups and operated a validator with over $30 million staked. He also observed Solana’s full market cycle — from highs near $200 to lows under $10 — and its eventual recovery.

Judges acknowledged that Solana has its flaws, including a recent drop in validator count. However, he stressed that XRP and other Layer 1 blockchains could learn from Solana’s speed and practical development style.

Comparison with Ethereum and Smart Contract Expansion

Judges pointed out that Ethereum’s go-to-market strategy has tightened recently. He mentioned that Ethereum has lost “some lunch” to Solana in the race for market share due to Solana’s quicker execution.

As XRP advances smart contract functionality, Ripple is positioning itself to compete more directly with both Ethereum and Solana. With the smart contracts feature on XRP Ledger now live on AlphaNet, the network is beginning to support programmable financial services.

Ripple’s CTO David Schwartz has shared new thoughts on blockchain governance and consensus models. Earlier this month, Schwartz said he was exploring how XRP could serve decentralized finance use cases. He noted that both native protocols and third-party platforms, such as Flare and Axelar, were contributing to this exploration.

XRP Community Engagement and Retail Trends

XRP activity has slowed among individual users. On November 28, 2025, the number of active addresses dropped to 19,400 — the lowest this year. However, XRP’s price held at $2.20, suggesting increased interest from institutional participants.

Ripple continues its monthly release of one billion XRP from escrow. It has returned 700 to 800 million XRP back into escrow each time. This approach helps manage liquidity and limits excessive market supply.

Meanwhile, Schwartz will transition to the position of CTO Emeritus at Ripple by the end of the year. He will step back from day-to-day responsibilities but remain in touch with the XRP community on technical matters.

XRP Ledger Developments and Market Readjustment

Ripple’s ongoing technology development appears aimed at capturing more of the Layer 1 blockchain market. The launch of XRP Ledger Smart Contracts on AlphaNet signals a move toward programmable finance features.

This development comes as XRP prepares for broader market engagement, including its first wave of U.S.-based exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Judges’ remarks about not viewing Solana as a rival may signal Ripple’s intention to cooperate across blockchain platforms.

Schwartz also confirmed that ongoing discussions around adding native staking and DeFi capabilities to the XRP Ledger are gaining traction. These changes could improve XRP’s utility across use cases beyond payments.