Hoskinson Says XRP DeFi Is Coming

During a recent conversation with Scott Melker, Input Output Global CEO Charles Hoskinson has stated that XRP DeFi is “coming.” 

“Midnight connects us to all the other blockchains, and we add privacy to all those connection points, so we have a lot to add and offer,” he said. 

The privacy layer 

Cardano launched its partner chain, Midnight, in late 2025. It uses Zero-Knowledge (ZK) cryptography to enable private smart contracts

Hoskinson proposed wrapping XRP onto Midnight. This allows XRP holders to use their coins in complex DeFi applications (lending, borrowing, yield farming) while being able to keep transaction data private. This is something the public XRPL cannot do on its own.

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This aims to unlock the estimated $100 billion+ in idle XRP liquidity. Midnight could turn into the "privacy layer" for the XRP ecosystem. 

In December, Hoskinson also surprisingly reached out to the XRP community, asking for a list of the "top 15 projects" to invite to a collaborative DeFi Summit at the University of Edinburgh.

Input Output Global (IOG) committed to integrating native XRP support into Lace (Cardano’s official wallet).

Burying the hatchet 

Hoskinson’s recent comment comes after the ADA and XRP communities crypto’s most bitter and long-standing feuds. 

For years, the Cardano founder and the "XRP Army" were engaged in bitter disputes hat involved blocked accounts, conspiracy theories, and accusations of betrayal.

Many in the XRP community believed in "ETHGate” theory alleging that Ethereum officials influenced the SEC’s decision to sue Ripple. 

The thaw began in late 2024, with Hoskinson extending the much-coveted olive branch.