The push to bring XRP deeper into decentralized finance is gaining momentum, and according to Hugo Philion, the numbers could scale much faster than many expect.
In a recent interview with Paul Barron, the Flare CEO said he believes the network could reach 5 billion XRP in use on Flare by the middle of 2026, provided market conditions offer a supportive tailwind. More notably, he added that his confidence is based on ongoing discussions and active development efforts.
“I know the parties we are talking to. I also know the protocols we’re building,” he said. The statement suggests that behind-the-scenes partnerships could play a major role in hitting that target.
Key Points
Hugo Philion says Flare Network could reach 5B XRP by mid-2026, citing active talks and protocol builds.
Xaman integration may enable direct XRP staking into Firelight without bridges or using Flare chain.
FXRP supply tops 100M on Flare Network, with over 89% locked across DeFi apps.
Philion calls large-scale XRP yield use “insanely bullish” for XRP Ledger adoption.
Direct XRP Ledger Staking Through Xaman
A key piece of that expansion strategy involves collaboration with Xaman, one of the major wallets on the XRP Ledger.
Philion revealed that Flare is working with Xaman to develop a smart account feature that would allow users to stake XRP directly from the XRP Ledger into Firelight on Flare without needing to interact with a bridge or transact directly on Flare.
Under this design:
- Users would not need to manually bridge assets.
- They would not need to operate on the Flare chain itself.
- Staking could occur seamlessly via a smart account inside Xaman.
While no launch date has been confirmed, Philion noted that the integration is already in progress.
According to his remarks, Xaman reportedly holds around 4 billion XRP within its wallet ecosystem. If even a portion of that supply flows into Flare’s yield infrastructure, it could significantly accelerate adoption.
From 100 Million to Billions
The optimism comes as Flare’s XRP-based DeFi ecosystem continues to grow. Last week, FXRP, the wrapped XRP asset on Flare, surpassed 100 million tokens in circulation.
The development marked a major milestone just five months after the launch of FAssets in September 2025. Over 89% of that supply remains locked across Flare DeFi platforms such as Kinetic and Firelight, showing strong utilization rather than idle holdings.
At current valuations, the 106 million FXRP in circulation represents roughly $150 million worth of XRP earning yield on Flare.
While 100 million XRP is still far from 5 billion, Philion’s comments suggest the infrastructure being built is designed for scale for large XRP holders seeking yield opportunities.
“Insanely Bullish” for XRP
In an earlier January interview, Philion shared broader thoughts on what large-scale XRP financialization could mean.
He argued that if billions, or even tens of billions, of XRP units were used daily to generate yield and serve as genuine financial instruments, the asset’s quality and market perception would fundamentally change.
According to him, that scenario would be “insanely bullish” not just for Flare, but for XRP itself.
He compared the current stage of development to companies like Uber in their early growth phase, focusing first on capturing market share before prioritizing bottom-line metrics. Flare, he said, is still in the expansion phase.
Philion also highlighted that Flare has reached 100 million units of FXRP by retail participation without institutional backing. Accordingly, he said this is just the beginning.
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