Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has argued that Ripple may need to embrace Midnight, Cardano's privacy-focused partner chain, to unlock the next phase of growth for the $XRP ecosystem. The
Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has argued that Ripple may need to embrace Midnight, Cardano's privacy-focused partner chain, to unlock the next phase of growth for the $XRP ecosystem. The comments, made during a recent conversation with crypto commentator Wendy O and reported by Coinpedia, are among his clearest statements yet on how he sees the two networks working together.
Hoskinson argued that while Ripple has built one of crypto's strongest payment networks, there is still a major opportunity to expand XRP's role in DeFi, tokenization, and institutional finance. He noted that Ripple still lacks a native smart contract ecosystem, meaning XRP holders have limited access to DeFi tools, yield opportunities, and tokenized assets. That is where Midnight could fit in.
"We have Bitcoin DeFi. We're going to do XRP DeFi," Hoskinson said, adding that developers within the Midnight ecosystem are already exploring XRP-related applications. Plans include wrapping XRP on Midnight, enabling lending, borrowing, and yield strategies.
Hoskinson does not view Ripple as a competitor. Instead, he grouped Ripple alongside companies like Tether, Circle, and Binance as leaders in what he calls the "Web 2.5" economy, blockchain networks that bridge traditional finance and crypto.
He sees XRP and Midnight as complementary networks. Ripple provides institutional access, while Midnight offers privacy, DeFi, and tokenization capabilities. Rather than forcing companies to migrate to a new blockchain, Midnight is being built to work across existing ecosystems. Hoskinson wants blockchain interactions to feel seamless, regardless of whether users are on Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Cardano, or XRP, with the long-term goal being an open system that connects blockchains rather than competing with them.
Midnight itself is a fourth-generation privacy-focused blockchain and the first partner chain connected to the Cardano ecosystem, combining zero-knowledge proofs, a dual-ledger architecture, and selective disclosure so applications can keep sensitive data confidential without giving up verification. Its mainnet launched in March 2026.
According to Hoskinson, crypto's next phase will focus on privacy, interoperability, and real-world assets, and Midnight targets each of these trends. "We think Ripple is going to be one of our biggest areas of growth," he said.
Sources:Coinpedia: Charles Hoskinson Says Ripple Needs Midnight for the Next Phase of XRP GrowthCoinDesk: Charles Hoskinson Announces Late-March Debut for Privacy-Focused Midnight BlockchainCoin Bureau: What is Midnight Network?
