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Ripple is advancing the addition of a lending infrastructure layer on the XRP Ledger (XRPL), enabling institutions to raise funds using on-chain tokenized assets as collateral. The protocol will automatically execute loan terms, while credit evaluation and lending decisions remain handled by off-chain institutions.According to disclosures, the proposal is named the XRPL Lending Protocol (corresponding to XLS-65 and XLS-66 standards). It is currently in the technical draft stage and will require approval through validator voting before launching on the mainnet, but developer testing has already been opened on the test network.The protocol’s design splits the lending process into two parts: on-chain management of liquidity pools, interest calculation, repayment execution, and default handling; while borrower credit assessment and loan term setting remain with traditional financial institutions to meet compliance requirements across different jurisdictions.Ripple states that the mechanism is primarily aimed at institutional short-term liquidity needs. For example, in cross-border payment scenarios, temporary financing through stablecoins or collateral assets can be obtained before settlement is completed, thereby improving capital efficiency.Analysts believe that while the plan attempts to introduce a “rule-enforced lending infrastructure” similar to traditional finance while maintaining XRPL's open network attributes, it will still face competition from established on-chain lending protocols such as Aave, Compound, and Maple. (CoinDesk)
According to TechFundingNews, crypto financial infrastructure firm Cycles has announced the completion of an $6.4 million seed funding round, led by Blockchange Ventures, with participation from Coinbase Ventures, Compound VC, and Primitive Ventures. Following this round, the company’s total funding has reached $8.7 million. Cycles aims to build a private clearing network for crypto markets and enhance capital efficiency through its “clearing network” mechanism. By leveraging zero-knowledge proofs and trusted execution environments, the network enables multilateral netting settlement—reducing counterparty risk and minimizing liquidity usage.