Yuan Shakes SWIFT…Is XRP's Game-Changing Moment Beginning?

▲ Chinese Yuan ©CoinReaders

Amidst the shaking dollar-centric payment order, the surging trend of yuan payments is also stimulating expectations for XRP utilization.

According to the Nikkei Shimbun on May 4 (local time), the transaction volume of China's Cross-border Interbank Payment System (CIPS) for yuan is rapidly increasing, leading to a swift expansion of yuan usage in global trade. This change is considered a move that is creating cracks in the existing SWIFT-centric international interbank payment structure.

In particular, XRP (Ripple) is once again drawing attention amidst this de-dollarization trend. As XRP is designed as a cross-border payment method that replaces or complements existing financial networks, its potential to benefit from the expansion of yuan-based payments and changes in global payment infrastructure is being discussed.

Indeed, as of March 2026, the CIPS trade settlement volume reached 1.46 trillion yuan, a threefold increase compared to five years ago. Furthermore, the daily settlement amount has surpassed 1.22 trillion yuan, hitting an all-time high, indicating a steep acceleration in the expansion of yuan usage.

Geopolitical conflicts lie behind these changes. Iran has proposed the yuan and cryptocurrencies as payment methods for Strait of Hormuz transit fees, and Russia has also significantly increased its share of yuan payments since Western sanctions. Saudi Arabia has also joined the de-dollarization trend by processing 41% of its oil transactions in yuan.

The market analyzes that such structural changes could expand the role of global payment-oriented digital assets like XRP. However, it is also noted that the yuan's current share in SWIFT is only 3%, still significantly lower than the dollar's 51%, and that a complete transition of payment infrastructure will take time.

Ultimately, the expansion of yuan payments is a signal for the reorganization of the global payment order, but how quickly digital assets, including XRP, can absorb this remains a key variable for the future.

*Disclaimer: This article is for investment reference only, and we are not responsible for any investment losses based on it. The content should be interpreted for informational purposes only.*