Ripple Says $30 Trillion to Move On-Chain by 2030, Calls for Interoperability

As stablecoins gain traction in cross-border payments, the financial industry needs interoperability spanning traditional finance and blockchain systems, a Ripple executive said.

Speaking at the seminar "The Stablecoin Era: The Future of Cross-Border Payments in South Korea" at Yeouido Post Tower on Nov. 11, Lee Eun-jin, Ripple's Asia-Pacific sales director, said about $30 trillion in assets is projected to move on-chain by 2030.

To use stablecoins in real-world financial transactions, different financial institutions, blockchains and payment systems must connect seamlessly, Lee said.

He cited four key elements needed to secure interoperability: cross-chain asset transfers between different blockchains; cross-asset links between assets and settlement payments; cross-compliance with regulations such as customer identity verification and anti-money laundering requirements; and foreign-exchange conversion and liquidity across currencies.

Cross-border payments are one of the clearest areas where interoperability matters. Even when stablecoins are used in cross-border transactions, conversion into local currencies and sufficient buy-and-sell liquidity remain necessary. Even if remittances themselves are fast, customers may see limited benefits if foreign-exchange costs are high or local payouts are delayed.

Lee also stressed that cross-border payments must still meet the legal and institutional requirements of the existing financial system. Blockchain and stablecoins can help simplify parts of the transaction process and reduce processing times. But procedures involving the transfer of legal rights, responses to disruptions and anti-money laundering remain important.

"The most successful infrastructure is infrastructure that customers do not even realize exists," Lee said. What matters is not which blockchain or stablecoin a user relies on, but whether a transaction is completed reliably and the necessary information can be verified.