XRP Army is Happy When SWIFT Issues a Positive Statement About Ripple

A heated debate is underway in the cryptocurrency community after researcher SMQKE shared an exchange on LinkedIn between a senior leader at SWIFT and other members, regarding Ripple's acquisition of Rail — a company described as a "giant" in the stablecoin field. 200 Million USD Deal Draws Attention Rail was acquired by Ripple for 200 million USD, and is widely regarded by experts as a strategic move to help Ripple expand its position in the cross-border payment sector. The post by Franz Steinbeib on LinkedIn titled “The End of the B2B Payment Race? Ripple's 200 Million USD Checkmate Move” has attracted attention. In the comments, Tom Zschach, Chief Innovation Officer at SWIFT, left the line: "Another 'checkmate' moment" ( translated as: "Lại thêm một khoảnh khắc 'chiếu hết' nữa" ). He added that the race "is far from over" but the track "has just become more crowded," while noting that this is a positive signal even though "the referee is still considering." Debate About the Meaning of the Phrase "Checkmate" Immediately after SMQKE shared this information on social media X, two opposing viewpoints emerged: Nietzbux suggests that the quotation marks around the word "checkmate" imply sarcasm. In this interpretation, Zschach is alluding to the exaggerated claims from the community that every advancement is a "final move", while in reality, the "game" continues. Nietzbux emphasizes that in chess, there is only one true "checkmate", so the phrase "another 'checkmate'" is more ironic than acknowledging victory. Shawn Dejong, however, rebuts, arguing that the word "another" here indicates that Zschach is referring to the series of strategic moves by Ripple, of which the Rail deal is just a part. Dejong relates to previous moves like the "hidden road" project and asserts that Ripple is gradually positioning itself to become the preferred choice for the financial messaging standard ISO 20022, and may even compete directly with SWIFT. Strategic Significance and Long-term Impact The point that makes Zschach's statement noteworthy, according to SMQKE, is that it originates from the official account of a senior leader at SWIFT — an organization that currently holds a dominant position in the international payment infrastructure. Although the meaning of the term "checkmate" is still open to many interpretations, this statement also shows that SWIFT is closely monitoring every step of Ripple's progress. On one hand, it may serve as a reminder that the race is not over and competition will become increasingly fierce; on the other hand, it may also be an acknowledgment that Ripple is gradually becoming a formidable competitor in the cross-border payment space, especially when combined with the power of Rail in the stablecoin sector. In the context of the global financial market shifting strongly towards blockchain solutions and standardizing ISO 20022 messaging, this deal could be a turning point for Ripple — and also a warning to SWIFT that this "chess game" still has many unexpected moves.