Google’s new blockchain ledger is set to compete with XRPL

One of the world’s largest tech companies may soon be able to compete directly with XRP, the third most valuable digital asset globally.

Alphabet (GOOGL) has announced its Google Cloud Universal Ledger (GCUL), a blockchain platform that will be available to businesses in 2026. It features similarities to Ripple’s XRP Ledger (XRPL).

Similar to XRPL, GCUL is intended to be a distributed ledger for fintech institutions.

GCUL will have:

• 24/7 low-latency payments
• Programmable asset tokenization
• Institutional settlement infrastructure
• Third-party wallet integration
• APIs for financial automation

In fact, parts of Alphabet’s technical docs mirror Ripple’s decades-old messaging on XRPL.

Rick Woodman, the Head of Strategy at Google, called GCUL “neutral infrastructure” in a recent post.

He noted that even if financial institutions may be hesitant to build on the blockchains of competitors, any institution can take advantage of GCUL’s ecosystem.

Close-up of Google logo on black sign on facade of office building, San Francisco, California, August 14, 2025. Source: Getty Images ## Key differences between Alphabet’s and Ripple’s blockchains

What makes it different is the scale of Alphabet’s effort.

With a $2.5 trillion market capitalization, the parent company of Google is hundreds of billions of dollars above Ripple’s combined valuation, and it has already partnered with CME Group, the world’s largest options and futures exchange.

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CME Group is testing asset tokenization on GCUL, something it never did with XRPL.

There are also stark differences between the two blockchains. Alphabet has not announced any plans for a token offering, unlike Ripple, which has done so on the XRPL network, which relies on its native token, XRP.

Related: What is blockchain? Explained

GCUL will be permissioned and private, while XRPL is open and has a decentralized model of validation. GCUL is written in Python, while the XRPL is written in C++.

David Schwartz, the Chief Technology Officer, recently stated that XRPL has struggled to process billions of dollars in banking transactions, despite having secured 300 financial partners over the past decade.

This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Aug 29, 2025, where it first appeared in the Innovation section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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