Mastercard Backs XRP Ledger Hackathon as ETF Inflows Soar
The XRP Ledger (XRPL) is gaining momentum ahead of Ripple Swell 2026 after Mastercard agreed to sponsor the XRP Ledger Hackathon on October 24-25. The event, a 36-hour developer competition, will focus on building payment-related projects using the XRPL network.
Mastercard has expanded its crypto partnerships in 2026, including work with Ripple, Circle, Binance, Gemini, PayPal, and Paxos. This latest development comes as 21Shares changed how its XRP ETF tracks the token, moving from CME Group pricing to the FTSE XRP Index effective August 27.
21Shares also modified the payment schedule for the fund sponsor fee, switching from weekly payments to quarterly payments in XRP.
In related news, U.S. spot XRP ETFs continue to attract capital, with funds recording $13.82 million on Monday, about $24 million on Tuesday, and more than $28 million on Wednesday this week.