Ample opportunity for innovation exists right now. I think Ripple has a lead on adoption and implementation maturity, but the future is open---and I expect increased competition. As people begin to thoroughly understand all that Ripple offers---and why it is attractive for solving financial problems that exist today---I hope to see more people building upon its fundamental concepts.
I am hopeful for technologies like Ripple to level the playing field between individuals and FIs. I recently read about the
1970s Irish Banking Crisis, and am left wondering how systems like Ripple and Codius could fill in the gaps. I would like to see Ripple succeed, personally, but any systems that get us there are a good thing.
Ripple really has moved away from creating features desired by and supporting the individual.
https://ripple.com/integrate/executive-summary-for-financial-institutions/#Who can use Ripple"Who can use Ripple?
Ripple is designed to be used directly by interbank payment network members and operators and by liquidity providers; but not directly by end-users (e.g. consumers). This is similar to how payment infrastructure is used today."
This doesn't seem to me like the kind of product that will really change the world, besides reducing bank costs and speeding up interbank payments. Banks have no interest in freeing consumers to be able to perform digital transactions between parties where the bank doesn't know all parties involved - something that Bitcoin excels at. I'm not saying that Ripple is useless or that it's not an evolutionary step forward from where ACH/SWIFT is today, but that it certainly doesn't compete against Bitcoin when it comes to either a store of value (investment) or end user payment service.
(I've held XRPs from time to time, not a hater, but not a Kool-Aid
TM convert either.