Exchange Ranking
Top Exchanges
24h Volume Ranking
Popularity Ranking
Exchange BTC Balance
Proof of Reserves
Decentralized Exchanges
Funding Rate
Funding Heatmap
Liquidation Data
Max Pain
Long/Short Ratio
Whale L/S Ratio
Binance/Okex/Huobi L/S
Bitfinex Margin L/S
ETF Tracker
Solana ETF
XRP ETF
Hong Kong ETF
Bitcoin Treasuries
Crypto Reversal
Ethereum Reserves
HyperLiquid Wallet Analysis
Hyperliquid Whale Watch
Large Transactions
On-chain Movement
Bitcoin ROI
Stablecoin Market Cap
Options Analysis
News
Articles
Economic Calendar
Features
Wallet
Contract Calculator
Security
Collections
Watchlist
Following
XRP Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse: The ability to transfer digital assets in real time compared to the Dutch central bank's half-year gold transfer
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse recently compared the recent gold transfer operations of the Dutch Central Bank with the rapid trading capabilities of digital assets. He pointed out that it took the Dutch Central Bank (DNB) nearly six months, from March to August, to complete the task of transferring 86 tons of gold reserves worth approximately US$11 billion from warehouses in New York and Ottawa to London.
The Dutch central bank's gold transfer and its purpose
The Dutch central bank said the action aims to improve crisis preparedness and increase reserve liquidity by transferring a larger proportion of gold to London, which is considered a key global physical gold market. Of the 86 tons of gold transferred, about 59 tons were sold in New York and bought back in London; the rest was physically transported, of which about 27 tons were transshipped through the Netherlands to avoid melting gold bars.
After the transfer was completed, the distribution of Dutch gold reserves became: London held about 32%, the Netherlands mainland 31%, and New York and Ottawa each accounted for about 18.5%. Olaf Sleijpen, president of the Dutch Central Bank, admitted that although the bank is not expected to use its gold reserves, improving the speed and flexibility of access remains a priority.
The Dutch Central Bank described the operation as a complex project that required months of logistics planning and traditional document processing, a process that historically seemed to have remained stuck in the mid-20th century.
Comparison with other central banks and digital solutions
Gallinhaus compared the Dutch central bank's operations with Germany's gold return operation in 2013. At that time, it took four years for the German Bundesbank to repatriate all 674 tons of gold worth US$36 billion (at current prices) from Paris and New York.
He believes that despite these lengthy processes, the cryptocurrency space has grown from an experimental market of US$1.5 billion to a huge market of US$2.7 trillion in the past decade, matching significant advances in technology areas such as artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles and satellite Internet.
Ripple CEO asserted that precise, near-instant value transfers are now possible digitally, eliminating the need for long-term logistics and extensive paperwork. He highlighted the practical advantages of digital asset infrastructure, pointing out that frameworks like XRP Ledger (XRPL) can move value in seconds at extremely low cost. He cited real-time experiments conducted by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) and mentioned tokenized gold that has been issued on XRPL, including gramme-backed tokens launched by Melt Gold.
Mini Dictionary: XRP Ledger (XRPL) is a decentralized open-source blockchain known for its fast settlement times and low transaction fees. It is used for digital payments and the issuance of stablecoins and tokenized assets.
The role of physical reserves and digital assets
Gallinhaus acknowledged that physical gold reserves have a key role for central banks during the crisis, but he highlighted the differences in settlement speed and flexibility between tangible assets and digital tokens. He positioned XRPL as a key solution for central banks or institutions seeking instant transferable digital reserves, while acknowledging that some institutions may still need to hold physical metals in major financial centers to gain protection.
He pointed out that the two systems can coexist, but in contrast, the long time span required for major gold transfers contrasts sharply with the speed of blockchain settlements.
