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I think the banks are using xCurrent which doesn't require XRP. From there, Ripple is hoping to switch them over onto xRapid which is the crypto product.

I knew it was something like that but I thought XRapid is what the banks are testing and XRP is the token in which we hope they will use once they decide to fully implement XRapid. I was apart of a Ripple forum months back and the last I remember hearing was banks such as The Royal Bank was testing its services. I am almost certain that Western Union has already fully implemented XRapid but again its been months since I did any research. I decided to just leave the coin in my wallet and forget about it until it bounces back.

Link to Royal Bank results : https://www.google.ca/search?q=roya+bank+test+xripple&rlz=1C1RLNS_enCA811CA811&oq=roya+bank+test+xripple&aqs=chrome..69i57.5278j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Dang I just did a quick search and it looks like Western Union may not be pleased with their relationship with Ripple. Back to pretending like I am not holding any lol.

Haha... I think the news and shilling tend to just say Ripple and confuse the products alot... Although, there is progress with the xRapid, but the adoption is still much much much less than xCurrent.

I'm not one of the decentralisation zealots! I'm happy to have bought and held XRP, I still think that a meld of central/decentralisation is the way to go, at least in the short-medium term. The crypto market, even at it's peak is small fish compared to the established global system. You just don't fight giants, you co-opt them and then become one!