Unlocking DeFi on XRPL: Inside Strobe’s Post-Launch AMA

Strobe recently hosted its first post-launch X Spaces session, giving the community an inside look at the protocol’s vision, progress, and plans for the future. Project Lead Jason and Business Development Lead George walked listeners through Strobe’s origins, the evolution of the XRP Ledger (XRPL), and why now is the right moment to bring native yield to XRP holders.

From Logistics to Liquidity Layers

Jason opened by sharing his background — an unusual but valuable mix of leadership experience in large-scale food manufacturing and logistics, and a crypto journey that began during Bitcoin’s 2017 mainstream breakout.

“I learned a lesson really quickly… you don’t want to be exit liquidity at the end of a bull run,” Jason reflected.

Since 2021, he has been full-time in crypto, leading and advising projects from synthetic assets to NFTs, culminating in his role at Strobe.

Strobe’s Core Mission

At its core, Strobe is “the first fully decentralized money market native to XRPL”, offering yield through lending and borrowing. But the ambition extends further — to become the foundational liquidity layer for DeFi on the XRPL ecosystem.

“We want to be to XRPL what Aave is to Ethereum… the reason people come here and the enabler for DeFi to exist on XRPL.”

By linking XRPL to XRPL EVM sidechain, via partner Axelar, Ripple aims to give developers, investors, and users the best of both worlds: XRPL’s speed, low costs, and security alongside the programmability of EVM-compatible chains.

Why Native Yield Took So Long

Despite launching in 2012, XRPL never had native smart contract functionality — a deliberate design choice prioritizing speed, cost efficiency, and security.

“You don’t hear about hacks on XRPL… programmability wasn’t part of the mission from the beginning because it added risk.”

What changed? A perfect storm of events:

• 2023 court ruling that XRP is not a security on public exchanges, boosting market confidence.
• Genius Act in the US, clearing a path for regulated stablecoins like Ripple’s RLUSD.
• ETF exposure, attracting new attention to XRP.
• Launch of the EVM sidechain, enabling DeFi infrastructure for the first time.

These developments, combined with Axelar’s bridging capabilities, have opened the door for protocols like Strobe.

The Size of the Opportunity

Jason put the potential into perspective by comparing XRPL to Ethereum:

• Ethereum: ~$450B market cap, ~$85B DeFi TVL → ~18–20% participation rate.
• XRPL: ~$180B market cap, mostly dormant capital until now.
• If XRPL reached Ethereum’s ratio, that’s $30B in potential DeFi TVL.

“That’s $180 billion of mostly dormant capital… that’s just been waiting for us” Jason joked

Commitment to XRPL, With Multi-Chain Options

While Strobe will remain XRPL-focused in the near term, the Axelar bridge already connects them to 80+ other EVM chains, opening the possibility for future expansion.

“First mover advantage on XRPL is important… but there’s no reason why at some point we wouldn’t enable those EVM chains to deposit directly into Strobe.”

Partnerships and Security

Strobe’s early success has been built on strong collaborations with key infrastructure partners:

• Xaman Wallet — Exclusive wallet connection for Strobe.
• Axelar — Handles all bridging.
• Band Protocol — Provides reliable price feeds.
• Grove — RPC services.

Security is layered and comprehensive, including immutable core contracts, multi-sig admin protection, borrow/supply caps, over-collateralized lending, real-time health monitoring, and liquidation mechanisms. Audits from Hacken and SoftStack are public, with Hacken’s Dual Defense program actively testing contracts against vulnerabilities.

Early Adopter Incentives

Strobe has been running a points program since its testnet phase, with boosted rewards during launch campaigns. While Jason didn’t confirm what these points will lead to, he hinted that seasoned DeFi users might be able to guess.

Closing Thoughts

The AMA made it clear that Strobe isn’t just launching another lending protocol — it’s positioning itself as a cornerstone for XRPL’s DeFi future. With a focus on security, strategic partnerships, and unlocking dormant capital, the team’s vision is both ambitious and grounded in practical execution.

“We absolutely want to hear what you guys want to see in the future… we’re building this together.”

For more on Strobe’s ecosystem and partner stories, check out the Strobe Ignite podcast on YouTube or via the Strobe Finance website.