Wouldn't it be great to see two international payment giants clash in the financial debate of the decade? Well, we can all stop dreaming, because it is happening! That's right, in one corner, Silicon Valley blockchain startup, Ripple, will face off against the world champion of international payments, SWIFT. The outcome could very well decide the future of this industry as we know it.

RIPPLE VS. SWIFT: THE DEBATE TAKES PLACE IN GERMANY

The big debate between these two will take place at the 1TC conference in Rust, Germany. Ripple will be represented by its global head of banking, Marjan Delatinne, against SWIFT's global head of banking, Wim Raymaekers. Those expecting a bloodbath will be disappointed. The two men are simply meeting to have a professional debate about the banking industry, how blockchain affects that field and whether a startup like Ripple has the potential to disrupt SWIFT.

RIPPLE VS. SWIFT: THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

What everyone wants to see in this debate is whether or not Ripple will take on the "elephant in the room," so to speak. It's no secret that Ripple wants to replace SWIFT and thinks it has superior technology. It's like the CEO of Hummer trying to argue against Elon Musk that his fuel-hungry mega SUVs are better than a Tesla. Yet Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple, says there's no animosity between him and SWIFT. Only mutual respect. We'll see how much respect they have for each other during the debate.

RIPPLE VS. SWIFT: WHAT WILL BE THE IMPACT ON THE PRICE OF XRP?

Let's face it. This debate probably won't have much effect on the price of XRP; this is exactly what it can do. It will tell you a lot about the future of international payments, and then you can make your own informed decision based on that. Right now, the general consensus is to buy and hold Ripple. It will be a long holding, but it's affordable right now, so it's a good opportunity to get in on the cheap.

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