Ripple executive Reece Merrick forecasts a significant increase in institutional adoption of cryptocurrencies by 2026, emphasizing the importance of compliance with Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) regulations. Merrick highlighted that major banks and payment networks must integrate substantial crypto operations within the next year to avoid losing clients to fintech competitors. Ripple has been actively expanding its institutional infrastructure, recently acquiring GTreasury to enhance liquidity and access to crypto markets. Additionally, RLUSD, Ripple's digital asset, now supports institutional payments and boasts a market cap exceeding $1 billion.