Ripple's Senior Vice President, Jack McDonald, clarified the essential role of XRP in supporting RLUSD on the XRP Ledger during his presentation at Consensus 2026 in Miami. McDonald emphasized that XRP is crucial for RLUSD operations, serving as the native gas token that underpins every RLUSD transaction on the XRPL. He refuted speculation that RLUSD might diminish XRP's importance, highlighting that XRP facilitates fast and efficient transaction flows. McDonald outlined Ripple's dual-asset strategy, where RLUSD provides price stability while XRP supports liquidity, transaction fees, and core network functions. This approach aims to revolutionize global payments by offering a faster alternative to traditional systems like SWIFT. Ripple's ecosystem positions RLUSD as a stable settlement asset, with XRP continuing to play a vital role in cross-border transactions and network operations.