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The European Central Bank (ECB) has quietly given the XRP Ledger a place in its wholesale-DLT sandbox—yet only behind the walls of a closed network. Annex II of the ECB’s June 2025 report describes 48 trials and experiments, but a single project run by Lithuanian fintech Axiology is the only one grounded in its technology.

XRP Ledger Powers ECB Trial

Axiology’s DLT Trading and Settlement System (TSS) is, in the ECB’s own words, a “private, permissioned infrastructure built using the open-source code of the XRP Ledger.” The central bank immediately qualifies that pedigree: “While Axiology benefits from XRP Ledger technology, it operates as an independent system, designed to streamline trading, settlement, and custody of tokenized assets.” In short, the code is XRPL-inspired, but the sandbox itself is hermetically sealed.

The trial rehearsed three events—primary issuance, coupon payments, and maturity redemption—while the Banque de France’s Trigger Solution handled central-bank money. In the issuance phase the ledger recorded that “Node sends asset amount from issuer’s operational wallet to created escrow wallet, which uses XRP Payment transaction,” after which “Operator transfers amount of asset from escrow wallet to final investor’s wallet, using XRP Payment transaction and thus finalizing DVP.”

Later, during redemption, the report shows the flow reversing: “Node sends amount of asset from end-investor wallet to created escrow wallet, which uses XRP Payment transaction,” and finally “Operator transfers amount of asset from escrow wallet to Issuer Agent Operational Wallet using XRP Payment transaction, thereby finalising DVP and initiating burning process.”

Those six sentences—the two structural descriptions plus four transaction steps—are the document’s entire reference set to “XRP.” Nowhere does the annex suggest that the token, open-network validators, or public liquidity pools were involved; every transfer ran strictly inside a permissioned ledger, and the cash side remained pure central-bank money.

Axiology says its goal was to test the “performance and reliability” of synchronizing delivery-versus-payment in central-bank euros with a tokenized bond ledger. For the ECB, the exercise is one of many in a comparative sweep that already includes Canton, Corda, and Ethereum variants. The findings will inform whatever wholesale CBDC architecture the Eurosystem may one day pursue.

The upshot is stark: the ECB did trial Ripple’s technology, but only in a sealed environment, detached from the public ecosystem. For proponents it is a technical validation; for skeptics it shows regulators are still wary of open networks. Either way, the catch remains: the technology was allowed inside the room, yet the door to public adoption stays seemingly firmly shut.

At press time, XRP traded at $2.18, up 13% since the Sunday low at $1.90.

Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

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A hot potato: The prospect of humanoid robots building more humanoid robots sounds like something from science fiction, but an Austin-based company has just signed a deal that could eventually lead to this scenario. It’s inevitably caused more fears about human jobs being lost, but the company behind the machines says it will leave employees more time for “creative, thought-intensive projects.”

Robot-maker Apptronik has announced a pilot partnership with American firm Jabil. In addition to its supply chain services primarily serving OEMs, Jabil is involved in designing, engineering, and manufacturing electronic circuit boards and systems.

Jabil said that it has several customers who are developing robots and warehouse automation. The new deal will see it provide a factory environment that will offer real-world validation testing of Apptronik Apollo robots, ahead of scaling the robot for manufacturing. The 5-foot 8-inch, 160-pound robots have a 4-hour-per-battery-pack runtime and a 55-pound payload.

The pilot program will see the robots carry out an array of simple, repetitive tasks such as inspection, sorting, kitting, lineside delivery, fixture placement, and sub-assembly.

Jabil also said it has agreed to begin producing the Apollo robots in its factories, meaning that should the pilot program work out, these robots will eventually be put to work building more of themselves.

The idea of AI-powered robots working tirelessly to create more robots sounds concerning. Apptronik told TechCrunch this is still a ways off, though it is targeting 2026 to begin manufacturing commercial units.

Before we start to worry about robots building more robots, there’s the pressing issue of how this type of increased automation will impact human jobs.

The makers of automation/AI systems regularly claim that their products will help workers rather than replace them, with the machines carrying out more repetitive and monotonous tasks so humans can concentrate on other work.

Apptronik followed the same line, stating that its robots will give people more time for projects that the machines cannot do. The announcement says those whose tasks have been taken by the Apollo robots could spend more time on “creative, thought-intensive projects” – like writing resumes, probably.

This is the second major pilot deal entered into by Apptronik. It signed an agreement with Mercedes-Benz in March 2024 that saw Apollo put to work on certain tasks on the automaker’s production lines.

In January last year, BMW announced that humanoid robots would begin working at its vehicle manufacturing plants, starting in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The 5-foot 6-inch, 130-pound robots, made by Californian Robotics startup Figure, were successfully tested at the facility in June, when they inserted sheet metal parts that were assembled as part of the chassis.

Could blockchain technology change how we vote? With its potential to improve transparency, security, and efficiency, blockchain voting is sparking global interest and debate. But like any new technology, it comes with challenges, leaving many wondering if it’s the right solution for modern democracy.

Why Blockchain Voting Could Work

There’s a lot to like about blockchain voting. It creates a digital ledger that’s virtually tamper-proof. Every vote is recorded securely and accurately, reducing the risk of fraud. Proponents say this will restore trust in elections, especially in places where people don’t trust the results.

Transparency is one of blockchain’s biggest selling points. Because everything happens on a decentralized system, voters can track the process in real-time. In Romania’s 2024 presidential elections, blockchain technology is letting citizens do just that. For the first time, people can follow the vote count live, knowing every ballot was verified by secure systems.

Another big benefit is accessibility. Voting can be hard for people who can’t get to polling stations—whether it’s because of mobility issues, remote locations, or scheduling conflicts. Blockchain makes online voting possible, letting people cast their votes from home.

And then there’s cost. By eliminating physical infrastructure like polling stations and paper ballots, blockchain can save money and speed up results. It’s a win-win for voters and election officials.

For example, Switzerland tested blockchain voting in a proof-of-concept e-vote in Zug, where 72 digital ID holders voted in an online consultative vote in 2018. The test was a success, met most of the technical requirements and provided valuable insights for future decentralized voting solutions.

Romania Presidential Elections on the Blockchain

The Roadblocks

For all its virtues, blockchain voting isn’t without its flaws. Security is still a big issue. While blockchain itself is hard to hack, the process isn’t foolproof. Votes can be manipulated before they even get to the blockchain, and the system is vulnerable to cyber-attacks.

Another challenge is to let voters verify their ballots without giving up their privacy. People need to know their vote is counted, but they also need to feel that no one else can see how they vote. Furthermore, most governments would be unlikely to accept the risk of a voter losing their right to vote due to a damaged hard drive or losing their digital keys.

Going to blockchain voting won’t be cheap either. Countries would need to invest in new infrastructure, train election officials and educate the public about how it works. It’s a big ask, especially for countries that are already struggling with their current systems.

Romania Leading the Way

Romania is showing that blockchain voting isn’t just an idea—it’s already happening. In the 2024 presidential elections, Romania is implementing blockchain for the monitoring and counting of votes. Citizens can see the results in real-time thanks to a system that uses complex codes to verify each ballot.

Romania’s blockchain system is connected to the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure, as well as other European countries. This is how blockchain can scale for international use and create a more unified and transparent voting system.

Romania’s blockchain voting system wasn’t just about transparency. It also connects to the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI), a network of 27 countries. This is how blockchain can work across borders, making voting systems more harmonized and efficient.

Romania started its blockchain journey earlier in the 2020 parliamentary elections. Back then, the technology was used to provide tamper-proof data on voter turnout and streamline post-election reporting. The results were encouraging, showing how blockchain can simplify election management and increase public trust.

Could Soulbound NFTs Be the Answer?

A newer idea is the use of Soulbound NFTs (SBTs) in elections. These unique, non-transferable digital tokens could change how voter identities are verified.

Here’s how it could work: voters receive an SBT as a digital ID once their eligibility is confirmed. This ID can be tied to secure authentication methods like biometric data so only authorized individuals can vote. SBTs can even track if someone has already voted, so no double voting.

SBTs can also make voting more accessible. As digital keys, they can allow people to vote online securely from anywhere. Imagine the turnout if people didn’t have to leave their homes to have their say.

Of course, this is all speculative for now. SBTs would need to address the same issues as blockchain—like privacy, security and cost. However, the idea shows how blockchain and related tech can evolve to make voting more inclusive and secure.

A Glimpse Into the Future

Blockchain voting has potential, from making elections more transparent to increasing accessibility. Countries like Romania are showing what’s possible when technology meets governance.

But the challenges are real. Security risks, high costs, and public scepticism remain major obstacles. And while concepts like Soulbound NFTs add possibilities, they’re still in the early stages.

The road ahead will require careful planning, rigorous testing, and trust from voters. If blockchain can rise to these challenges, it might just redefine how we vote.

Editor’s note: Written with the assistance of AI – Edited and fact-checked by Jason Newey.