Here’s Where XRP Could Land, If XRP Powers Same-Day Global Payroll

This article explores how XRP price could rise if it became the settlement layer for global payroll and gig economy payouts.

The global payroll and gig economy represent one of the largest untapped use cases for blockchain-based settlement. If XRP were to become the backbone of same-day global payroll and gig worker payments, the implications for its price could be transformative.

The Global Payroll and Gig Economy Market

Every year, the combined global payroll market, including both formal and informal wages, amounts to nearly $50 trillion. Within this, the gig economy alone accounts for over $455 billion in annual payouts today. Projections show it could exceed $1 trillion by 2030.

- Advertisement -

If XRP were adopted as a settlement rail for even a small fraction of these flows, its liquidity demand and market valuation could expand significantly.

Translating Adoption Into Capital Flows

At 1% adoption, XRP would be moving about $500 billion in payroll annually, or roughly $1.37 billion per day. At 3%, that figure rises to $1.5 trillion, and at 5%, nearly $2.5 trillion. For settlement to be seamless, XRP would need to maintain a liquidity float equal to about 5–10% of these flows.

That means $50 billion in float for 1% adoption, $150 billion for 3%, and $250 billion for 5%.

What This Means for XRP Market Cap and Price

With a circulating supply of 59.4 billion, these settlement flows translate into higher market capitalization and price projections.

At 1% adoption, XRP’s market cap could reach $222 billion by assuming a $50 billion float added to its market cap. This would place the price around $3.74.

At 3% adoption, using the same method, market cap rises to $322 billion with a price of $5.42.

At 5% adoption, market cap could expand to $422 billion, pushing XRP toward $7.11.

For comparison, XRP’s current market cap is near $166 billion with a price of $3.00.

It is worth noting that these scenarios assume only the direct addition of liquidity demand into XRP’s market cap. 

In reality, an inflow of $50 billion to $250 billion in settlement float could trigger a much stronger multiplier effect, driving prices well beyond these modeled ranges as liquidity depth, investor positioning, and speculative flows compound the impact.

As analyst Zach Rector has often argued, XRP could theoretically reach $100 per coin (a $6 trillion market cap) on $100 billion to $300 billion in inflows precisely because of this multiplier effect.

Payroll as the Killer App for XRP?

XRP’s original vision was tied to bank-to-bank settlement, but payroll and gig economy payouts may present an equally powerful real-world application. For millions of workers worldwide, the ability to receive same-day pay in local currency via XRP off-ramps could shift the global financial landscape.

In 2023, goLance CEO Michael Brooks disclosed that the platform uses XRP to pay freelancers quickly and affordably, especially in underserved markets. By leveraging the XRP Ledger, goLance enables instant, low-fee payments, solving delays and high costs common in regions like the Philippines.

Essentially, if XRP thrives in this market, the next major leap in its valuation may not come from Wall Street, but from the everyday paychecks of workers worldwide.