Ripple, often associated with its cryptocurrency XRP, is a digital payment platform emphasizing fast, low-cost international transactions. Unlike decentralized cryptocurrencies, XRP's ledger is maintained by Ripple Labs, with a fixed supply of 100 billion tokens, most retained by the company. Ripple aims to revolutionize banking transactions using XRP to facilitate quick transfers globally, contrasting with Bitcoin's approach to decentralize financial operations. Ripple Labs holds significant XRP reserves for funding but doesn't plan extensive sales, focusing on leveraging XRP for rapid banking rather than as an investment asset.