<ul data-eligibleForWebStory="true">XRP, created in 2012 by Ripple Labs, serves as a bridge currency for international payments with fast transaction speeds and low costs.Unlike Bitcoin, XRP is not mined but has all its tokens pre-mined, enabling quicker transactions and lower energy usage.XRP's consensus protocol relies on a Unique Node List (UNL) instead of mining, leading to debates about its degree of decentralization.XRP's primary focus is on payments, aiming to revolutionize cross-border transfers, facing regulatory scrutiny especially in the U.S.