Ripple Acquires GTreasury: What It Means for Corporate Treasury
From Treasury Mastertminds When Ripple announced its $1 billion acquisition of GTreasury, reactions across the treasury community ranged from curiosity to cautious optimism. For some, it marks a watershed moment — the convergence of digital-asset infrastructure and traditional treasury management. For others, it’s a long-term experiment whose practical impact will take years to unfold. Either way, it’s a move that deserves attention. The Big Picture Ripple is known for its blockchain-based payment and liquidity network. GTreasury, by contrast, is one of the most established Treasury Management System (TMS) providers, supporting corporates with forecasting, payments, connectivity, and compliance. By combining forces, Ripple positions itself not just as a payments player, but as a provider of enterprise liquidity infrastructure — bringing blockchain into the mainstream of corporate finance. As Jessica Oku, Treasury Mastermind board member, put it: “This isn’t just about a fintech acquisition but a structural shift in how corporates may manage cash, liquidity, and digital assets.Ripple’s $1Bn buy of GTreasury puts it squarely in the game of thrones — sorry — treasury operations.” From Excitement to Realism When the news first broke, many treasurers — including Patrick Kunz, founder of Treasury Masterminds — reacted with excitement at the possibilities. “When I first heard the news I thought: ‘wow this is cool,’ and started to imagine the end state — a TMS fully integrated into blockchain or stablecoins for almost instant global payments in any currency.” But, as Patrick reflects, the reality check followed quickly: “Thinking about it longer, I realized this end state will take years to achieve — if it even will. And is that really Ripple’s goal? I had more questions than answers.” That mix of curiosity and caution captures how many in the treasury world feel. As Jessica noted, the deal “signals that Ripple is positioning itself not just as a payments enabler, but as a full-stack infrastructure provider for liquidity and capital.” Patrick adds that regardless of how quickly integration happens, the move is already shaking up the TMS market: “It brings a bit of noise and challenges the status quo — which is always good in a competitive environment. It also makes treasurers think about the possibilities of using crypto or blockchain in treasury. Which, in my opinion, is not a matter of if but when.” The Promise: Smarter, Faster Liquidity Ripple and GTreasury’s shared ambition is clear — to enable faster, smarter liquidity management by merging digital-asset rails with deep treasury functionality. Jessica outlines the potential: “Combine GTreasury’s cash forecasting, FX, and compliance logic with Ripple’s blockchain infrastructure, and you get a platform that could move value instantly across fiat, stablecoins, and tokenized deposits.” Tanya Kohen adds that tokenized deposits may be the real breakthrough: “They open the possibility of using on-chain benefits without leaving fiat currency. You can embed logic, automate liquidity, reconcile in real time, and move cash dynamically instead of letting it sit idle.” For treasurers, this could mean a shorter cash cycle, automated movement of funds, and programmable payments — if, and only if, regulatory and operational foundations catch up. The Caution: Real-Time Comes with Real Risks Bojan Belejkovski offers a grounded counterpoint: “Treasurers aren’t losing money because payments take 30 minutes instead of 3 seconds. Their value lies in liquidity forecasting, risk mitigation, and visibility. Real-time only matters if it brings measurable improvements — reduced FX risk, freed working capital, or better yields.” He warns that 24/7 liquidity isn’t free of cost: “It means continuous monitoring, more automation, tighter risk controls, and possible regulatory friction. Many treasurers actually prefer predictable batch cycles that align with reporting and governance windows.” In short, blockchain brings potential efficiencies — but also complexity. Pros and Cons at a Glance Potential Benefits Key Challenges Broader access to liquidity and markets via blockchain rails Integration complexity between legacy TMS/ERP and on-chain systems Faster settlement and real-time visibility Continuous monitoring, audit, and risk-control overhead Ability to earn on idle balances and unlock trapped cash Regulatory uncertainty and compliance requirements Opportunity to explore tokenized deposits and programmable cash Conservative adoption curve — treasurers value reliability Strategic synergy: Ripple’s network meets GTreasury’s enterprise reach Execution risk from merging different technologies and cultures What Comes Next In the short term, adoption will remain slow. Treasurers are pragmatic — they’ll wait for proven use cases, clear regulation, and seamless system integration. As Jessica notes, “Adoption won’t happen overnight. Treasuries are conservative. Integrating blockchain with compliance, risk, audit, and visibility will matter more.” In the medium term (2–5 years), we’ll likely see experimentation — Ripple bringing new liquidity tools to GTreasury clients, and other TMS vendors accelerating their own innovation agendas. Bojan foresees this evolution: “Treasurers will operate within increasingly intelligent, connected ecosystems — powered by AI-driven forecasting, API-linked liquidity, and modular TMS platforms that deliver end-to-end visibility.” And over the long term, as Tanya points out, tokenized deposits could bridge the gap between fiat and digital — giving treasurers programmable liquidity without leaving traditional banking infrastructure. Final Thoughts Ripple’s acquisition of GTreasury is bold — and possibly transformative. It’s not about making payments faster; it’s about redefining the infrastructure of corporate liquidity. It will challenge the status quo, force vendors to rethink their roadmaps, and push treasurers to imagine what digital liquidity could mean for their organizations. The big question isn’t whether treasurers will use blockchain or tokenized cash — it’s when, how, and through whom. And on that, as Patrick Kunz summed up: “Exciting times ahead — but we’re only at the beginning.” Also Read Join our Treasury Community Treasury Mastermind is a community of professionals working in treasury management or those interested in learning more about various topics related to treasury management, including cash management, foreign exchange management, and payments. To register and connect with Treasury professionals, click [HERE] or fill out the form below to get more information. Notice: JavaScript is required for this content.
Franklin
Working capital in service of shareholder value
This article is written by Embat Creating sustainable value over time depends on efficient management of financial resources, with optimising working capital as a critical element. It acts as a financial health indicator, measuring the organisation’s stability while directly supporting shareholder returns. Far from being just another finance KPI, working capital reflects operational discipline across the entire business and demands active engagement beyond the finance function. Linking daily operations to long-term strategy Working capital is fundamentally the difference between current assets (short-term resources) and current liabilities (short-term obligations). It represents the liquidity buffer available to meet near-term commitments, sometimes described as operating liquidity or a financial cushion. It serves as the essential link between daily operational management and the company’s medium- and long-term financial strategy. By providing a clear measure of operational solvency, it ensures that the business can meet its obligations on time, maintaining stability even as priorities evolve. Effective working capital management is about having the right liquidity levels, tailored to the specific operating model and the stage of the business cycle. This helps reduce reliance on external borrowing, improves return on invested capital, and directly supports shareholder value. Additionally, it acts as a shock absorber for unforeseen disruptions or internal issues, such as production line stoppages in manufacturing. The goal is to achieve balance: avoiding both liquidity shortages that create financial stress in the short term, and excess idle cash that cannot be deployed to generate additional value. Poor working capital management can effectively paralyse the core of any company, even one with strong paper profitability. Turning efficiency into cash flow Often, companies can unlock more value through effective working capital management than through simply expanding operating margins. It is about improving the conversion of assets into cash while managing liabilities with precision. Optimising working capital creates a virtuous cycle over time. By shortening the cash conversion cycle, businesses can accelerate the return on investments and improve overall profitability. This process directly increases free cash flow, which becomes a powerful lever for corporate strategy. Companies can choose to reinvest in new projects, reduce debt, or return value to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks. It also builds the capacity to adapt to market changes quickly, funding growth opportunities without compromising financial stability. A strategic priority for the entire organisation Improving working capital should never be viewed as a narrow technical exercise owned solely by the finance department. It is a strategic priority that demands collaboration across all business functions. Operations, procurement, sales, and finance must work in concert to manage payment terms, inventory levels, and receivables in a way that aligns with the company’s overall strategy and risk appetite. Ultimately, cash remains the central measure of a company’s resilience and opportunity. Optimising working capital is about reliably turning profit into cash, and managing that cash to deliver sustainable value for shareholders over time. It is the practice of converting earnings into liquidity—and liquidity into lasting strategic advantage. Also Read Join our Treasury Community Treasury Masterminds is a community of professionals working in treasury management or those interested in learning more about various topics related to treasury management, including cash management, foreign exchange management, and payments. To register and connect with Treasury professionals, click [HERE] or fill out the form below. Notice: JavaScript is required for this content.