Following Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), Ripple (XRP) is the third-largest cryptocurrency by market cap at the time I’m writing. Ripple is not associated and linked with block and blockchain directly. Instead, Ripple network uses ledgers and an independent network of servers makes and validates the records. The Ripple does not depend on proof-of-work (PoW) and proof of stake (PoS) algorithms, thus Ripple Platform does not acquire intense computing powers and energy. The Ripple uses blockchain data structures with its own consensus protocol algorithm.
Ripple system uses three types of nodes which are;
Validators: transactions are validated by trusted validators
Regular Nodes: these are the regular users or people.
Gateway Nodes: they are exchanges, merchants, or financial institutions. They are like a trust chain on the ripple network.
Ripple can also be traded but that was not the main idea behind its creation but it has now become a payment method for many financial institutions. XRP is acting as a vehicle to transport their funds and digital assets.