As previously reported, Ripple (XRP) seems to be one of the few cryptocurrencies that seems to be undeterred by the negative speculation currently affecting the market. In a recent announcement, Banco Santander, the Spanish financial giant, advised that they will be launching a new app for smartphones and other mobile devices that will be underpinned by Ripple innovative blockchain technology. This is massive news for Ripple, and for Santander itself. With its branches worldwide, this partnership will make Santander the first and only UK bank prepared to introduce distributed ledger technology (the technical term for blockchain) into an app that will help to facilitate international and cross-border payments. Nor is this a long-distance plan. The bank intends to have the app available for use by its customers as early as the first quarter of 2018.The introduction of the app will allow Santander clients to make international payments on the same day, without all of the infuriating delays that are part and parcel of cross-border transactions when using fiat currencies. Indeed, using Ripple’s blockchain as the method of exchange, such transactions could be completed in as little as a minute. Further developments in the app will allow customers to make direct payments person-to-person, as well as providing them with a bespoke digital wallet for their altcoins and a private finance manager. However, while Ripple Technologies will be supplying the technological expertise for the app, Santander have declined to use Ripple’s own coinage for the new app, depending instead on using xCurrent. Not that this will concern Ripple overly much. While having Santander publicly supporting their own digital currency would have seen a spike in XRP’s market price, the value of a partnership with such an established financial institution is far greater than any increase in overall asset prices at this time.