Whilst still decentralised, Ripple (XRP) is a transaction
network with a digital
currency (called
ripples or XRP) contained within it, as opposed to a digital
currency per se.
According to its website, the goal of the
ripple system is to enable people to break free of the «walled gardens» of financial
networks — i.e., PayPal, banks, credit cards and other institutions that restrict access with fees, process delays, and charge for
currency exchanges.