6,000 US pharmacies set to use XRP in US $50M deal

USA – Tampa-based Wellgistics Health (NASDAQ:WGRX) has announced a major initiative to integrate XRP into its financial systems.

The pharmaceutical distributor secured a US $50 million equity line of credit (ELOC) arranged by LDA Capital, a crypto-focused investment group.

Wellgistics will use the funds to build on-demand financial infrastructure – effectively hardwiring XRP into its treasury reserves and payment rails.

XRP will serve as a treasury asset and as the native token for real-time settlements between the 6,000+ independent pharmacies in Wellgistics’ network, their suppliers, and manufacturers.

Management says this will enable near-instant vendor payments and rebate settlements that were previously delayed by legacy banking methods.

Faster, cheaper payments on the XRP ledger

Wellgistics expects XRP to shrink settlement times from days to seconds and cut transfer fees to almost zero.

For example, the company notes that an XRP payment on the ledger clears in roughly 3–5 seconds (versus 1–3 days for an ACH bank transfer).

Likewise, the transaction cost is under US $0.0002 per transfer – essentially nothing compared to the US $10–US $30 fee of a standard wire.

Every XRP payment is logged on the decentralized ledger, providing real-time transparency for compliance, rebate tracking, and audits. These features support faster vendor payouts and embedded liquidity for pharmacies.

Equity line funding and shareholder impact

The US $50M facility is structured as a flexible equity line (ELOC) with LDA Capital. Wellgistics can draw on these funds as needed – issuing new shares in exchange for cash – to finance the XRP project and other growth initiatives (including expansion into GLP-1 and COVID treatments).

In practice, this means existing shareholders may see dilution if the full credit line is tapped. CryptoSlate notes that “the equity line structure implies potential shareholder dilution if the facility is drawn extensively.”

Wellgistics has not disclosed an expected draw schedule or timeline for rolling out the XRP system, leaving investors uncertain about the pace of equity dilution.

Indeed, some market reports observed a stock pullback of around 10% after the XRP news, likely reflecting these concerns.

Executive commentary

Wellgistics executives stress that the XRP integration is about modernizing healthcare finance. CEO Brian Norton said the initiative “challenges the idea that healthcare has to be tethered to legacy systems, bloated intermediaries, and slow-moving money.”

He explained that Wellgistics is building a blockchain-powered platform “to hardwire speed, liquidity, and transparency” into the supply chain.

Norton added that future leaders in healthcare will be those with “the fastest rails, cleanest data, and most efficient platforms.”

CFO Mark DiSiena similarly highlighted efficiency gains: “We’re working to unlock capital velocity with surgical precision,” he said.

He believes the XRP framework will let Wellgistics “run leaner, faster, and with more control than any of our peers” in pharmaceutical infrastructure.

“I strongly believe that our XRP initiative positions Wellgistics Health years ahead of the curve – and squarely at the center of where healthcare and fintech converge,” Norton added.

Other blockchain healthcare ventures

Wellgistics is not alone in using XRP Ledger for health payments. Another player, XRP Healthcare, has been building blockchain-based solutions in emerging markets.

In 2023, XRP Healthcare partnered with United Networks of America to launch a prescription savings card.

The card offers up to 80% off medications at over 68,000 pharmacies, and users earn XRP Healthcare’s XRPH tokens (alongside USDT) on each purchase.

In another example, XRP Healthcare teamed with DHL to ship a NASA-designed Spiritus Vitality ventilator to Uganda, enhancing critical care capacity.

The company has aggressively expanded – acquiring a pharmacy chain in Uganda and fast-tracking its own IPO to Q3 2025 – as it builds out an AI-driven healthcare platform on the XRP Ledger.

Institutional momentum and regulatory outlook

Wellgistics’ announcement coincides with growing institutional support for XRP. The CME Group will begin trading cash-settled XRP futures in May 2025, offering regulated investors direct exposure.

A recent Mastercard whitepaper on remittances even cites XRP as a bridge asset that can slash forex costs.

These developments are expected to deepen XRP’s liquidity and legitimacy. On regulation, XRP’s U.S. status remains in flux.

The SEC vs. Ripple lawsuit has seen some favorable rulings for Ripple, but no formal federal framework yet governs XRP.

Wellgistics notes that the current administration and policymakers have signaled support for crypto innovation, which could reduce regulatory risks going forward.