Ripple introduces Gas Station tool to automate blockchain transaction fees

Ripple Custody has introduced a “Gas Station” tool designed to automate transaction fee payments for institutional users on the XRP Ledger and other blockchain networks. The tool addresses the issue where accounts holding stablecoins or tokenized assets require the network's native token to cover transaction costs.

Under this system, a firm funds a single sponsor account with the network's native token. When a client account attempts a transaction without sufficient funds for fees, the system detects the need, estimates the required amount, and automatically transfers the necessary native tokens from the sponsor account to the client account. This “just-in-time” funding method is intended to reduce operational friction by eliminating the need for institutions to pre-fund every individual client account.

While primarily discussed in the context of XRP, the Gas Station feature also supports Solana, Tron, and EVM-compatible networks, utilizing the respective native token of each chain. Recent updates to the tool have transitioned from using dedicated “bot users” to system-signed intents, allowing the service to authenticate through a firm’s identity provider without holding user signing keys.