IMO it would be right to say that XRP and Ripple are different things only if there was no connection at all between the two.
Ripple holds over 60 billion XRP. Given the way that's being escrowed, Ripple will almost certainly be the largest holder of XRP for the foreseeable future. For every penny the price of XRP goes up, the notional value of Ripple's XRP goes up by six hundred million dollars. Ripple can only materialize that value for its shareholders if that value and liquidity are preserved over the next several years.
Sure, Ripple makes money by selling software to banks. But how many banks do you think Ripple would have to close to make six hundred million dollars in license/support fees? That would equal the value of a sustained one cent increase in the price of XRP.
i thought the tech are given for free.. (O_O)?
if selling to the bank, meaning will also sell the coin off-market too