Brad Garlinghouse Says Ripple Will Focus on Long-Term Crypto Utility, Not Hype Cycles

Ripple chief executive Brad Garlinghouse said the company plans to stay focused on long-term crypto infrastructure and real-world use cases, rather than short-term market cycles or hype.

On X, alongside Ripple’s quarterly shareholder update, Garlinghouse said 2025, particularly the fourth quarter, was a strong period for the company. He compared the results to calling NFL legend Tom Brady a great quarterback, saying the success spoke for itself.

XRP and RLUSD at the Core

Garlinghouse said Ripple continues to see XRP as central to its vision of building an “Internet of Value,” where money moves as easily as data. He added that Ripple’s stablecoin, RLUSD, also plays an important role in that strategy.

“Building crypto infrastructure and modernising global financial systems takes time,” Garlinghouse said, adding that Ripple is taking a long-term approach to what crypto-based assets can deliver.

Acquisitions and Licensing Push

Ripple has expanded aggressively through acquisitions over the past year. These include the $1.25 billion purchase of prime broker Hidden Road, the $1 billion acquisition of GTreasury, and a $200 million deal for payments platform Rail. The company has also acquired Palisade, while an attempted takeover of Circle, the issuer of USDC, did not go through.

Garlinghouse said these deals strengthen Ripple’s ability to serve institutional clients and accelerate the adoption of blockchain-based payments.

UK Approval Adds More Strength

Ripple’s chief legal officer, Stuart Alderoty, said the company has also secured approval for an EMI (Electronic Money Institution) licence and cryptoasset registration from the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority. He called the approval a positive signal for the UK digital asset industry and said Ripple plans to expand its payments business with UK financial institutions.

Industry Reaction

Ripple Exec Reece Merrick said, “It’s hard to describe the energy at Ripple right now. 2025 was foundational, but with the acquisitions made, and now the UK EMI license in the mix, 2026 is looking like a total game changer.”

Pro-XRP lawyer John Deaton said Ripple’s progress stood out, adding that the company continued building through years of legal pressure while securing global licences and reaching an estimated $40 billion valuation.

Related: Ripple Wins Major Regulatory Approval from UK’s FCA