Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse: ‘I Am Not An XRP Maximalist’

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse pushed back on the idea that he only backs XRP, when asked in a recent interview why someone should choose XRP over top coins like Solana and hold it for the next five years.

“I’m not one of these people who’s an XRP maximalist,” Garlinghouse said. “I’m bullish on a bunch of cryptos, for a bunch of reasons.” He added that he isn’t trying to convince anyone to buy XRP over other top five cryptocurrencies, and that his focus is on solving real problems rather than pushing one token.

XRP As A Tool, Not A Belief System

Garlinghouse pointed to cross-border payments as an example of where XRP earns its place. He said Ripple’s goal is to solve payment problems, like moving money into the Philippines, and that XRP could be the best bridge asset for that job. He also noted that a stablecoin could work for the same purpose, depending on what actually gets the job done for customers.

He referenced Ripple’s institutional business as proof the approach is working, saying the company has been minting a meaningful share of stablecoin-related volume and has grown into one of the larger players in that market, a result he described as something the team is genuinely happy with.

Garlinghouse’s comments reflect a broader position he has taken publicly before, that Ripple’s strategy is built around usefulness in real payment flows rather than convincing retail investors to bet everything on one coin. For him, the choice between XRP and other assets like Solana comes down to which one actually solves a specific problem, not brand loyalty to any single cryptocurrency.

As for the price, at the time of writing, XRP is down 6%, trading below the $1.50 level.