Ripple Swell 2026 [LIVE] Day 1: Garlinghouse Saves Rocket Socks For Main Stage As XRP Price Gains 3%

Ripple’s dollar-backed stablecoin RLUSD went live on Coinbase on Wednesday, opening it to retail and institutional customers in the US. Users can now trade and hold RLUSD through the Coinbase app, Coinbase Exchange and Coinbase Prime, and swap US dollars or other supported dollar stablecoins into it at a 1:1 rate. Deposits and withdrawals work on the XRP Ledger, Base and Ethereum, and Ripple will supply liquidity on Base. Coinbase International Exchange customers will get access later, including the option to use RLUSD as collateral. RLUSD launched in December 2024 and now has a market value above $2.4 billion. Its reserves are held in dollar deposits, short-term US Treasuries and cash equivalents. Ripple’s Jack McDonald and Coinbase Institutional’s Brett Tejpaul will discuss the deal at Ripple Swell at 4:45 pm New York time.

Leaders from some of the biggest names in trading are speaking on the Ripple Swell main stage on Wednesday. CME Group CEO Terrence Duffy will join iCapital’s Sonali Basak at 11:35 am New York time for a 20-minute discussion. Earlier, Robinhood’s Johann Kerbrat will speak with Ripple President Monica Long at 10 am. A panel at 10:20 am on round-the-clock liquidity and clearing features Polymarket’s Lisa Mantil, Rothera Markets’ Thomas Chippas and Ripple Prime’s Michael Higgins. PEAK6 founder Jenny Just follows at 10:45 am to discuss how risk management shapes the future of finance. The line-up reflects Ripple’s push into capital markets through its prime brokerage arm and tokenisation tools.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse headlines the main stage at Ripple Swell on Wednesday, October 28, in a 25-minute conversation with CNBC’s Tanaya Macheel starting at 9:35 am New York time, or 7:05 pm IST. The session is the first main stage appearance by Garlinghouse at this year’s event, which XRP holders are watching closely after he confirmed his well-known rocket socks are reserved for main stage only. Topics are expected to cover Ripple’s business progress, US crypto regulation and the role of XRP in its payment products. The day’s main stage programme also includes a Ripple product presentation at 11:10 am New York time, led by Dennis Jarosch, Jack McDonald, Aaron Slettehaugh and Aditya Turakhia.

Posts circulating on X allege that BlackRock representatives are attending Ripple Swell 2026 in New York, with some accounts hinting that a major announcement could follow. Neither BlackRock nor Ripple has confirmed any involvement by the asset manager at the event, and no details of a partnership or product have been shared. The claims have drawn wide attention from XRP holders, who often watch for links between Ripple and large traditional finance firms. Similar rumours have surfaced around past Swell conferences without leading to announcements.

XRP has stayed flat near $1.30 during Ripple Swell 2026, despite a run of partnership announcements at the New York event. The gap reflects a difference between Ripple’s business growth and actual buying demand for the token. Most Swell deals focus on payment infrastructure, custody and tokenisation services. Those partnerships do not necessarily require institutions to buy XRP on the open market, so they rarely create immediate spot demand. Other pressures are also weighing on the price. Whale deposits to Binance reached a seven-month high this month, and futures open interest has dropped 28% since September 22. XRP remains stuck in a ten-week range between $1.25 and $1.55, with traders waiting for a clear breakout.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has confirmed that his well-known rocket socks will appear at Ripple Swell 2026, but only when he takes the main stage. The XRP community noticed that he was not wearing the socks during his first appearance at the New York event on Tuesday. When a user asked about it on X, Garlinghouse replied that the socks were reserved for the main stage. He first drew attention for wearing them at Swell 2025, and many XRP holders see them as a light-hearted signal of optimism for the token. The reply quickly spread across social media ahead of his keynote. Swell runs until October 29, with XRP trading near $1.33.