In a recent appearance at a Las Vegas crypto event, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse directly addressed the growing speculation around a potential acquisition of stablecoin issuer Circle. His message? Clear and unequivocal: there’s no deal, and there never was.
Ripple Didn’t Offer $10B for Circle – Or Anything at All
The source of this clarification comes from a detailed thread by Georgetown Law professor Chris Brummer, who interviewed Garlinghouse live on stage. His takeaways summarized key statements made by Ripple’s CEO, including:
“Brad was unequivocal that Ripple didn’t pursue an acquisition of Circle… while he wished Circle well, he wasn’t considering any acquisition.”
Brummer also noted that although one response suggested Ripple never offered $10B, Garlinghouse’s central point was consistent: no active discussions or plans were ever in motion.
RLUSD, Hidden Road & Real Strategy
Instead of acquisitions, Ripple appears focused on building foundational infrastructure. The recent acquisition of Hidden Road, and the upcoming launch of RLUSD—Ripple’s USD-backed stablecoin—signals deeper ambitions in the crypto-finance bridge.
RLUSD is designed to be on-ledger collateral for broader institutional use on the XRP Ledger, pushing Ripple toward enterprise-grade tokenization tools, especially in real estate and financial markets.
A Diplomatic Turn in Crypto Culture
Garlinghouse also emphasized unity over rivalry in crypto, referencing Ripple’s donation of the “Satoshi skull” to the Ordinals community as a gesture of goodwill. He warned of the risks when crypto communities “debase one another,” encouraging a more collaborative ethos across chains.
Final Thoughts: Ripple’s Vision Goes Beyond Hype
Rather than chasing the Circle acquisition headlines, Ripple is strategically laying down rails for the next era of tokenized finance. From stablecoins to on-chain collateral and enterprise liquidity, the company seems laser-focused on bridging TradFi and DeFi, not replacing one with the other.As Garlinghouse reportedly told Brummer, Ripple is betting on a hybrid world, where regulated finance and decentralized infrastructure coexist and collaborate. That shift may not move XRP’s price overnight—but it could shape the financial system for the next decade.
