TL;DR
- Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple, urged an end to the historic rivalry between Bitcoin and XRP during the “XRP Las Vegas 2025” event.
- He emphasized that the real mission is onboarding billions of new users into the crypto ecosystem, not winning internal debates.
- Garlinghouse also unveiled Ripple’s plans to move closer to traditional finance through the strategic acquisition of Hidden Road.
During his speech at the “XRP Las Vegas 2025” conference, Brad Garlinghouse emphasized that internal disputes between communities like Bitcoin and XRP only hold back the sector’s overall progress.
“It’s not about the 300 million already in crypto. It’s about how we bring this technology to 3 billion more,”
he told a receptive crowd. Rather than seeing Bitcoin as a threat, he insisted that its success could benefit the entire ecosystem. For him, tech innovation has never been a zero-sum game, and collective growth must remain the focus.
Garlinghouse also used the stage to subtly criticize certain U.S. political figures, such as Senator Cynthia Lummis, who recently canceled a scheduled meeting with Ripple and has been accused of favoring only Bitcoin. He reminded the audience that for cryptocurrencies to move forward as a legitimate asset class, an inclusive vision is needed, not tribalism. Some XRP supporters have resurfaced old social media posts from Lummis’ relatives that publicly labeled Ripple a “centralized scam.” The political tension has only deepened the divide within the digital asset ecosystem.
Alliance Between Traditional Finance And Blockchain
One of the most important revelations was the announcement of Ripple’s expansion into the traditional finance space through the acquisition of Hidden Road, a top-tier brokerage firm with ties to Wall Street. This move aims to strengthen the integration of DeFi with conventional financial strategies, something Garlinghouse believes is inevitable.
“DeFi isn’t going to replace everything. It’s about coexistence, about collaboration,” he explained.
This strategy follows years of Ripple building relationships in the payments industry, where it has already formed partnerships with banks and governments. By creating bridges with traditional institutions, Ripple is positioning itself not only as a global payments platform but also as a major player capable of leading the financial transformation of the 21st century.
Garlinghouse’s words resonate powerfully in a market still marred by mistrust among crypto projects. But if his message of unity takes hold, it could signal the beginning of a more mature era for the industry. Upcoming regulatory and technological decisions will determine whether this shift in tone also becomes a shift in action.
