Ripple CEO Tells XRP Holders the Company Won't Abandon the Token

At Swell 2026 in New York, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse rejected speculation that the company is shifting focus away from XRP toward its RLUSD stablecoin.

Ripple CEO Rejects RLUSD Pivot Rumors

Garlinghouse addressed the rumors head-on during his remarks. He said some market observers had suggested Ripple abandoned XRP and was "leaning into RLUSD."

"We will never give up on XRP," the Ripple CEO told the audience. He added that "the momentum you're seeing around XRP is profound."

XRP's price remains higher over the last three months following a late-August rally, although it has cooled since late September.

Rather than treating the stablecoin as a competitor, Garlinghouse described it as part of XRP's progress. "RLUSD is one contributor to that… we view them as very complementary," he said.

The Ripple chief also emphasized that the company "will never do something we think is bad for the XRP ecosystem."

These remarks come as Ripple reports a strong year. According to a company statement, the firm is set to exit 2026 with $900 million in annualized product revenue. Garlinghouse called it the company's best year ever on X.

https://t.co/genCuuL07g

— Brad Garlinghouse (@bgarlinghouse) October 28, 2026

RLUSD is playing a growing part in that effort. The stablecoin now has a market cap of $2.6 billion, up more than 88% this year, according to Ripple. It reached a record high in January as Ripple courted institutional clients.

Additionally, Ripple received final approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for Ripple National Trust Bank. The new bank charter has raised questions about who benefits most from Ripple's growth.

Bessent and Schwartz Add to the Swell Buzz

Ripple's 10th annual Swell, which for the first time includes the XRPL Apex developer summit, also attracted US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. He appeared alongside Garlinghouse at The Shed in Manhattan.

Bessent has previously predicted that the USD stablecoin market could top $2 trillion by 2028.

Ripple's longtime technologist also joined the excitement. David Schwartz, Ripple's CTO Emeritus and a board member, posted on X during conference week:

Time to get on the @XRP train! pic.twitter.com/lRXsNDjIVK

— David 'JoelKatz' Schwartz (@JoelKatz) October 28, 2026

Garlinghouse has publicly supported the token several times this year, including at Bitcoin 2026 in Las Vegas. For XRP holders, the Swell remarks provide the most direct response yet from the Ripple CEO to the pivot rumors.