Brad Garlinghouse's vision for the future of XRP and RLUSD heading towards 2026

Starting in 2026, Brad Garlinghouse, Ripple’s CEO, confirmed that the company remains focused on creating lasting value around its digital assets XRP and RLUSD. In his New Year’s reflections, the CEO highlighted that 2025 was a transformative period characterized by significant strategic moves and advances in the regulatory framework.

Key factors driving growth in 2025

During the previous year, Ripple completed two major acquisitions: Ripple Prime for $1.25 billion and GTreasury for $1.0 billion. These investments align with the corporate mission to revolutionize cross-border value transfer systems.

Garlinghouse described the achievements using the successful trajectory of legendary player Tom Brady as a reference, suggesting that both sports and business are built on deliberate, long-term committed decisions. The company also advanced its regulatory position by obtaining an EMI license in the United Kingdom, opening new opportunities for territorial expansion.

Focus on real use cases, not speculation

The executive emphasized that Ripple’s focus should be on practical applications of XRP and RLUSD, setting aside short-term market emotional fluctuations. This stance reflects the conviction that genuine value arises from real adoption in cross-border payment systems.

Market performance at the start of 2026

Regarding market performance, XRP has experienced a revaluation, gaining over 20% in the first weeks of the year and reaching $2.41 before settling at levels around $2.08. Currently, the token trades at approximately $2.05 with a market capitalization of $124.62 billion. Simultaneously, RLUSD has reached an approximate market cap of $1.3 billion, establishing itself as Ripple’s dollar-backed stablecoin.

Garlinghouse’s strategy suggests that 2026 will be decisive in demonstrating the real utility of these platforms within the global financial ecosystem.