Ripple News: CEO Brad Garlinghouse ‘Excited’ for 2025 and Real-World Utility

• Brad Garlinghouse expressed his enthusiasm for 2025 on X, highlighting the increasing momentum and greater focus on real-world utility.
• Ripple made considerable strides in reshaping the financial landscape by forging new partnerships with major financial institutions throughout the year.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has shared his palpable excitement about the potential developments expected in the year 2025, a pivotal moment that could redefine the cryptocurrency landscape. He foresees substantial growth for Ripple and a broader transformation in the financial ecosystem as it increasingly embraces digital assets and blockchain technology, with a growing emphasis on real-world utility.

Apart from Brad Garlinghouse’s optimistic outlook, the XRP Army is equally enthusiastic about the prospects for XRP in the current year. A key catalyst for this optimism is the anticipated approval of an XRP-related Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) by the SEC, which many believe could significantly boost XRP’s legitimacy and market appeal.

Furthermore, the prospect of pro-crypto leadership under a Donald Trump presidency, alongside appointments such as Paul Atkins as the incoming SEC Chair, Scott Bessent as Treasury Secretary, Billy Long overseeing IRS commissions, and David Sacks in the newly created role of AI and Crypto Czar, signals a promising shift towards a more favorable regulatory environment for digital assets. 

Additionally, the long-awaited settlement of the SEC lawsuit against Ripple, a legal battle that has cast a shadow over XRP’s potential, is viewed as a hopeful turning point. Together, these developments suggest not only a brighter future for Ripple but also for the broader cryptocurrency market.

Ripple 2024 Highlights

In 2024, Ripple marked a series of significant milestones that reinforced its mission to transform the financial landscape. The year began with a partnership with EasyA to launch an educational program aimed at teaching over 750,000 developers how to utilize smart contracts on the XRP Ledger. This initiative bolstered Ripple’s commitment to fostering community engagement and innovation. 

Ripple also collaborated with SBI Group and HashKey DX to develop customized solutions on the XRP Ledger, with SBI becoming the first Japanese corporation to implement these blockchain solutions in supply chain finance. A pivotal moment came in February when Ripple acquired Standard Custody, bringing it closer to securing a coveted U.S. charter and solidifying its presence in the U.S. market. 

The announcement of a partnership with Clear Junction in June highlighted Ripple’s dedication to enhancing cross-border payment capabilities with European banks, adding credibility to its operations. 

Lastly, Ripple introduced its stablecoin, RLUSD, fully backed by U.S. Treasuries, bank deposits, and cash equivalents through a New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) trust charter. Potential applications for RLUSD include cross-border payments, corporate treasury functions, decentralized finance (DeFi), and trading collateral, along with the advantage of over 90 global payout markets.

These strategic initiatives contributed to XRP’s impressive rise from $0.62 at the start of the year to an all-time high of $2.89 by December 3, with current pricing at $2.40. As we begin this new year, market sentiment remains cautiously optimistic as investors keep a close eye on Ripple’s trajectory and regulatory developments.