Garlinghouse: Not an XRP Maximalist, Backs Multi-Chain Future

At Consensus Miami 2026, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse told the conference he has “never been an XRP maxi” and that the industry will not converge on a single blockchain. “It’s not gonna be a one-chain world. It’s gonna be a multi-chain world. I want to see Bitcoin be successful,” he said, adding that strong token loyalty harms the industry.

Garlinghouse referenced a January 2025 post on X in which he wrote he owns XRP, Bitcoin and Ethereum and supports a level playing field. He reiterated that XRP remains Ripple’s “North Star” and that company products and acquisitions aim to increase the token’s utility.

On regulatory policy, Garlinghouse urged Congress to pass the CLARITY Act, which would keep investment-style tokens under the Securities and Exchange Commission and give the Commodity Futures Trading Commission exclusive jurisdiction over spot markets for digital commodities. The House approved the bill in July 2025 by a 294-134 vote; the Senate has not taken a final vote. Senators Thom Tillis and Angela Alsobrooks released a May 1, 2026 compromise that would ban stablecoin yield on deposits while allowing yield tied to platform activity. He warned, “Do I think it’s perfect? Hell no! But clarity is better than chaos. If it doesn’t happen in the next two weeks, I think the likelihood is going to drop precipitously.”

Ripple published a survey of more than 1,000 finance leaders reporting demand for digital asset services. Seventy-two percent said companies must offer digital asset solutions to stay competitive and 74% identified stablecoins as a future treasury tool. The survey ranked priorities for choosing providers: 97% cited security standards such as ISO and SOC; 88% prioritized post-integration technical support; 80% valued industry experience; and 71% preferred an all-in-one provider. The survey found 31% of fintechs collect payments in stablecoins on behalf of customers and 29% accept stablecoin payments directly. Forty-seven percent of fintech firms said they are more likely to build solutions in-house, compared with 14% of large corporations that favor established partners.

On artificial intelligence, Garlinghouse described Ripple’s use of AI as a way to grow products and staff. He said AI tools write or assist with about 75% of Ripple’s code and that the company is using those efficiencies to develop more products. “Painting AI as the boogeyman is a travesty,” he said. “We’re not thinking about AI as a tool to reduce headcount. We’re thinking about it as an unlock.” He contrasted Ripple’s approach with recent sector moves: Coinbase reduced staff by about 14% in early 2026, Klarna froze hiring in 2025 citing AI capacity, and Atlassian cut roughly 1,600 roles in March 2026.

Also at the event, Evernorth, a company backed by Ripple and SBI Holdings, filed for a Nasdaq listing through a merger with Armada Acquisition Corp. II and disclosed holdings of more than 473 million XRP. The filing, under SEC review, named four new board members including Ripple Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty. Evernorth described itself as the world’s largest XRP treasury company and said it plans to offer shares that would give investors exposure to XRP performance without direct token custody.

The SEC and CFTC have differed for years over whether particular crypto tokens are securities or commodities. The CLARITY Act aims to assign investment-style tokens to the SEC and grant the CFTC sole authority over spot digital-commodity markets. Corporate demand for stablecoin treasury tools and provider selection criteria are factors shaping how firms adopt digital asset services.