Brad Garlinghouse calls XRP Ripple’s “North Star” and envisions a trillion-dollar crypto giant. The market, however, is asking a tougher question: will that vision actually move the token?
Ripple has doubled down on its identity — and it’s inseparable from XRP.
During a live X Spaces session held for XRP Community Day, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse delivered one of his clearest statements yet about the company’s long-term mission:
Ripple exists to drive success around XRP and the XRP Ledger.
But while the message energized some supporters, it also exposed a widening gap between Ripple’s corporate ambitions and traders’ expectations for XRP’s price performance.
“XRP Is Our North Star,” Says Garlinghouse
Speaking to the XRP community, Garlinghouse described the digital asset not as a side product, but as the foundation guiding Ripple’s strategy.
He framed Ripple’s evolution as that of a financial infrastructure platform, building tools designed to integrate XRP into real-world institutional workflows — from cross-border payments to liquidity provisioning.
Ripple’s goal, he explained, is to become a platform company delivering financial products customers will pay for, while embedding XRP deeper into those services.
The roadmap includes continued development around:
Ripple Payments, aimed at modernizing cross-border settlement
Ripple Prime, targeting institutional crypto services
Ripple Treasury, enabling XRP and RLUSD integration in treasury management systems
Garlinghouse also pointed to partnerships — including one with global asset manager Aviva Investors — as evidence that Ripple is pushing into traditional finance rather than operating purely as a crypto-native firm.
A Trillion-Dollar Vision — But a Long Road Ahead
Garlinghouse went further, predicting that a trillion-dollar crypto company will eventually emerge, signaling his belief that blockchain infrastructure firms could rival today’s largest tech giants.
Yet current data shows just how ambitious that goal remains.
Research from CBInsights recently listed Ripple Labs among the world’s leading IPO candidates, valuing the firm at over $50 billion — placing it alongside heavyweight private companies like SpaceX and OpenAI.
That valuation reflects Ripple’s enterprise business, not XRP’s market capitalization — a distinction that has become central to investor debate.
Adding to the uncertainty, Ripple President Monica Long has previously said an IPO is not currently on the company’s roadmap, tempering speculation about a near-term public listing.
Traders Push Back: “How Does This Help XRP?”
Despite Ripple’s confident tone, reaction from parts of the trading community was sharply critical.
Some investors questioned whether Ripple’s corporate growth necessarily translates into appreciation of the XRP token itself — a concern that has surfaced repeatedly over the years.
One trader dismissed the remarks as little more than rhetoric, while another posed a broader question shared by skeptics:
If Ripple becomes a trillion-dollar company, what guarantees XRP benefits from that success?
This tension highlights an ongoing identity challenge:
Is XRP a core economic engine for Ripple — or simply one component within a much larger enterprise ecosystem?
Market Data Paints a More Cautious Picture
While headlines focused on Garlinghouse’s remarks, XRP’s price action has told a more restrained story.
According to market analysis, XRP continues to form a bearish weekly structure, characterized by:
Lower highs
Lower lows
Failed rebounds at key Fibonacci retracement levels
Analysts warn the next critical support lies near the 0.236 Fibonacci zone around $1.14.
A weekly close below that threshold could open the door to:
A psychological test of $1.00
Deeper downside toward $0.50 in a risk-off scenario
At the time of writing, XRP trades near $1.38, down roughly 4% over the past week — reflecting persistent selling pressure despite positive corporate developments.
The Bull Case Still Exists — If Momentum Returns
Not all projections are negative.
Should XRP break out of its current structure, analysts say upside targets could re-emerge around:
$1.63 as the first resistance zone
$2.00 in a renewed bullish cycle
Such a move would likely require stronger liquidity flows or clear evidence that Ripple’s expanding financial products are materially increasing XRP usage.
A Defining Moment for Ripple’s Narrative
Ripple now finds itself at a pivotal intersection between enterprise ambition and token economics.
On one side, the company is positioning itself as a global fintech infrastructure provider — a role that could bring massive institutional relevance.
On the other, market participants remain unconvinced that this transformation will automatically translate into XRP price appreciation.
Garlinghouse’s declaration that XRP is Ripple’s “reason for existence” may have clarified the company’s philosophy.
The next challenge is proving that alignment in measurable market terms.
Until then, XRP investors appear caught between belief in a long-term vision and the realities of a market still searching for direction.
As Ripple builds toward institutional scale, the question echoing across the crypto landscape is simple:
Can corporate success and token value finally move in lockstep — or will they continue to tell different stories?