Software and blockchain firm Ripple Labs is in the news following a recent interview with CEO Brad Garlinghouse.
The CEO pushed the adoption of XRP while speaking at an event involving the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Swiss National Bank.
Garlinghouse Hails XRP and Flaws Bitcoin
Edward Farina, CEO of Alpha Lions Academy, shared a short video on X, showing Garlinghouse presenting XRP’s capabilities before the IMF and Swiss National Bank. Farina commented that Garlinghouse destroyed Bitcoin while presenting the case for XRP.
In his presentation at the event, Garlinghouse mentioned that XRP was birthed by engineers who recognized Bitcoin’s (BTC) limitations. He explained that Bitcoin still has scalability challenges, with slow and expensive transactions. On the other hand, he said XRP is about a thousand times faster and offers cheaper transactions.
The Ripple CEO also addressed the issue of pre-funding in cross-border payments. According to him, the current system requires financial institutions to maintain capital reserves in different countries to facilitate international transactions. Garlinghouse argued that XRP is designed to eliminate these limitations by enabling global liquidity on demand.
Additionally, Garlinghouse outlined Ripple’s long-term vision for payments. He compared blockchain technology to the foundational technologies underpinning the internet, such as TCP/IP and HTTP.
Garlinghouse sees the possibility of blockchain networks facilitating a seamless exchange of value similar to these technologies. The CEO added that this transformation would create an “internet of value” where payments can move as efficiently as data.
He highlighted that traditional correspondent banking has left some countries and payment channels underserved. Garlinghouse, therefore, contends that XRP could fill this gap, democratizing access to liquidity and creating a more inclusive financial system.
Furthermore, he cited a real-world scenario of freelancers in developing markets who struggle to receive small international payments due to high fees and banking restrictions. According to Garlinghouse, XRP can handle this issue by allowing small payments to flow between borders.
In a previous article we discussed, an NYU Professor mentioned that Ripple’s involvement in cross-border settlement started in 2012. This emphasizes the firm’s position as a leader and innovator in the industry.
The Community Reacts to Garlinghouse Speech
The post from Farina got mixed responses from the online crypto community. Some agreed with Garlinghouse’s assessment that XRP offers real-world utility with greater speed, lower costs, and better scalability than Bitcoin.
One user even said Bitcoin is a distraction from the real disruption in financial services. “He’s not wrong. Bitcoin opened the door, but XRP was built to walk through it with real utility. Faster, cheaper, more scalable,” added @RebelRepublicX on X.
Others, however, think Garlinghouse is pushing too hard to promote XRP as a financial instrument. While they acknowledged XRP for its speed, they said the coin lacks backing.
Overall, Garlinghouse’s comments in the video reflect Ripple’s vision to position XRP as a practical solution for global payments.
As of this writing, XRP price was trading at $2.37, down 3.7% over the previous day. This decline comes amid a broader market bearish sentiment. As we covered in our latest report, analysts forecasted that XRP could hit $8 to $10, driven by Fibonacci models and Bitcoin’s rally.