Ripple CEO Breaks Silence On XRP, SOL, USDC Strategic Reserves

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has addressed discussions surrounding the potential establishment of U.S.-backed strategic crypto reserves. Speaking at the CfC St. Moritz conference, Garlinghouse shared his perspective on the possibility of cryptocurrencies like XRP, Solana (SOL), and USDC being included in national reserves. His comments arrive amidst growing talks of institutional adoption and increasing regulatory clarity in the United States.

Ripple CEO Discusses National Crypto Reserves at CfC St. Moritz

During his first appearance at CfC St. Moritz, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse participated in a panel discussing the roadmap to onboarding a billion cryptocurrency users. He pointed out the growing interest from major markets in adopting cryptocurrencies for strategic purposes. 

“The path forward is becoming clearer as regulatory frameworks take shape,” said Garlinghouse, referencing the potential integration of U.S.-founded cryptocurrencies such as Ripple’s XRP into a government-led reserve.

My first time but certainly not my last at @cfcstmoritz – joined @_richardteng and @JKFruit on-stage to discuss the path to a billion crypto users. With the largest capital markets finally embracing crypto (and talk of crypto strategic reserves!), and I suspect rather imminent US… pic.twitter.com/MXxpaSv2VJ

— Brad Garlinghouse (@bgarlinghouse) January 16, 2025

The possibility of creating a U.S.-backed crypto reserve has recently gained traction. Reports suggest the proposal aims to prioritize digital assets like XRP, Solana, and USDC, which were developed domestically. Proponents argue that such reserves could enhance financial security while supporting innovation in blockchain technology within the United States. Amid this announcement, Senator Cynthia Lummis is probing the United States Marshals over the proposed plans to sell its seized Bitcoin (BTC) stash.

BlackRock and Institutions Signal Growing Interest in Crypto

Joseph Chalom, BlackRock’s Managing Director spoke at CfC St. Moritz and disclosed that institutional investment in the cryptocurrency space has been on the rise in the last one year. He pointed out that BlackRock, which had no exposure to crypto a year ago, now has $61bn in Bitcoin, Ether and tokenized assets for clients.

Siding with Ripple CEO, the increasing institutional investors’ interest in crypto is in tune with other financial processes as hedge and pension funds are stepping up. 

”What we want to achieve is to provide people with exposure to cryptocurrency not through a single entity but through credible means,” said Chalom. This approach is reflected in the proposals for the creation of crypto strategic reserves designed to enable secure use of blockchain assets.

Texas and the Federal Government Eye Bitcoin Reserves

At the same time, Texas and Oklahma are leading other states in implementing cryptocurrency in state reserves. New legislation has been proposed by Senator Angela Paxton in the form of SB 778 to create a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve in Texas. If passed the bill will make Texas the first state in the United States to accept Bitcoin as a legal form of reserve currency. This move is evidence of an increasing realization of the cryptocurrency as an asset class and a store of value like other commodities.

At the federal level, sources suggest that the Trump administration is also considering the possibility of creating a national crypto reserve. As mentioned in a post on Coingaoe, the proposals are to add XRP, Solana, and USDC to the reserve. 

Ripple’s Garlinghouse has also remained positive about the use of XRP in such projects given that it is scalable and compliant to existing laws. According to the reports, the administration is working on the formation of an advisory council for this initiative with an emphasis on how the US can maintain its dominance in the blockchain sector.