Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse said the rise of blockchain-based payment rails presents a roughly $13 trillion addressable opportunity for cryptocurrencies and stablecoins, highlighting how on-chain settlement is beginning to rewire global finance. His comments came in a Fox Business interview and subsequent posts on X.
Ripple CEO flags $13 trillion payments opportunity
Garlinghouse pointed to treasury and payments infrastructure moving on-chain and cited GTreasury as an example, saying the platform processed about $13 trillion in payments last year—none of which settled via stablecoins or crypto assets such as XRP. He framed that gap as a potential opportunity to integrate digital assets into enterprise payment flows as blockchain rails mature.
The executive added that cross-border payments are already benefitting from faster settlement enabled by blockchain technology.
Stablecoins as on-ramp; Ripple’s RLUSD strategy
Describing stablecoins as a key entry point for mainstream crypto adoption, Garlinghouse called them a “ChatGPT moment” for the industry. He noted that an estimated tens of trillions of dollars in stablecoin transactions took place globally last year, underscoring growing utility in payments and settlement.
Garlinghouse said Ripple launched its U.S. dollar stablecoin, RLUSD, after observing that Ripple-related payment activity contributed up to 20% of flows in USDC, a leading dollar-pegged token. RLUSD has since seen notable uptake, with a reported market capitalization of about $1.41 billion as Ripple expands its enterprise payment services.
Role of XRP and regulatory backdrop
Ripple primarily utilizes the XRP Ledger to move value across borders, with XRP serving as a bridge asset for certain payment flows. Garlinghouse reiterated in the interview that XRP remains the company’s “North Star.”
Commenting on the regulatory environment, market observers note that a 2023 federal court ruling in the SEC’s case against Ripple found that XRP is not a security when sold on public exchanges, though certain institutional sales were deemed investment contracts. Supporters argue that clarity around secondary-market trading could encourage greater institutional experimentation with XRP in payments.
Bridging TradFi and crypto
Garlinghouse said sentiment toward crypto has shifted from skepticism to recognition that the technology is “rewiring the financial system.” He added that large global companies are increasingly asking how they can incorporate stablecoins and assets like XRP into operations.
The CEO said Ripple has focused its partnerships and deal-making on bridging traditional finance with crypto infrastructure, aiming to embed XRP and RLUSD into existing payment and treasury workflows.
At the time of writing, XRP traded around $1.34, according to CoinMarketCap data.