Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse disclosed on social media platform X on March 10 an intense five-day global tour spanning Dublin, London, Singapore and Sydney — crossing too many time zones to count. Accompanied by Ripple President Monica Long and other leadership members, Garlinghouse met employees from recently acquired teams including GTreasury, Hidden Road, Rail, Palisade and Solvexia. He noted that "centers of gravity (business and/or employee) are never stagnant," adding that stepping outside the US coastal mindset is imperative.
XRP Positioned as the "North Star"
Garlinghouse has consistently reinforced XRP's strategic importance. During this trip he called XRP "the North Star for Ripple," emphasizing the company's focus on driving utility, trust and liquidity around XRP and the XRP Ledger. He further described XRP as "the heartbeat of Ripple" and said it "sits at the center of everything Ripple does." Ripple's current product suite spans payments, custody, liquidity and treasury management, with XRP deeply embedded across these layers.
AI Meets Real-Time Liquidity Management
Garlinghouse revealed that artificial intelligence is becoming a fundamental part of Ripple's products, particularly in real-time cash forecasting and liquidity management for corporate CFO offices. "AI may start with employee productivity, but the end goal is much bigger," he said. Ripple is integrating AI as a key enabler to unify its four verticals: payments, custody, liquidity and treasury management. He also stressed internal culture: "Culture cannot be taken for granted. Don't confuse activity with progress."
Global Payment Infrastructure Race Heats Up
The executive global tour comes as competition in digital asset payments intensifies. Dormant liquidity worth billions on the XRP Ledger is drawing fresh attention, and the RLUSD stablecoin launch adds new utility narratives for XRP. Garlinghouse concluded: "2026 is shaping up to be another defining year. We're in the right markets with the right capabilities." He reiterated that XRP is being kept at the center of everything Ripple does. Market observers note that Ripple's M&A spree — acquiring treasury management platform GTreasury and prime brokerage Hidden Road — is building a closed loop from corporate cash management to cross-border settlement. Whether XRP's liquidity depth can support this ambition will face real-market tests in 2026.