Amid Ripple's global expansion and product diversification, CEO Brad Garlinghouse has firmly reiterated that XRP remains the company's "North Star." The statement directly addresses concerns raised by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, aiming to reassure the market about XRP's future role.
CEO: XRP Never Deviates from Core
In his latest remarks, Garlinghouse emphasized that regardless of Ripple's expansion — including the launch of a new stablecoin and entry into new cross-border payment markets — advancing XRP remains the company's ultimate objective. “XRP is our compass,” he stated during the social interaction, “every new product is designed to strengthen the XRP ecosystem, not replace it.” This clarification comes shortly after Ripple officially launched RLUSD stablecoin on both XRP Ledger (XRPL) and Ethereum, which had sparked concerns among some XRP holders about overlapping token functionality.
RLUSD and XRP: Complementary, Not Competitive
Ripple executives have repeatedly explained that RLUSD serves as a compliant, low-volatility payment medium, while XRP functions as a value transfer and liquidity bridge layer. On-chain data shows that Ripple minted $200 million RLUSD on XRPL and burned $100 million on Ethereum to balance cross-chain supply. Additionally, Australia has initiated a tokenized bond pilot on XRP Ledger using RLUSD for settlement; retail payment platform Frii World has integrated both XRP and RLUSD into QR code payment systems. These cases illustrate RLUSD providing stable value channels for enterprise users while XRP continues to empower underlying liquidity.
Positive Market Reaction, Growing XRP Demand
Latest market data shows XRP price rose 0.78% in the past 24 hours, while RLUSD edged down 0.01%, exhibiting minimal volatility. Analysts believe Garlinghouse's public reaffirmation effectively boosted investor confidence. Meanwhile, Ripple's collaboration with Brazilian institutions UDAX, Levery, and FGV is driving on-chain liquidity growth, further validating XRP's value in real-world financial scenarios. Although earlier reports indicated that Ripple excluded XRP from its Wall Street clearing integration (using only RLUSD), Garlinghouse stressed this is a product-level division of labor that does not affect XRP's core position in Ripple's overall blueprint.
Conclusion: In the Stablecoin Era, XRP Remains Ripple's Soul
As Ripple evolves from a single cross-border settlement platform into a financial infrastructure group encompassing stablecoins, tokenized assets, and clearing networks, XRP's role continues to be re-examined. However, Garlinghouse's "North Star" declaration sends a clear signal: no matter how the product lines diversify, XRP remains the fundamental reason for Ripple's existence. With regulatory clarity progressing and institutional adoption accelerating, this commitment is expected to provide solid long-term support for XRP's value.