Ripple CEO’s Past Words On XRP’s Utility Resonate Today As Community Awaits ETF Decision

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse’s comments have long emphasized that the value of XRP is rooted in its utility in the financial world rather than speculation or replacing traditional finance as a whole. One of such comments was made in an old interview which has resurfaced to catch the eye of some XRP investors on the social media platform X. Years later, those comments are being revisited as XRP continues to push for adoption in global markets and as investors are counting down to the SEC’s upcoming decision on Spot XRP ETF applications.

Utility Over Hype: Revisiting Garlinghouse’s Message

A recent video which was posted on the social media platform X by popular XRP commentator JackTheRippler ties back into an interview where Garlinghouse noted how trillions in capital could pour into XRP in the coming years. In that conversation, Garlinghouse explained that hype alone cannot sustain the value of any cryptocurrency, insisting instead that true growth comes from solving real-world problems and building a customer base.

These comments were made in a 2017 interview on CNBC’s Squawk Alley, at a time when cryptocurrencies were mostly valued on speculation alone. In the interview, Garlinghouse pointed out that XRP wasn’t just created to trade on exchanges but was meant to serve a real purpose, which is settling liquidity between banks. At the time, he noted that more than $27 trillion was sitting idle in correspondent banking accounts worldwide to facilitate payments between themselves. 

RIPPLE CEO SAYS THAT #XRP SETTLES MONEY IN SECONDS!

TRILLIONS IN CAPITAL COULD POUR INTO XRPL. DRIVEN BY REAL TOKEN, BUILT TO TOKENIZE THE ENTIRE REAL ESTATE SECTOR! DYOR/NFA

GET REAL TOKEN HERE: https://t.co/kYx7u3Ko4Z pic.twitter.com/seidvGLqdy

— JackTheRippler © (@RippleXrpie) September 27, 2025

His vision was that XRP, with its ability to settle transactions in seconds, could free up that capital and make cross-border payments much more efficient. “We use this digital asset called XRP to settle liquidity needs between banks,” he said.

Even though those words were spoken years ago, they still fit into today’s conversations about XRP. Its adoption potential in the worldwide financial system continues to be the foundation of why many investors believe XRP can stand apart from other cryptocurrencies.

Countdown To US SEC’s Spot XRP ETF Decision

The attention surrounding XRP nowadays is shifting to the regulatory front, with many investors awaiting the outcome of pending Spot XRP ETF applications. After Bitcoin and Ethereum won approval for similar products, many see XRP as the next logical step given its position as the third-largest cryptocurrency.

The US SEC has introduced new listing standards designed to speed up crypto ETF approvals, cutting the review window to 75 days or less. Grayscale’s filing is due for a decision on October 18, followed by 21Shares on October 19, Bitwise on October 20, CoinShares and Canary Capital on October 23, and WisdomTree on October 24.

The eventual launch of a Spot XRP ETF could be the turning point that helps the cryptocurrency take its place alongside Bitcoin and Ethereum in traditional finance.

At the time of writing, XRP was trading at $2.79.

Featured image from Istockphoto, chart from TradingView