Ripple’s Brad Garlinghouse Confident in 2025 XRP ETF Launch

During a recent interview on The Claman Countdown on FOX Business, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse expressed strong confidence in the future of an XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF), predicting its arrival by 2025.

His optimism is rooted in the growing interest in diverse crypto investments and the regulatory shifts in the United States.

Ripple CEO Sees Crypto ETFs as Natural Market Progression

Last week, Garlinghouse made headlines by stating that ETFs for various cryptocurrencies, including Solana (SOL) and Cardano (ADA), are inevitable. He drew parallels to traditional commodities, emphasizing the market’s natural progression towards broader exposure.

“So, if you have exposure to gold, you might want exposure to silver, […] and so to me, it only makes sense,” Garlinghouse explained.

Read more: Crypto ETN vs. Crypto ETF: What Is the Difference?

When asked about the potential challenges of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Garlinghouse acknowledged the difficulty. However, he remained optimistic. Garlinghouse further highlighted the SEC’s inconsistent stance, pointing out the contradiction in their approach towards Ethereum.

“I think it’s a hard argument with them to win. […] They’ve made life difficult for a lot of people, then they’ve lost in court,” he said.

Despite regulatory hurdles, Garlinghouse believes the regulatory environment is shifting positively. Yet, he mentioned that other countries, such as the UK, Japan, Singapore, and Switzerland, are ahead of the US in their regulatory approach.

Garlinghouse also touched on the political aspects influencing the crypto market. He pointed out that the growing interest from political figures, including Trump’s campaign, signals a significant shift.

“This is a topic that has a lot of passionate people, and this is an excitement and enthusiasm that are pro-innovation, pro-these technologies, and know that they can be used in ways to protect consumers all at the same time. I think it’s crazy that it ever became a partisan issue, but I think that the Republicans are being very strategic in how they’re approaching that. And I think it’s becoming an election issue, which I think is good for the industry. And thus, I think it’s driving some momentum in the market,” Garlinghouse opined.

Read more: What Is a Bitcoin ETF?

Nonetheless, experts think that for XRP to be available as a spot ETF, it might need to be available in its futures counterpart first. Regulatory approval for spot Bitcoin ETFs was granted based on confidence in the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Bitcoin futures market’s ability to provide surveillance against fraud and market manipulation. In that sense, if XRP gets a futures ETF, it’s a step in the right direction toward one day earning a spot ETF.