Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple, addressed Binance Blockchain Week, highlighting the impact of clearer regulations and institutional investor participation through regulated Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) on the growth of cryptocurrency. He emphasized that these factors are aiding in funding real-world applications.
"They're getting involved," said BRADLEY KENT GARLINGHOUSE. "it's gonna create a lot of tailwind. it's not just about speculation, it's about solving real world problems. in the last 1-2 weeks 700M has flown into XRP ETFS, which is just pent up demand."
According to Garlinghouse, during Binance Blockchain Week’s "The Path Ahead" segment, he joined Solana Foundation President Lily Liu and Binance Co-CEO Richard Teng to discuss the trajectory of cryptocurrency amid increasing regulation and a market more prepared for institutional involvement. He described the current phase as another point in crypto’s recurring boom-bust cycle but said that spot ETFs, improved U.S. policy, and supportive macro trends position the industry for a strong run into 2026.
Garlinghouse pointed to evidence of institutional involvement with BlackRock’s U.S. spot bitcoin ETF (IBIT), launched in January 2024. This ETF quickly amassed approximately $70 billion in assets and became one of BlackRock's top fee generators, underscoring sustained demand from advisors, platforms, and allocators. Such scale within a regulated framework supports his assertion that ETF channels are a significant force for mainstream crypto exposure.
Institutional interest extends beyond bitcoin. According to CoinDesk citing SoSoValue data, U.S. spot XRP ETFs launched in mid-November recorded a 15-day inflow streak and were on track to surpass $1 billion in assets. This momentum aligns with Garlinghouse's view that ETF demand was "pent up" and is now channeling into regulated products focused on real-world utility.
Bradley Kent Garlinghouse has been CEO of Ripple Labs since 2015, a fintech company focused on blockchain-based payments. His experience includes leadership roles at tech firms such as Yahoo and Hightail, with academic credentials from the University of Kansas and Harvard Business School. His tenure at Ripple places him at the forefront of institutional blockchain adoption and cross-border payments innovation.
