The long standing debate surrounding XRP appears to be entering a new phase. In his latest post on X, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse echoed the view that the crypto sector, which once mocked Ripple’s institutional approach, is now embracing it. Garlinghouse’s remarks have reignited discussions about how priorities in the digital asset market are evolving.
Old criticisms of XRP resurface
This renewed conversation follows statements by Hugo Philion, cofounder of Flare, during his appearance on the AllInCrypto Podcast. According to Philion, a notable transformation has occurred in the way the market perceives Ripple and its digital asset XRP.
For years, crypto enthusiasts derided XRP as the “banker’s coin,” criticizing Ripple’s decision to develop compliant and institutional-grade payment solutions for traditional financial institutions. Some in the community, focused on decentralization, saw this as contradictory to the spirit of crypto. Yet, with tightened regulations and institutional adoption emerging as the main growth driver headed into 2026, these criticisms have lost much of their force.
Hugo Philion noted that while XRP and Ripple were once branded as the “banker’s coin,” most players in the industry are now striving to occupy the very same space, calling this contrast a striking contradiction.
Philion further explained that in Flare’s early fundraising rounds, venture capital circles voiced stiff opposition to similar institutional plays. Despite this, he now believes that Ripple’s global payment solutions are generally headed in the right direction. Flare itself has become known for building networks that enable data access and interoperability between different blockchains.
The institutional model expands beyond payments
The article underlines that industry acceptance of Ripple’s approach isn’t limited to payments. The XRP Ledger has emerged as one of the largest networks for onchain issuance of real world assets. These “real world assets” refer to the tokenization of bonds, funds, real estate, and other traditional financial instruments on the blockchain.
Glossary: The Trusted Execution Environment, or TEE, is a secure area inside a device that operates in isolation from the main system. This ensures sensitive data can be protected separately and is especially useful in privacy-focused and regulated financial applications.
According to the report, Flare 2.0 aims to expand decentralized exchange infrastructure for RWA transactions on the XRP Ledger. The upgrade will utilize TEE, or trusted execution environments, to increase transaction privacy, scalability, and regulatory compliance.
Brad Garlinghouse also expressed support for the view that the wider crypto sector is now adopting the very institutional strategies it previously dismissed.
As a result, the criticisms once directed at XRP and Ripple are now subject to renewed debate against the backdrop of shifting market priorities. Institutional application, regulatory compliance, and onchain issuance of real world assets are gaining traction as the foundations of this evolving acceptance across the crypto space.
