Ripple Keeps XRP in the lineup as RLUSD Steals the Spotlight 💸

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse rejected reports that the company plans to abandon support for XRP in favor of its RLUSD stablecoin, saying the two assets have complementary roles within Ripple’s payment ecosystem.

Speaking at Ripple Swell 2026 in New York, Garlinghouse said Ripple would continue supporting XRP as RLUSD expands on the XRP Ledger. “We will never give up on XRP,” he said, “and the momentum is still strong around XRP.” He described RLUSD and XRP as complementary products rather than competing assets.

Garlinghouse also said Ripple would not pursue changes that “might do harm to the XRP ecosystem.” The company serves markets across multiple blockchains, but XRP remains part of its payment strategy, with growing activity on the XRP Ledger creating opportunities for both assets.

RLUSD, founded by Ripple in December 2024, is a dollar-backed token used for payments and settlement, while XRP can facilitate transfers between currencies. Its market capitalization has surpassed $2.4 billion, contributing to increased activity on the XRP Ledger.

The expansion of RLUSD has not prevented XRP from recording a recent decline. The token fell more than 5% over the past week and 12% this month, trading at $1.30, according to the report. Ripple’s OCC trust bank approval also supports its expanding institutional services while maintaining XRP’s role within its broader blockchain payment network.