Key Takeaways
- Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse said in a May 7 interview that he is not an XRP maximalist and that a stablecoin may be the better answer for certain payment flows.
- Ripple Payments growth does not automatically require every customer to use XRP.
- XRP would need to rise roughly 550% from $1.54 to reach $10, while $100, $589 and $1,000 targets imply valuations in the trillions.
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has acknowledged a point that could complicate one of XRP’s most bullish arguments — sometimes, a stablecoin may simply be the better payment tool.
Clips of Garlinghouse discussing XRP’s place in payments have been resurfacing online this week. However, the comments are not new.
They came during a CoinDesk Live interview at Consensus Miami in May, where the Ripple boss discussed the company’s payments strategy.
The clips have resurfaced as XRP holders debate whether Ripple’s institutional growth can eventually support targets of $10, $100—or even the more extreme $589 and $1,000 calls.
Garlinghouse: ‘I’m Not’ an XRP Maximalist
Asked why someone should choose XRP over another leading crypto, including Solana, Garlinghouse rejected the assumption that XRP should always come first.
“I’m not one of these people who’s an XRP maximalist. I’m bullish on a bunch of cryptos, for a bunch of reasons.”
Garlinghouse said Ripple’s priority was to solve the customer’s particular problem, rather than persuade someone to choose XRP over another top-five cryptocurrency.
Using transfers into markets such as the Philippines as an example, Garlinghouse said XRP could act as a bridge asset.
But he also acknowledged that a stablecoin could be the better solution in some cases.
“It could be that XRP is the best bridge asset for that purpose, or it could be that, no, a stablecoin is going to solve that problem better.”
Ripple Payments: Built for Stablecoins and XRP
His comments are evident in practice when examining Ripple’s current product strategy.
The Ripple Payments website says customers can pay in, pay out and settle using RLUSD, USDC, USDT or fiat, “whichever asset your business requires.”
The company says its settlement layer is decoupled from any single issuer’s token and can add further stablecoins as demand develops.
Ripple says the network has processed more than $100 billion in payments volume across more than 60 markets.
Meanwhile, RLUSD is Ripple’s dollar-pegged stablecoin, designed to maintain a value of one US dollar and support real-time payments.
Ripple still presents XRP as a bridge asset for moving value between currencies.
But an institution using Ripple Payments could potentially settle through any currency without XRP becoming the principal asset.
Can XRP Still Reach $10 Without a Maximalist Ripple CEO?
XRP traded near $1.54 on Sept. 25, with around 62.88 billion tokens in circulation.
CryptoBull, the popular XRP commentator whose $27 October prediction has gone viral, also previously identified the $9 to $10 region as an earlier upside zone on his long-term chart.
From around $1.54, XRP would need to rise roughly 550% to reach $10.
CryptoBull’s wider $27 scenario would require a gain of about 1,650%.
Standard Chartered also originally projected XRP at $10.40 in 2027, before later reducing that target to $7.
Its revised long-term path still puts XRP at $12.60 in 2028, $19.60 in 2029 and $28 in 2030.
What Would $100, $589 and $1,000 Mean?
The debate over XRP’s role in Ripple’s payments business comes as one of the community’s most extreme price theories gains renewed attention.
Dom Kwok, co-founder of developer education platform EasyA, recently posted:
“$1,000 is more likely than ever.”
XRP commentator CharuSan reposted the message and interpreted it as a reference to XRP.
| XRP price |
Approx. circulating valuation |
| $10 |
$629 billion |
| $100 |
$6.3 trillion |
| $589 |
$37 trillion |
| $1,000 |
$62.9 trillion |
He argued that Kwok was unlikely to make such a dramatic claim without information supporting it.
“Dom Kwok is one of the rare people whose words I can trust.”
A move to $1,000 would represent an increase of roughly 66,000%.
Using the current circulating supply of around 62.88 billion XRP, a $1,000 price would give the token a circulating market capitalization of approximately $62.9 trillion.
The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be, nor should it be construed as, financial advice. We do not make any warranties regarding the completeness, reliability, or accuracy of this information. All investments involve risk, and past performance does not guarantee future results. We recommend consulting a financial advisor before making any investment decisions.
Kurt Robson is a London-based reporter at CCN, specialising in the fast-moving worlds of crypto and emerging technology. He began his career covering local news in Cornwall after graduating from Falmouth University with First Class Honours in Journalism. There, he cut his teeth on everything from council meetings to missing swans.
He quickly rose through the ranks to become a frontline journalist at several of the UK’s leading national newspapers. Over the years, he has interviewed musicians and celebrities, reported from courtrooms and crime scenes, and secured multiple front-page exclusives.
Following the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kurt shifted his focus to technology journalism—just ahead of the AI boom. With a natural curiosity and a trained eye for emerging trends, he has found a new rhythm in reporting on innovation.
At CCN, Kurt's work focuses on the cutting edge of crypto, blockchain, AI, and the evolving digital world. Drawing on his background in people-first reporting and his deep interest in disruptive tech, Kurt delivers stories that are insightful, entertaining, and human-centric.
