Ripple CEO Expects XRP ETF As Institutional Demand for Crypto Grows

Ripple Labs CEO Brad Garlinghouse remains confident that an exchange-traded fund (ETF) for (CRYPTO: XRP) is “just inevitable” despite ongoing regulatory challenges.

As institutional demand for cryptocurrency surges, Garlinghouse emphasized the importance of crypto ETFs, pointing to the explosive growth seen in Bitcoin ETFs since their approval.

However, XRP’s path to an ETF approval is far from clear, clouded by legal battles and regulatory uncertainty.

“Since funds holding Bitcoin were first approved in January, $17 billion has flowed into the fastest-growing ETF in history,” Garlinghouse noted in an interview with Bloomberg.

This inflow, he explained, showcases the growing appetite from both retail and institutional investors for easier access to digital assets.

Legal Challenges Loom Large For XRP

While Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) inches closer to new highs, XRP’s trajectory is more uncertain, largely due to its ongoing legal dispute with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Ripple has been embroiled in a multi-year legal battle with the SEC, which claims the company illegally sold XRP as an unregistered security.

Although Ripple secured a partial court victory in 2023, with a ruling that programmatic sales of XRP to retail investors did not violate securities laws, the SEC has appealed, and the outcome remains unresolved.

Speaking with Benzinga, Ryan Lee, Chief …

Full story available on Benzinga.com