Date: January 8, 2025
Location: Private dinner at Mar-a-Lago, Florida
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse and Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty met with former President Trump. Garlinghouse shared a photo on X saying it was a “Strong start to 2025!” .
🔍 Fox Business Confirmation
As far back as November 2024, Fox Business asked Garlinghouse if he met Trump. He responded playfully without confirming details—anchors treated it as confirmation .
📈 Impact on XRP
Rumors and photos triggered XRP price surges:
In November, XRP jumped ~20% to nearly $1 .
Post-January photo, additional market uplift, fueled by renewed optimism around Ripple's regulatory legitimization.
🏛️ Ripple’s Pro-U.S. Push
Garlinghouse emphasized Ripple’s shift back to the U.S., citing that 75% of new hires are U.S.-based, reversing prior global hiring trends .
He also credited Trump’s crypto-forward stance for reinvigorating U.S. crypto engagement .
🧭 Long-Term Outlook & Government Crypto Reserve
There’s talk of a U.S. strategic crypto reserve including XRP—not just Bitcoin. Trump has publicly mentioned "several smaller digital tokens, including XRP" .
Ripple’s aggressive lobbying and Trump-friendly political contributions (including $48M to Fairshake PAC) support its push to position XRP centrally in crypto policy .
📰 Expert Perspectives
WSJ profiles this as Garlinghouse positioning as a top crypto voice in Trump’s orbit .
Barron’s notes Trump’s recognition of XRP and support for a crypto reserve policy also drove XRP price gains in recent months .
