Ripple is reportedly pushing to acquire Circle, the issuer of the USDC$USDC
stablecoin, with a proposed offer that could reach up to $11 billion. But while this move might look like a strategic win on the surface, it’s raising serious concerns within the crypto community—especially for XRP holders.
So what’s really going on here? And what could this deal mean for Ripple, Circle, and the future of crypto?
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Why Is Ripple Trying to Buy Circle?
Ripple has always marketed XRP as a solution for cross-border payments—a faster, decentralized alternative to SWIFT. But let’s be honest: stablecoins like USDC are doing the job XRP was supposed to do, and they’re doing it better. Stable value, institutional adoption, and less regulatory noise.
One user on X (formerly Twitter), R89Capital, summed it up perfectly:
> “They are trying to buy Circle because stablecoins make the usecase XRP was supposed to fulfil utterly useless.”
They didn’t stop there—claiming Ripple has been dumping billions of XRP on retail investors and calling the company “one of the largest frauds in the history of finance.” That’s heavy, but the sentiment is being echoed across the platform.
It’s not hard to see why. USDC has a market cap north of $61 billion and is widely seen as a trustworthy bridge between traditional finance and blockchain. Meanwhile, Ripple recently launched its own stablecoin, RLUSD, which is still a baby in comparison with just $310 million in market cap.
By acquiring Circle, Ripple wouldn't just catch up—it would leapfrog into the top tier of stablecoin dominance.
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What Does It Mean for XRP?
This is the part that stings for longtime XRP supporters. Ripple's interest in Circle looks like a pivot away from $XRP
, the very asset the company was built around.
If USDC becomes Ripple’s main product, XRP could slowly be sidelined—turned into a legacy token with little practical use.
That’s not just speculation. It’s backed by Ripple’s recent behavior and acquisitions, including this Circle pursuit. It's becoming more and more obvious that Ripple wants to rebrand itself as a stablecoin powerhouse rather than just an XRP promoter.
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Community Reactions: Alarm Bells Are Ringing
Not everyone is celebrating the move. One user on X, GwartyGwart, compared it to “Hooli buying Pied Piper”—a nod to the Silicon Valley TV show, where innovation gets eaten by corporate greed.
Another user, 0xShual, warned the deal could cause “mass panic”, especially if Ripple gains centralized control over $, which was originally praised for its transparency and neutrality.
Let’s face it—crypto was built on decentralization. If Ripple gains control of the second-largest stablecoin, many worry that power could be abused, and that the trust Circle built might not survive the transition.
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The Bigger Picture: A Make-or-Break Move for Ripple
Despite the pushback, it’s clear Ripple sees this as a survival move. Between the ongoing SEC case, rising competition from Tether (USDT) and DAI, and a weakening position for XRP, something had to change.
But let’s be real—Circle hasn’t agreed yet, and with partners like Coinbase and others in the mix, this deal is far from guaranteed.
Still, if Ripple pulls it off, it won’t just reshape its own future. It could reshape the entire stablecoin landscape—for better or worse.
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Final Thoughts:
Ripple’s potential acquisition of Circle is one of the boldest plays we’ve seen in crypto in a while. If it succeeds, Ripple could go from underdog to overlord. But in doing so, it may have to sacrifice XRP—and the very decentralization the crypto community fights to protect.