The CEO of Ripple Says XRP Will Change the Entire Banking System: Here's What That Means

Ripple's CEO, Brad Garlinghouse, shared a bold vision for XRP, claiming that the company is on track to "restructure the entire banking system" - not just improve it. Speaking at the XRP conference in Las Vegas, Garlinghouse urged the XRP community to focus on this broader mission rather than wasting energy on competing with Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. His message is very clear: Ripple is not here to compete against Bitcoin – but to build a financial infrastructure that can change the way money moves around the world. According to Garlinghouse, Ripple is creating an ecosystem that connects traditional banks and blockchain technology. While most of the cryptocurrency industry is focused on eliminating banks from the equation, Ripple's approach is to bring them into the future of finance by building tools they can use. The core of Ripple's strategy focuses on cross-border payments. By eliminating the need for intermediaries and pre-funded accounts, Ripple aims to make global money transfers faster, cheaper, and more transparent. This is a move that Ripple's CTO David Schwartz describes as "reconnecting" the banking system - and Garlinghouse completely agrees. Garlinghouse emphasized the scale of this change, urging the XRP community not to underestimate what is happening behind the scenes. He stated, "We underestimate the magnitude and depth of that change." He believes that the true scope of this transformation will become clear in 10 to 20 years, but not everyone thinks it will take that long. A prominent voice in the XRP community, known as Vale, tweeted that Ripple is currently changing the financial system. There is increasing evidence supporting that claim. Ripple was recently mentioned by the Faster Payments Council of the United States as a key company driving efficient and transparent payments. Even Morgan Stanley listed Ripple as one of the top competitors to SWIFT, which processes over $5 trillion in daily transactions. Despite the ongoing challenges of XRP to achieve widespread acceptance in the United States due to regulatory uncertainty, Garlinghouse remains optimistic. He calls for collaboration across the entire cryptocurrency landscape, including potential partnerships with networks like Cardano. He clarifies that Ripple's mission does not require XRP to surpass Bitcoin - it just needs space to grow alongside it. In a symbolic gesture, Garlinghouse even gifted the Skull of Satoshi – a physical artwork criticizing Bitcoin's energy consumption – as a peace offering to BTC supporters, showing that he is genuinely serious about ending the discord between the two communities. For Garlinghouse, the bigger goal is beyond tribalism. Ripple is building the infrastructure for the long game, and he wants the entire cryptocurrency world to win together.