Monica Long Discusses Ripple’s Strategy, Acquisitions, and Regulatory Environment
Monica Long, President of Ripple, recently sat down with CNBC’s Arjun Kharpal to discuss Ripple’s strategy, particularly in acquisitions and the regulatory environment. With Donald Trump becoming the first pro-crypto president of the United States, Ripple is focusing on its U.S.-based operations and projects.
In the meantime, Ripple is not concentrating solely on the U.S. market. Long previously indicated the company’s growth in the past, with operations growing in Europe and Asia. Specifically, Ripple has recently received a license from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), making it the first blockchain payment provider to do so.
She acknowledged the company’s long-standing legal battle with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), but confirmed that it is now behind them. The July 2023 court ruling clarified that XRP is not a security, a decision she describes as “a turning point, and it’s how we’ve moved forward with our business ever since.”
Potential IPO Discussions
In the interview, CNBC’s Arjun Kharpal recalled, “Brad has said to me in the past, When the SEC issues are done, we can start thinking about an IPO.’ Maybe an IPO is on the cards for Ripple at some point soon?” In response, Monica Long stated that the company is in a strong financial position, with billions of dollars in cash on its balance sheet. She emphasized that Ripple has substantial liquidity, is well-positioned for acquisitions, and is currently focused on expanding its business operations.
Supporting this focus on growth, Long referenced Ripple’s recent acquisitions. CNF recently reported that Ripple Labs acquired Hidden Road, a crypto broker clearing over $3 trillion annually across global markets, for $1.25 billion. On the acquisition, Long commented, “I’m so bullish on having this tight, under-one-roof partnership with a company that serves hundreds of the highest-volume trading financial institutions.”
Ripple’s Entry into Stablecoins with RLUSD
In December 2024, Ripple launched its stablecoin (RLUSD), which currently has a market capitalization of $294 million and trading volumes decreasing by over 36% in 24 hours. RLUSD facilitates instant settlement of cross-border payments and can be used to access liquidity for remittance and treasury operations.
On this, Long said, “Yeah, this market is blowing up. It’s projected to reach over $3 trillion in the next few years. Even so, it’s growing quickly. Traditional methods like SWIFT can take several days, cost up to 7% in fees, and are highly error-prone. We’re solving that with better, faster infrastructure.”
Political Developments
The conversation also touched on recent political developments. In March, a CNF update reported that President Donald Trump signed an executive order to establish a U.S. Strategic Cryptocurrency Reserve, which includes top market cap coins like Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Cardano (ADA), Solana (SOL), and Ripple’s XRP.
This sparked backlash from some Bitcoin maximalists who argued that only BTC should be included. Addressing the controversy, Long said, “Our CEO Brad Garlinghouse has always maintained that all we want is a level playing field for all crypto assets.” Currently, XRP is trading at $2.18 after a 5.18% drop in the past week. The assets trading volume has seen a slight drop of 10.98% to now settle at $3.98 billion.