- Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse denied reports that the company offered $10–$20 billion to acquire Circle, clarifying that no such bid was made.
- Instead, Ripple is focusing on expanding the utility of its RLUSD stablecoin and driving real-world blockchain adoption through projects like Dubai’s property tokenization initiative.
Garlinghouse Shuts Down $20B Acquisition Rumors
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has publicly dismissed claims that the blockchain firm offered between $10 billion and $20 billion to acquire stablecoin issuer Circle. Speaking at the XRP Las Vegas conference, Garlinghouse clarified in a conversation with fintech policy expert Chris Brummer that while discussions may have occurred, such high-value offers were never made.
The rumor, which began circulating in April, suggested that Ripple initially offered $4 billion to $5 billion, later escalating to a reported $20 billion. However, Garlinghouse’s statement directly refutes the latter, signaling Ripple was never actively pursuing a full acquisition of Circle. Meanwhile, Circle has also denied plans to sell and has since filed for an IPO on the NYSE, seeking to issue 24 million shares priced between $24 and $26.
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Ripple Pushes RLUSD as Strategic Collateral Asset
Beyond the acquisition buzz, Garlinghouse revealed Ripple’s broader infrastructural ambitions, notably through its recent acquisition of Hidden Road. According to Brummer, the CEO emphasized that RLUSD, Ripple’s stablecoin, will serve as an on-ledger collateral for Hidden Road’s prime brokerage services—an approach described as foundational for modern finance.
This move reflects Ripple’s strategy to position RLUSD beyond mere stablecoin use, integrating it into high-level financial infrastructure. Garlinghouse’s remarks signal that Ripple is working to build utility-based blockchain finance rather than chasing headline-grabbing acquisitions.
XRPL Expands Global Footprint with Dubai Tokenization Project
Garlinghouse also spotlighted Ripple’s growing global influence, highlighting the XRP Ledger’s (XRPL) role in a landmark real estate tokenization initiative in Dubai. In collaboration with the Dubai Land Department, Ctrl Alt, and the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority, XRPL will be used to tokenize property title deeds—marking a real-world application of blockchain in governmental operations.
Calling for greater unity in the crypto space, Garlinghouse also noted Ripple’s symbolic donation of the “Skull of Satoshi” to the Bitcoin community, stressing that inter-community conflicts only hinder industry-wide progress. As Ripple distances itself from acquisition headlines, it continues to champion on-chain innovation and global blockchain adoption.