Bullish for XRP? Ripple’s CEO May Join Donald Trump’s New Advisory Council

TL;DR

• Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse is supposedly among the candidates for Trump’s cryptocurrency advisory council, where he could play a key role in shaping clearer regulations for XRP and the wider digital asset industry.
• The expansion of RLUSD, Ripple’s dollar-pegged stablecoin, could strengthen the XRP ecosystem by driving liquidity, increasing utility, and fostering broader adoption of the network. Most recently, Revolut embraced the product.

Garlinghouse Emerges as Top Contender

Donald Trump’s win in the US presidential elections was considered a huge win for the digital industry due to the Republican’s pro-crypto stance and his promises to let the sector thrive during his reign. While some might have thought that his positive approach was just another way to gather more voters, the new political leader of the States proved those wrong.

During the first weeks after assuming office at the White House, Trump signed an executive order titled “Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology.” He also reportedly plans to establish a cryptocurrency advisory council.

According to coverage by the New York Post, the group might consist of well-known names that are part of the digital asset industry, such as Ripple’s CEO Brad Garlinghouse.

The advisors’ main role will be to create a comprehensive regulatory framework for the sector and work closely with Trump and David Sacks (who the president tapped to serve as cryptocurrency and AI “czar”). 

Garlinghouse’s potential involvement with the White House could be a game-changer for Ripple’s native token – XRP. After all, he could insist on clearer guidelines for the asset, which has been targeted by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for years.

Those following the development of the cryptocurrency industry in the past several years must be aware that the watchdog sued Ripple in December 2020 over allegations that the company conducted an unregistered securities offering by selling XRP. The eventual outcome of the tussle could remove the legal uncertainty surrounding the token and be interpreted as a major bullish factor (assuming the resolution favors Ripple).

It is worth mentioning that Garlinghouse and Trump have already broken the ice between each other. Last month, Ripple’s CEO and the company’s CLO, Stuart Alderoty, had a dinner meeting with the president at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

A few weeks later, Garlinghouse claimed the possible US strategic Bitcoin reserve should be composed of additional assets, urging Trump to add XRP.

“If a govt digital asset reserve is created. I believe it should be representative of the industry, not just one token (whether it be BTC, XRP, or anything else). Maximalism remains the enemy of crypto progress, and I’m very glad to see fewer and fewer folks ascribe to this outdated and misinformed thinking,” he stated on X.

RLUSD’s Potential Role

Another important element that could positively impact XRP’s price is the further progress of RLUSD (the stablecoin issued by Ripple).

The product, pegged 1:1 to the American dollar, officially went live in mid-December after receiving approval from the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS). The first exchanges to embrace RLUSD were Uphold, Bitstamp, Bitso, Moonpay, CoinMENA, and Bullish.

At the start of 2025, Bitstamp joined the club, listing the RLUSD/EUR, RLUSD/USD, RLUSD/USDT, RLUSD/BTC, RLUSD/ETH, and RLUSD/XRP trading pairs. Most recently, Ripple announced that Revolut and Zero Hash have also hopped on the bandwagon.

While RLUSD’s market capitalization crossed $100 million several days ago, it still has a long way to go before catching up with the sector’s leaders, Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC).