Ripple CEO Supports XRP Vision as Community Sentiment Rebounds Ahead of XRPL Upgrade

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has publicly backed comments made by Flare co-founder Hugo Philion regarding XRP’s long-standing vision of bridging traditional finance and blockchain technology. Garlinghouse’s endorsement comes at a time when XRP community sentiment is recovering following a recent market downturn and price decline.

During a recent interview, Philion revealed that he has always been interested in XRP and praised Ripple’s strategic approach to cross-border payments. According to Philion, Ripple’s biggest challenges have largely stemmed from regulatory scrutiny rather than flaws in its business model. He emphasized that Ripple’s payment-focused strategy has remained consistent despite years of criticism from parts of the cryptocurrency industry.

Philion highlighted how perceptions of XRP have evolved over time. In the early days, Ripple and XRP were often criticized for their close ties to banks and financial institutions, leading some critics to label XRP as the “banker coin.” However, he noted that the industry landscape has shifted dramatically.

According to Philion, many blockchain projects that once criticized Ripple are now actively pursuing partnerships with banks and traditional financial institutions. He stated that Ripple has remained committed to its original mission and continues to offer a strong solution for global payments. He also pointed out that the XRP community remains one of the most vocal and active groups in the crypto sector.

The discussion gained additional attention after a user shared a clip of Philion’s comments on X. The post argued that many crypto projects are now adopting the same institutional-focused strategy that XRP supporters have advocated for years. Garlinghouse responded with a simple but impactful reply: “True.” The response quickly gained traction across the XRP community and sparked renewed optimism among investors.

Meanwhile, attention is also turning to the upcoming XRP Ledger (XRPL) 3.2.0 upgrade scheduled for release on June 15. The update follows the successful rollout of XRPL version 3.1.3, which introduced improvements to NFTs, Multi-Purpose Tokens (MPTs), Vaults, Lending Protocol features, and Permissioned Domains.

A major highlight of the upcoming release is the transition of the network’s core server software from “rippled” to “xrpld.” The change is designed to better reflect the expanding open-source ecosystem supporting the XRP Ledger. As Ripple continues to strengthen its position in institutional blockchain payments, the combination of positive community sentiment and technical upgrades could further boost interest in XRP and the broader XRPL ecosystem heading into 2026.