The XRP 60 Minutes Interview: Why the Rumors Still Spark Massive Debate

The XRP 60 Minutes Interview: Why the Rumors Still Spark Massive Debate

Crypto Twitter never forgets. Even years after a rumor starts, the community can’t seem to let go of the idea of an XRP 60 Minutes interview. You’ve probably seen the grainy screenshots or the breathless threads on X (formerly Twitter) claiming that Brad Garlinghouse or David Schwartz sat down for a career-defining segment on CBS. It’s a persistent myth. People want it to be true because a 60 Minutes feature is the ultimate stamp of legitimacy for a project that has spent years fighting a grueling legal battle with the SEC.

But here’s the reality.

There is no "lost" or "secret" full-length XRP 60 Minutes interview sitting in a vault at CBS. While Ripple executives have appeared on countless mainstream news programs—including CNBC, Bloomberg, and Fox Business—the specific 60 Minutes episode that enthusiasts keep waiting for hasn't materialized. It’s a classic case of the "Mandela Effect" meeting the high-stakes world of digital assets.

Why the XRP 60 Minutes Interview Became a Viral Myth

The rumor mill started churning heavily back in 2018 and 2021. During those peak bull market cycles, crypto was breaking into the mainstream. We saw Tom Brady in FTX commercials and Larry David in Super Bowl spots. Naturally, the XRP army expected their favorite asset to get the most prestigious slot in television journalism.

A lot of this stems from 60 Minutes actually doing segments on Bitcoin and the broader crypto space. When the show aired "The Bitcoin Bubble" or interviewed figures like Charlie Shrem, people assumed Ripple was next. Ripple is, after all, the "grown-up" of crypto. They have offices in San Francisco, London, and Dubai. They have a CEO who looks and talks like a traditional tech executive. It fits the 60 Minutes profile perfectly.

The confusion also grows because of how often Brad Garlinghouse is on TV. If you scroll through YouTube, you'll see him in a suit, talking about cross-border payments and the "Internet of Value." To a casual viewer, the high-production value of a Bloomberg Studio can easily be mistaken for the iconic ticking clock of CBS.

The SEC Lawsuit and the Media Blackout

You have to look at the timing. For years, Ripple was locked in a legal cage match with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC alleged that XRP was an unregistered security. This lawsuit, filed in late 2020, changed everything.

Major news outlets like CBS are incredibly risk-averse. While the lawsuit was active, a deep-dive 60 Minutes segment would have been a minefield. Producers generally don't want to feature a company that might be hit with a billion-dollar fine or shut down by a federal regulator next week. It’s bad for the "evergreen" nature of their stories.

📖 Related: Pesos into Canadian Dollars: What Most People Get Wrong

Interestingly, Ripple’s legal team, led by Stuart Alderoty, has been very vocal on social media and in shorter news clips. They’ve played the "court of public opinion" game better than almost anyone in the industry. But a long-form interview requires a level of transparency that legal counsel usually advises against during active litigation. Even though Ripple secured a major victory in 2023—when Judge Analisa Torres ruled that XRP is not, in and of itself, a security—the appeals process kept the narrative "messy" for mainstream TV.

What an Actual 60 Minutes Feature Would Look Like

If the XRP 60 Minutes interview actually happened today, the focus wouldn’t just be on the price of a token. That’s too small-time for them. They’d look at the plumbing.

The story would likely center on On-Demand Liquidity (ODL), now rebranded as Ripple Payments. They’d send a camera crew to a corridor like the US-Mexico border or the Philippines. They’d show how a worker can send money home instantly using XRP as a bridge currency, rather than waiting three days for the archaic SWIFT system to clear.

They would also have to interview the detractors. That’s the 60 Minutes style. They’d bring in someone like Gary Gensler or a skeletal-looking economist to argue that XRP is centralized or that the "crypto-utility" is a smoke screen. This balance is exactly what XRP holders both crave and fear. They want the exposure, but they don't want the "hit piece" treatment that 60 Minutes is famous for.

The "Hype" Problem in Crypto Journalism

Honestly, the way people hunt for the XRP 60 Minutes interview says more about the state of crypto investing than it does about the show itself. In this space, everyone is looking for a "catalyst."

  • A Coinbase listing used to be the catalyst.
  • A partnership with a major bank was the catalyst.
  • A 60 Minutes interview is seen as the "Grand Slam" catalyst.

When investors are waiting for a price breakout, they manufacture or amplify rumors. I've seen "trailers" for this supposed interview that were just fan-made edits using clips from 2019. It’s deceptive, sure, but it’s fueled by a genuine belief that if the world just understood what Ripple was doing, the adoption would be instant.

📖 Related: Georgia Power Stock Price: What Most People Get Wrong

The truth is much slower. Adoption isn't a 15-minute TV segment. It's a decade of building infrastructure. Ripple has integrated with hundreds of financial institutions. That is happening without the ticking clock in the background.

Real Media Appearances You Should Actually Watch

Since the 60 Minutes thing is a ghost, where do you get the real info?

You should go back to the 2023 and 2024 appearances at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Those are the closest things we have to high-level "prestige" interviews. In those settings, Garlinghouse is talking to the world's power brokers. He’s not talking to "moon boys" on YouTube. He’s talking about the fragmentation of global liquidity and the need for regulatory clarity.

Also, look for David Schwartz’s technical talks. David is the CTO of Ripple and one of the original architects of the XRP Ledger. If you want to understand the "why" behind the technology, his long-form technical chats are way more valuable than a polished CBS segment could ever be. He explains the "Consensus" algorithm in a way that makes you realize why XRP is different from Bitcoin's Proof of Work.

Correcting the Record: What People Get Wrong

There's a common misconception that Ripple is XRP. It's not.

If a 60 Minutes interview ever does happen, they will spend half the time clarifying this. XRP is an open-source digital asset on a decentralized blockchain called the XRP Ledger (XRPL). Ripple is a private company that uses that asset in its products.

People also get the "escrow" thing wrong. They think Ripple can just dump billions of XRP on the market at any time. In reality, the XRP is held in a series of smart-contract-based escrows that release a set amount every month. Anything not used is put back into the tail end of the escrow. It’s a predictable supply schedule. Mainstream journalists often miss these nuances, which is why the "rumored" interview might actually be frustrating for die-hard fans who know the tech inside and out.

The Future of Ripple in the Mainstream

As we move into 2026, the environment for a real XRP 60 Minutes interview has never been better. The legal clouds have largely parted. The US is finally moving toward a clearer framework for digital assets.

If CBS were to pick up the story now, it wouldn't be about "Is this a scam?" It would be about "Is this the new global reserve layer?" That is a much more compelling narrative. It moves Ripple from the "business" section to the "national security" or "global economy" section.

We’ve seen a shift in how the media treats crypto. It’s no longer the "Wild West" fringe story. With the approval of various ETFs and the integration of blockchain into the back-ends of major banks, the story of XRP is essentially the story of the modernization of money.

Practical Steps for Staying Informed

Stop looking for the "hidden" interview and start looking at the data. If you want to understand where XRP is headed, follow these specific paths:

✨ Don't miss: What is the current price for an ounce of silver? Why the $90 mark changed everything

  • Check the SEC vs. Ripple Court Listener: This is the only place where the "truth" is documented under oath. Any interview on TV is just PR. The court filings contain the actual emails and strategy documents that show how the company operates.
  • Monitor the RLUSD Progress: Ripple is launching its own stablecoin. This is a massive pivot and will likely be the subject of any future mainstream news features.
  • Follow the Ledger: Use tools like XRPScan to see the actual volume on the network. Don't listen to what people say on TV; look at what the whales and institutions are doing with the actual tokens.
  • Ignore "Announcement" Countdowns: These are almost always fake or overhyped. Real institutional partnerships are usually announced via press releases on BusinessWire, not via a cryptic tweet about a TV show.

The 60 Minutes dream might one day become a reality, but until then, the real progress is being made in the code and in the courtrooms. Don't let the hunt for a viral video distract you from the actual utility being built.


Actionable Insights for Investors

  1. Verify the Source: If you see a clip labeled "XRP 60 Minutes Interview," check the official CBS News YouTube channel or their website. If it’s not there, it’s a fan edit.
  2. Focus on Regulatory Milestones: The "pivotal moment" for XRP isn't a TV interview; it's the final resolution of the SEC’s appeal process and the potential for an XRP ETF.
  3. Diversify Your Information: Follow legal experts like James K. Filan or Jeremy Hogan on X. They provide much more depth than any mainstream news anchor ever could.
  4. Watch for RLUSD Integration: The launch of Ripple's stablecoin is a major fundamental shift. Watch how it interacts with the XRP Ledger's native Decentralized Exchange (DEX).