They call themselves the XRP Army. It's a name that sounds slightly intense, maybe even a bit much for a digital asset community, but if you've been watching the crypto space over the last few years, you know they've earned the stripes.
During the most recent Swell 2025 conference in New York, Brad Garlinghouse didn't just give a standard corporate update. He went off-script to talk about the people who held on when the U.S. government was quite literally trying to dismantle their ecosystem.
When the Ripple CEO praises XRP community members, it isn't just PR fluff. It’s a survival story.
The Long War and the "Surrender"
Honestly, the SEC lawsuit was a marathon that felt like it would never end. It started back in December 2020 and didn't officially wrap up until the first half of 2025. For most crypto projects, a multi-year legal battle with a federal regulator is a death sentence. Exchanges delist you. Partners run for the hills. The price usually craters to zero.
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But XRP was different.
Garlinghouse recently reflected on this, noting that the community didn't just "stay" – they fought. While Ripple’s legal team, led by Stuart Alderoty, handled the courtroom, the community handled the information war. They dug through old SEC speeches, found the "Himan documents," and kept the pressure on for transparency.
By the time the SEC finally dropped its appeal in March 2025, Garlinghouse described the moment as a "long overdue surrender." He specifically thanked the holders who didn't blink when the SEC was asking for $2 billion in fines.
Why the "LFG" Moment Mattered
You've probably seen the CEO of a multi-billion dollar fintech company acting "professional." Suits, teleprompters, the whole bit. But Garlinghouse has a tendency to break character in a way that resonates with retail investors.
Case in point: late 2025.
The market was a mess. Roughly $19 billion in liquidations had just wiped out a massive chunk of crypto wealth. In the middle of this chaos, a viral AI-generated video started circulating. It showed a digital Brad Garlinghouse as a DJ, surrounded by XRP-themed lasers and bass drops.
Instead of his legal team issuing a "cease and dseist" or some stuffy corporate disclaimer, Garlinghouse replied with three words: "LFG!"
That’s "Let’s F***ing Go" for those not fluent in internet slang.
It sounds small. It’s just a tweet, right? But in a market where people were losing money and feeling the weight of institutional pressure, that tiny bit of shared humanity was huge. It showed the community that the guy at the top was still in the trenches with them.
The Shift to 2026: From Survival to Utility
We’re moving into a new phase now. The "lawsuit era" is effectively in the rearview mirror, and the conversation is shifting toward what XRP actually does in a regulated world.
During the XRP Seoul 2025 event, Garlinghouse stood on stage while the price was dipping about 10%. He didn't talk about "to the moon" or hype. He talked about resilience. He lauded the community for staying focused on the tech while firms like Midas and Interop Labs were launching things like mXRP—a way for holders to get 8% returns on their dormant assets.
The Real Tech Roadmap
Ripple isn't just a "cross-border payments" company anymore. They've been on a shopping spree, spending nearly $4 billion on acquisitions like GTreasury and Standard Custody.
- Ripple Prime: This is their big institutional play. It’s basically a one-stop shop for banks to trade and move value.
- RLUSD Stablecoin: This is the new "bridge." While XRP is the high-speed liquidity tool, RLUSD provides the price stability that some traditional banks still crave.
- Mastercard Integration: They’re currently piloting card settlements on the XRP Ledger (XRPL).
Basically, the "Ripple CEO praises XRP community" narrative is evolving. He’s no longer thanking them for just holding; he’s thanking them for building. There are now hundreds of independent CEOs and developers building on the XRPL.
Garlinghouse is famous for asking, "Who is the CEO of XRP?" It’s a trick question. Ripple has a CEO, but XRP belongs to the ledger.
What Most People Get Wrong
There is this lingering myth that Ripple "controls" the price or the network.
If you look at the governance of the XRPL, it’s actually kind of messy—in a good way. Amendments to the code require a 80% consensus from validators over a two-week period. There have been times where Ripple proposed a change and the community flat-out rejected it.
Garlinghouse points to this frequently. He wants the world to see that XRP is a decentralized tool, much like Bitcoin or Ethereum, but with a specific focus on enterprise utility.
The 2026 Outlook: What’s Next?
The next big date for the "Army" is February 11, 2026. That’s the return of XRP Community Day.
Unlike the high-brow institutional vibes of Swell, this event is designed for the builders and the long-term holders. Expect to see a lot of talk about institutional DeFi and the "Internet of Value."
The legal chains are off. The U.K. just gave Ripple its Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license. The U.S. regulatory environment has shifted from "regulation by enforcement" to a more pro-innovation stance under new leadership.
Actionable Takeaways for Holders
If you're following the Ripple story, don't just watch the price charts. The real movement is happening in the infrastructure.
- Monitor the RLUSD Rollout: Watch how it interacts with XRP. The two assets are designed to work together, not compete.
- Look at the Institutional Inflows: XRP ETFs have already pulled in over $700 million. This is the "smart money" finally arriving.
- Check the XRPL Ecosystem: Look at projects like mXRP or new sidechains. This is where the actual "utility-based valuation" comes from.
The era of XRP being a "legal drama" is over. It’s now a business story. And for the community that waited four years for the ending, the CEO’s praise is probably the least they deserve.
To stay ahead of the next phase, keep an eye on the February 2026 Community Day updates. This is where the roadmap for the next three years will likely be laid out in detail.