Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse Expects XRP Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) to Be Approved by the Second Half of 2025

In a March 19 interview with Bloomberg Crypto, he cited Ripple's recent legal victory against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a key factor in boosting confidence.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse expects the first batch of XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to be approved by the second half of 2025. In a March 19 interview with Bloomberg Crypto, he highlighted the recent legal victory against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a key factor in boosting confidence.

Surging Demand for XRP ETFs as Investors Eye Regulatory Clarity

Garlinghouse noted that there is strong demand for XRP ETFs. He observed that investment products based on XRP are already attracting investors outside the U.S., while other crypto funds are struggling. The SEC dropped its case against Ripple and settled with Stellar (CRYPTO: XLM) in February, removing some of the regulatory uncertainty.

Following this legal resolution, institutions now have greater trust in XRP’s legal status. Garlinghouse also suggested that XRP could become part of the U.S. government’s digital asset reserve.

At least ten applications for XRP ETFs are waiting for SEC approval. These include spot, leveraged, and inverse ETFs. Several firms, including Bitwise, WisdomTree, 21Shares, ProShares, and Franklin Templeton, had submitted filings for XRP ETFs by March 12. Improved relations between Ripple and regulators, along with the SEC’s shifting approach to crypto, could speed up the approval process.

84% Odds for XRP ETF Approval as Institutional Interest Rises

Crypto prediction platform Polymarket shows that investors believe an XRP ETF has an 84% chance of approval in 2025.

Large investors, often called “whales,” have been accumulating XRP. Wallets holding at least one million XRP have increased their holdings by 6.5% over the past two months. Their total holdings now stand at 46.4 billion XRP, valued at around $114 billion.

Network activity has also risen sharply. The number of unique wallet interactions in March was six times higher than previous months.

Following Ripple’s legal victory, XRP’s price surged over 10% to a peak of $2.57. However, it has since stabilized at $2.45, reflecting a 6% gain in the last 24 hours.