Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has publicly stated that the company aims to end 2026 with a $1 billion revenue run rate, explicitly excluding XRP holdings from the calculation. The declaration, shared on social media and confirmed by multiple sources, represents a strategic effort to decouple Ripple’s corporate performance from the token’s market price.
Garlinghouse’s target frames the firm as a fintech infrastructure provider earning income through products and services rather than from token sales or balance sheet gains. “This is about recurring operating income,” the CEO reportedly emphasized, underscoring a shift toward sustainable enterprise revenue.
Ripple’s recent moves support this vision. The $1.25 billion acquisition of prime broker Hidden Road in 2025 added credit, clearing, and prime brokerage capabilities, with Hidden Road clearing roughly $3 trillion annually. This integration boosted Ripple Prime, the institutional brokerage platform, which has seen significant revenue growth. Ripple’s overall valuation reached approximately $50 billion in Q1 2026.
Beyond the Hidden Road deal, the company is expanding its stablecoin, RLUSD, for enterprise settlement and collateral use. Ripple also released the XRPL AI Starter Kit, enabling AI agents to conduct payments via the x402 protocol using XRP and RLUSD. These tools, along with custody, treasury management, and liquidity services, target banks and Fortune 500 treasuries—firms that have already facilitated over $100 billion in transaction volume through Ripple’s network.
Notably, XRP’s own market activity remains distinct. While XRP ETF products recorded a fifth consecutive week of inflows—adding $10.68 million in the week ended June 12—the token trades around $1.15, and Garlinghouse’s revenue metric deliberately excludes such price movements. This messaging gives corporate treasurers and payment firms a clearer lens to evaluate Ripple’s core business, separate from crypto volatility.
Regulatory progress also features in Ripple’s roadmap. The CLARITY Act, which aims to provide a legal framework for digital assets, recently passed the Senate Banking Committee with a 15–9 vote. Garlinghouse continues to advocate for clearer rules, arguing that legal certainty will encourage more institutions to adopt digital asset services.
