Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has signaled a shift in the company’s stance on going public, telling the 2026 Wyoming Blockchain Symposium that Ripple is now “more neutral” about a potential initial public offering. He said the company has not made a final decision and remains comfortable as a privately held business, with roughly $2.5 billion in acquisitions completed last year and about $3 billion in shareholder liquidity provided through tender offers over the past two years.
The comments mark a departure from Ripple’s earlier resistance to an IPO. Garlinghouse stressed that Ripple has been “happily private” for years and has expanded without relying on public equity markets. No IPO filing, valuation, stock exchange, underwriters, or timeline has been confirmed. Ripple president Monica Long had previously said the company already has sufficient investment capacity for growth, reducing the need for an IPO.
At the same event, Ripple chief legal officer Stuart Alderoty said September 15 will be a decisive date for the CLARITY Act, with an initial procedural vote in the Senate determining whether the crypto bill advances. Alderoty noted the legislation would need 60 votes and still has a viable path through Congress. He argued that even if the bill does not pass, crypto regulatory efforts in the United States will not stop, but the industry still needs a permanent legal framework.
He also warned that regulatory uncertainty could push companies and investment out of the US, costing the country jobs, innovation, and economic activity. The remarks follow Ripple’s lengthy legal battle with the SEC and keep both an IPO and broader US policy debate in focus for XRP market participants.
