Ripple Reaffirms XRP Commitment, Opens Dubai HQ

At Bitcoin 2026 in Las Vegas, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse reaffirmed the company’s commitment to XRP and announced a new regional headquarters in Dubai’s Dubai International Financial Centre to support expansion across the Middle East and Africa.

Garlinghouse told attendees that Ripple remains the largest holder of XRP and will continue to support the token’s development and adoption. He said, “Ripple is extremely committed to make XRP the most useful digital asset, the most liquid digital asset, and the most trusted digital asset.” He described XRP adoption as complementary to Ripple’s institutional payment products rather than competing with them.

The Dubai office will serve as a regional hub for operations across the Middle East and Africa, the company said. Ripple said its treasury platform processes $12.5 trillion in annual payment volume through connections with about 13,000 banks and views regional financial institutions and payment providers as potential sources of additional transaction flow.

Garlinghouse described plans to deepen integration of XRP into institutional payment flows while expanding use of RippleNet. He highlighted efforts to build liquidity that make it easier for banks and payment firms to trade and hold XRP for settlement.

Conference attendees from the XRP community reacted positively to Garlinghouse’s remarks. Some observers remained skeptical, arguing that XRP’s practical utility is limited and noting programmable stablecoins such as USDC have clearer payment characteristics for many uses.

Analysts and token holders will watch for measurable increases in transaction volume and institutional adoption to determine whether the company’s commitments lead to broader use of XRP.

Founded in 2012, Ripple develops blockchain-based payment technologies including RippleNet and an interoperability platform that routes cross-border payments. XRP is the company’s native digital asset, historically used for on-demand liquidity and settlement testing. The Dubai office and Garlinghouse’s public recommitment restate the company’s public focus on both enterprise products and token utility.