Ripple’s CEO Brad Garlinghouse and Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty attended a private dinner with US President-elect Donald Trump at the Mar-a-Lago Resort in Florida.

While details of their discussion remain under wraps, Garlinghouse described the meeting as a “strong start to 2025” in a Jan. 8 post on X.

This high-profile engagement highlights Ripple’s efforts to strengthen its presence in the US, a market that has seen renewed optimism following Trump’s election victory.

Garlinghouse noted that Ripple experienced a surge in US business activity during the final weeks of 2024, signing more deals than in the previous six months combined. Furthermore, 75% of the company’s open roles are now based in the US, signaling a strategic pivot after years of global focus.

Trump’s crypto meetings

President-elect Trump’s engagements with the crypto sector reveal a significant shift in his outlook.

Once skeptical of Bitcoin, Trump now champions initiatives such as a national Bitcoin reserve. Recent meetings at Mar-a-Lago with figures like Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek and a call with Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong suggest an intent to integrate crypto into his administration’s economic agenda.

Trump’s cabinet appointments further highlight his pro-crypto stance. His administration would be peopled by crypto advocates like Elon Musk, Howard Lutnick, and David Sacks, who are poised to advance policies focusing on crypto and artificial intelligence.

These developments signal a potentially transformative era for US crypto regulation and adoption.

Ripple developments

In a Bloomberg interview, Ripple’s President Monica Long revealed plans to expand the RLUSD stablecoin to additional exchanges soon.

While she refrained from providing a specific timeline, Long indicated that the rollout is expected “imminently,” reflecting Ripple’s confidence in the stablecoin’s market potential.

She emphasized that the stablecoin sector has witnessed substantial growth in recent months, positioning RLUSD to capitalize on this trend. Ripple’s payment business, which recently doubled its transaction volume, is expected to drive RLUSD adoption further.

Long also expressed optimism about approving a spot-based XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF). She predicted an uptick in applications and a likely acceleration of regulatory approvals within the year.

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