Ripple CEO Hints at XRP Inclusion in US Strategic Reserve

Discussions around the inclusion of XRP in the US Strategic Reserve have emerged following President Donald Trump’s recent executive order.

The executive order signed by former President Donald Trump triggered discussions within the crypto community. The order, introduced just three days into his presidency, establishes a Presidential Working Group for the crypto industry.

According to a disclosure from FOX Business reporter Eleanor Terrett, citing her colleague Edward Lawrence, the group’s primary goal is to create a federal regulatory framework for digital assets and explore the development of a national “digital assets stockpile.” 

🚨NEW per my @FoxBusiness colleague @EdwardLawrence: The #crypto executive order has officially been signed.

Here are the details:

📌The Executive Order establishes the Presidential Working Group on Digital Asset Markets to strengthen U.S. leadership in digital finance.

📌The…

— Eleanor Terrett (@EleanorTerrett) January 23, 2025

One important detail in the order is the proposal to evaluate a strategic national reserve for digital assets. While many assumed this would primarily focus on Bitcoin, discussions have now emerged about the inclusion of other crypto assets, such as XRP. 

This idea has captured the crypto community’s attention, especially considering recent meetings between President Donald Trump and some crypto executives, including Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse.

Bitcoin-Only Advocates Raise Concerns  

After details of the executive order came to public light, Pierre Rochard, VP of Research at Bitcoin mining firm Riot Platforms, strongly opposed the inclusion of XRP in the proposed reserve. 

The biggest obstacle for the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve is not the Fed, Treasury, banks, or Elizabeth Warren.

It’s Ripple/XRP. They are aggressively lobbying against the SBR by throwing around $millions at politicians, desperately trying to derail it.

They did the same to…

— Pierre Rochard (@BitcoinPierre) January 23, 2025

He alleged that Ripple has been lobbying against a Bitcoin-focused reserve by financially influencing policymakers. 

According to Rochard, Ripple is diverting attention from Bitcoin to protect its narrative and support central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) tied to its platform. Recall that Ripple launched the CBDC platform in May 2023.

Rochard argued that the Trump campaign’s core commitments were to ban CBDCs and establish a Bitcoin-only reserve. He described Ripple’s efforts as undermining these priorities and insisted that Bitcoin should be the sole asset in the strategic stockpile.  

Ripple CEO Defends Diversification  

In response, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse dismissed the allegations, emphasizing that Ripple’s advocacy aligns with the administration’s goals of supporting American companies and innovation.

Unless you are choosing to ignore the core tenants of the POTUS campaign (which aggressively supports American companies and technologies), our efforts are actually INCREASING the likelihood of a crypto strategic reserve (which includes bitcoin) happening.

— Brad Garlinghouse (@bgarlinghouse) January 23, 2025

He suggested that Ripple’s engagement with policymakers increases the likelihood of creating a crypto reserve rather than undermining it. Notably, while such a reserve would definitely include Bitcoin, there is also a possibility of accommodating other crypto assets.

Interestingly, a previous report from the New York Post suggested that the Trump administration was looking to set up a system that would prioritize American-founded crypto assets, which would include XRP, Solana and USDC.

Before the executive order, Garlinghouse noted the possibility of a crypto reserve rather than a Bitcoin-only one in an interview. According to him, such a reserve would likely include Bitcoin alongside other technologies.

Speaking further, the Ripple CEO said a diversified approach to a digital assets reserve would make sense from a strategic standpoint.

Opinions from Industry Leaders

Opinions have also sprung up from other industry leaders. Scott Melker, host of The Wolf of All Streets Podcast, shared rumors that the strategic stockpile could include both Bitcoin and XRP. He acknowledged that this was speculative, but noted he received the information from reliable sources.

Strong Rumor, don’t shoot the messenger but hearing it through reliable channels.

The strategic stockpile they are discussing is $BTC and… $XRP.

Not a joke. We will see,

— The Wolf Of All Streets (@scottmelker) January 23, 2025

Amid these comments, some Bitcoiners claim Ripple’s active lobbying and donations may have influenced the administration’s decision. Notably, Ripple donated $5 million to Trump’s inauguration and has maintained communication with key policymakers.