Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse Remains Bullish on Stablecoins Amid Circle IPO Success

SINGAPORE — Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple Labs, expressed strong optimism about stablecoins during his keynote at the Apex 2025 conference, highlighting the recent success of Circle’s initial public offering (IPO) as a key indicator of growing investor confidence.

“Circle’s IPO performed exceptionally well, reflecting robust interest from both institutional and retail investors in the crypto space,” Garlinghouse said at Apex 2025, the largest annual summit focused on the XRP Ledger (XRPL).

He emphasized that the future of finance will increasingly be built on blockchain technology. “Regulatory challenges are transforming into supportive forces in the U.S., which bodes well for the global crypto ecosystem,” Garlinghouse added. “We’re not advocating for deregulation but for clear and constructive regulatory frameworks, and progress is clearly underway.”

Other regions are also moving forward with stablecoin regulations, with Hong Kong having recently passed legislation, and South Korea’s new government reportedly working on a stablecoin bill.

When asked about rumors regarding a potential merger or acquisition involving Ripple and Circle, Garlinghouse declined to comment.

The Apex conference is ongoing in Singapore through Thursday.