At XRP Apex 2025, a clear difference of opinion emerged between Ripple’s top executives over the value of memecoins in the crypto space.
Ripple President Monica Long leaned into the unexpected positive side of memecoins, while CEO Brad Garlinghouse remained sceptical of their long-term impact.
Brad Garlinghouse Calls Memecoins “Maybe Grossly Overrated”
Monica Long didn’t shy away from acknowledging the risky nature of memecoins. She admitted that many of them are scams. Still, she argued that some have surprisingly developed into actual functioning markets.
She pointed out how meme tokens have contributed to growth in crypto by drawing in users, developers, and funding. According to her, even the hype surrounding memecoins has played a role in expanding crypto infrastructure, including wallets and blockchain networks.
For her, this mirrors the ICO wave that helped Ethereum gain momentum back in 2017.
Garlinghouse Calls for Utility Over Hype
On the other side of the conversation, Brad Garlinghouse made his position very clear. For him, memecoins are overrated and not sustainable. He recognised the buzz they bring but emphasised that Ripple is building for the long term.
He pointed out that Ripple’s focus remains on utility-driven products and solving real problems in finance, not chasing internet trends.
Still, even Garlinghouse had to admit one thing, and that is he was wrong about Dogecoin. He acknowledged the coin’s staying power and its place in the ecosystem, largely because of its liquidity.
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However, he still held firm on his view, saying he’s never personally purchased a meme coin and doesn’t see their long-term value matching up with the noise around them.
XRP’s Bigger Vision
Shifting gears from memecoins, Garlinghouse also took time at the event to talk about the broader future of XRP. He shared a bold prediction that XRP could potentially take up to 14% of the global payment volume currently processed by SWIFT in the next five years.
He highlighted the liquidity side of the SWIFT system, suggesting XRP could offer a more efficient solution for cross-border transfers. Ripple’s vision, according to him, is to become a key player in global payments by focusing on solving liquidity challenges that banks currently control.
XRP’s Price Actions
At the moment, XRP is trading at $2.24, showing a slight dip of over 2% in the last 24 hours. The token’s market cap sits at $132 billion, while trading volume has decreased slightly.
While memecoins continue to bring energy and users to the space, questions remain about their sustainability. Ripple’s leadership reflects that contrast between a belief in the positive ripple effects of memecoins and a commitment to building lasting utility.