TL;DR
- Brad Garlinghouse is called the best crypto CEO.
- Ripple’s valuation now reaches forty billion dollars.
- The company acquired Hidden Road and Rail firms.
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has received public recognition for his leadership. Lawyer John Deaton described him as the best chief executive in the cryptocurrency sector. Deaton bases his statement on Ripple’s current valuation, which now reaches forty billion dollars.
“Three years ago, I said Garlinghouse was arguably the best CEO in crypto. Some folks disagreed. Ripple’s latest valuation, evidenced by the $500M investment from Citadel & Fortress, is now at $40B. I believe my comment has aged well,” he wrote on X Thursday.
This valuation stems from a five hundred million dollar funding round. Investment firms including Citadel and Fortress led that capital injection. The San Francisco-based company also completed a one billion dollar buyback offer. Deaton noted that his initial assessment of Garlinghouse’s management has been confirmed by these financial developments.
Three years ago, I said @bgarlinghouse was arguably the best CEO in Crypto. Some folks disagreed. Ripple’s latest valuation, evidenced by the $500M investment from Citadel & Fortress, is now at $40B. I believe my comment has aged well. https://t.co/whJKGoXZzv
— John E Deaton (@JohnEDeaton1) November 5, 2025
Expansion Through Strategic Acquisitions
The company has driven its growth through direct purchases. Ripple acquired the asset brokerage Hidden Road for an amount of one point two five billion dollars. Around the same time, the firm bought the payments company Rail for two hundred million dollars. This acquisition adds virtual account systems and automated processes to Ripple’s technology. The goal is to improve stablecoin transactions, making them faster and with greater capacity.
A partner at Fortress Investment Group, Mike Naggar, characterized Ripple as an exemplary case of success. Naggar stated the company demonstrates a methodical approach to operating in the regulatory environment. He also indicated its potential was previously limited by the conflict with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Naggar added that Garlinghouse has a clear duty of service to his shareholders.
“That thoughtfulness makes them different from all the other protocols with large treasuries, those that have foundations that lack real leadership and don’t know who they are serving. If you ask Brad Garlinghouse, the answer is very clear to him: it’s his shareholders.”
Ripple is now collaborating with Mastercard, WebBank, and Gemini. This alliance seeks to expand the use cases for its stablecoin, Ripple USD (RLUSD), on the XRP Ledger. The project will test how RLUSD can act as a settlement mechanism for card transactions. The partners plan to begin the initial implementation in the coming months, pending corresponding regulatory approval.
