TL;DR:
- Ripple ruled out staff cuts and stated that AI is a growth engine, not a tool to reduce headcount.
- CEO Brad Garlinghouse revealed that 75% of the company’s code is already written or assisted by artificial intelligence.
- While Coinbase announced the elimination of around 700 positions, Ripple is betting on scaling operations without reducing its workforce.
Ripple has no plans to cut its staff. That was made abundantly clear by Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of the company, during his appearance at Consensus Miami 2026, where he rejected the theory that artificial intelligence is a threat to employment in the technology sector. “Painting AI as the villain is a serious mistake“, he stated, framing the technology as a catalyst for expansion rather than a substitute for human talent.
Within the company, that philosophy translates into concrete facts. AI is integrated into core functions ranging from engineering and finance to marketing, quietly redefining the way work is done. The most striking figure is that approximately 75% of Ripple’s code is already written or assisted by artificial intelligence systems, a number that reflects operational acceleration rather than a cost-reduction strategy at the expense of human capital.
AI Is an Amplifier, Not a Replacement
Garlinghouse’s argument rests on a concrete distinction: the automation of repetitive tasks frees teams to focus on problems of greater complexity and impact. Engineers are not displaced, but empowered. The result is faster development capacity, more agile iteration cycles and better-informed product decisions, all without sacrificing the human judgment that guides those choices.
Ripple vs Coinbase
This approach stands in direct contrast with the path that Coinbase decided to take. Brian Armstrong, CEO of the exchange, recently announced the elimination of approximately 14% of its workforce, around 700 positions, citing market volatility, a slowdown in trading volume and the advancement of AI in its internal processes as contributing factors.
Beyond the debate over employment, Ripple’s CEO noted that the coming weeks could be decisive for crypto regulation in the United States. There is legislation in progress that could shape the industry’s next cycle. As for a public offering, Ripple continues to wait, watching the weak post-IPO performance of other companies in the sector before moving down that path.
