Ripple Execs Cite Early Resistance to XRP Technology

TLDR

• Ripple executives said the company faced intense resistance during its early years.
• Brad Garlinghouse stated that some influential figures viewed XRP technology as a threat.
• Monica Long said the backlash against Ripple often felt unusually strong and hard to explain.
• Recent disclosures in the Jeffrey Epstein files referenced Ripple and XRP during their early development.
• The documents showed that certain individuals warned others against investing in Ripple and Stellar.

Ripple executives addressed past criticism during a public event in Australia. They said certain influential figures resisted the company’s early growth. They linked that resistance to disclosures in the Jeffrey Epstein files.

At XRP Australia 2026, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse and President Monica Long discussed early opposition to the company. They connected that resistance to references found in recently released Epstein documents. They said the disclosures supported earlier suspicions raised by co-founder Chris Larsen.

Early Hostility and Internal Suspicions

Garlinghouse and Long described the company’s early years as challenging and highly contentious. Long said she managed communications during that period and observed hostility that felt disproportionate. She stated, “The backlash often felt unusually intense and difficult to explain.”

Garlinghouse said Chris Larsen believed certain influential figures opposed Ripple’s growth. He said Larsen often pointed to Joichi Ito, former head of the MIT Media Lab. Garlinghouse admitted he once viewed those concerns as conspiratorial, but later developments changed his perspective.

He explained that Gary Gensler had connections to the MIT Media Lab ecosystem. He also said recent Epstein file disclosures strengthened Larsen’s earlier claims. Garlinghouse stated that those documents gave context to past tensions.

Epstein Files and References to XRP

The released Epstein files included references to Ripple and XRP during their early development. One document stated that an unidentified person informed Jeffrey Epstein about Jed McCaleb’s secret Bitcoin-related project. That project later became the XRP Ledger.

Another disclosure showed that Austin Hill advised Joichi Ito and Epstein against investing in Ripple and Stellar. The document described both projects as potential threats to the industry. The files also showed that Epstein inquired about Gary Gensler before his tenure as SEC chair.

Gensler later oversaw the SEC during most of the Ripple lawsuit from early 2021 to early 2025. During that case, critics questioned the agency’s enforcement strategy. Judge Sarah Netburn said the SEC had not shown “faithful allegiance to the law” in parts of the proceedings.

XRP Technology and Institutional Concerns

Garlinghouse said Ripple’s blockchain payment infrastructure challenged established financial systems. He stated that the company built its platform around the XRP Ledger. He said some institutions likely viewed the technology as far ahead of its time.

Long said Ripple focused on execution despite external criticism. Garlinghouse said the company remained committed to building global payment solutions. He stated that Ripple aims to deliver faster and lower-cost settlement services.

Ripple recently reported that Ripple Payments processed over $100 billion in transactions. The company said it operates across more than 60 markets. It also stated that its platform now includes managed custody and unified collections services.

The post Ripple Execs Cite Early Resistance to XRP Technology appeared first on CoinCentral.