Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has made a bold statement of confidence in the future of Ripple (XRP) by tattooing the XRP logo and a landmark court ruling date on his arm. The tattoo, which includes the date July 13, 2023, commemorates a pivotal legal victory in Ripple’s ongoing battle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This act of conviction, especially from a Harvard MBA graduate in his 50s, has resonated deeply within the crypto community and beyond.
Garlinghouse’s tattoo was first revealed in September 2023, but it recently drew fresh attention after a popular crypto investor on X (formerly Twitter), known as @digitalassetbuy, highlighted the significance of such a gesture. The investor noted, “LOCK IN! @bgarlinghouse has ZERO DOUBT!” in reference to the CEO’s unwavering belief in Ripple’s future. Garlinghouse responded succinctly with “1000%,” underscoring his full commitment.
The date etched alongside the XRP logo marks a crucial moment in Ripple’s legal saga. On July 13, 2023, a U.S. court ruled that Ripple’s sales of XRP tokens to institutional investors violated securities laws, but sales to individual retail investors did not. This nuanced decision represented a significant turning point in the lawsuit that the SEC initiated in December 2020, accusing Ripple Labs of unregistered securities sales.
Since then, the legal proceedings have seen various developments. In August 2024, Ripple was hit with a civil penalty exceeding $125 million. However, both Ripple and the SEC jointly filed a settlement proposal in May 2025, requesting the court to reduce this fine to $50 million and to vacate the earlier ruling from August 2024. The court declined to issue a declaratory judgment on this request, with Judge Analisa Torres noting that Ripple’s attempts to extend beyond the scope of the summary judgment suggested possible further violations.
Amid this complex legal backdrop, Ripple CEO Garlinghouse announced that the company would withdraw its cross-appeal against the SEC’s ruling. He also indicated that the SEC is expected to follow suit, signaling the likely conclusion of a lawsuit that has spanned nearly five years. Ripple’s Chief Legal Officer, Stuart Alderoty, reassured investors by emphasizing that “the legal status of XRP as not a security remains unchanged,” and that Ripple’s operations would continue as normal.
Beyond legal battles, Ripple is also pushing forward on the technological front. Ripple’s development arm, RippleX, recently launched version 2.5.0 of the XRP Ledger software, introducing a series of protocol upgrades aimed at enhancing network functionality and security. RippleX software engineer Mayukha Vadari described the update as “the most powerful ever” for token management and transaction processing.
Key among the new features is the XLS-85 proposal, which improves the escrow system and adds support for external tokens, such as stablecoins, designed for institutional applications. Another important upgrade, XLS-56, enables “wrapped transactions” that allow up to eight operations to be combined into a single transaction. This innovation reduces failure rates in complex transactions and boosts network efficiency for advanced use cases.
These technical improvements come at a time when XRP Ledger usage is surging. Daily active addresses on the network have skyrocketed from an average of 35,000 to over 295,000 in recent months, illustrating growing adoption and engagement. This rise in activity coincides with Ripple’s ambition to compete with blockchain giants like Ethereum and Solana in terms of technological innovation and scalability.
Financially, Ripple’s XRP token remains a strong player in the cryptocurrency market. As of July 1, 2025, XRP was trading steadily at around $2.18, with a slight 0.5% dip in the previous 24 hours. Despite a nearly 48% drop in trading volume, XRP holds the position of the fourth-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, valued at approximately $128.93 billion. This stability reflects enduring investor confidence amid market fluctuations.
Adding to Ripple’s momentum, the likelihood of a Ripple-based exchange-traded fund (ETF) approval has surged to 95%, bolstered by robust fundamentals. Canada has already approved three ETFs based on Ripple, signaling increasing institutional acceptance and paving the way for broader global market integration.
Garlinghouse’s tattoo symbolizes more than personal conviction; it represents a merging of identity and mission. The CEO’s decision to permanently mark his arm with the XRP logo and the date of a landmark legal ruling sends a powerful message of resilience and optimism in a market often marked by uncertainty. It encapsulates the belief that Ripple is not just a digital asset but a transformative player in the future of finance and blockchain technology.
As Ripple moves forward, balancing legal resolution with technological innovation, the company is poised to solidify its place in the evolving crypto ecosystem. Garlinghouse’s gesture and the company’s recent strides underscore a renewed era for Ripple, one where confidence and progress go hand in hand.
