Role
Chief Executive Officer
Organization
Ripple
Tenure
CEO Since 2017
Known For
SEC Case Leadership
Brad Garlinghouse
CEO of Ripple since 2017, Brad Garlinghouse led the company through its most defining moment—the SEC lawsuit—and emerged with a landmark victory that validated XRP and set precedent for the entire crypto industry. A Silicon Valley veteran with stints at Yahoo, AOL, and Hightail (formerly YouSendIt).
The Fighter
When the SEC sued Ripple in December 2020, Garlinghouse could have settled. Instead, he chose to fight—spending years and $200M+ defending not just Ripple, but the entire crypto industry's right to exist in America.
Why He Matters
Garlinghouse transformed Ripple from a blockchain startup into a global payments company with 300+ customers across 70+ countries. His leadership through regulatory uncertainty kept Ripple growing when others fled.
Historic SEC Victory (July 2023)
Judge Analisa Torres ruled that XRP is not a security in programmatic sales—a massive win for Ripple and crypto. Garlinghouse called it validation of everything they'd fought for. The ruling set precedent that token sales to retail investors don't automatically constitute securities offerings.
Career Timeline
2017 - Present
CEO, Ripple
Led Ripple through explosive growth, SEC lawsuit, and global expansion. Grew customer base to 300+ institutions across 70+ countries.
2015 - 2017
COO, Ripple
Joined as COO, built out enterprise sales and business development. Positioned Ripple as the go-to blockchain solution for banks.
2009 - 2015
CEO, Hightail (YouSendIt)
Ran file-sharing company Hightail (formerly YouSendIt). Scaled to millions of users and $60M+ revenue.
2003 - 2009
SVP Product, AOL / Yahoo
Senior leadership roles at Yahoo and AOL during the peak dot-com era. Learned hard lessons about platform competition.
Leadership & Philosophy
Regulatory Pragmatist
Believes crypto needs clear rules, not regulatory hostility. Advocates for working with regulators while defending against overreach. "We're pro-regulation, not anti-regulation."
Utility Over Hype
Focuses on real-world use cases and enterprise adoption rather than speculation. Built Ripple's business model around solving actual pain points in cross-border payments.
Global Mindset
Pushed Ripple's expansion into Asia, Middle East, and Latin America when US regulatory environment became hostile. "95% of our business is outside the US—not by choice."
Transparent Fighter
Unlike most CEOs facing regulatory battles, Garlinghouse fought publicly. Used Twitter and media to defend XRP and challenge the SEC's narrative.
Key Achievements
Won the SEC Case
July 2023 ruling validated that XRP is not a security in programmatic sales—biggest legal win in crypto history.
Global Expansion
Built Ripple's presence to 300+ customers across 70+ countries while US market remained hostile.
$15B+ Valuation
Grew Ripple to become one of the most valuable private crypto companies despite regulatory headwinds.
ODL Growth
Scaled On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) to handle billions in transaction volume across multiple corridors.
"We've said from the beginning we're going to fight this. And today's ruling validates that position. XRP is not a security."
— Brad Garlinghouse, July 2023