On the 7th of January, Ripple Leaders; CEO Brad Garlinghouse and Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty met with President elect Donald Trump for a dinner meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Resort.
In follow-up tweets on January 8, Garlinghouse described the gathering as a “great start to 2025″, Alderoty lightened the mood by noting the beef bourguignon on the menu. The meeting comes at a pivotal moment for Ripple Leaders and Trump, which is navigating a transforming crypto environment and evolving regulatory scene.
Their discussion follows Ripple’s recent legal victory over the SEC, which had accused the firm of offering unregistered securities through its native token, XRP. By ruling that XRP is not a security, the court decision significantly bolstered Ripple’s standing in the crypto community and set an important precedent for other digital assets.
Attorney John E. Deaton applauded Ripple’s openness throughout the SEC proceedings and underscored the crypto industry’s determination in the face of potential further appeals. He also criticized what he termed the SEC’s “excessive” discovery efforts during the trial. Moreover, Deaton pointed out how Ripple’s win could benefit the broader cryptocurrency market—highlighting the fact that XRP recently overtook Ethereum (ETH) as South Korea’s second most popular token.
On the corporate front, Garlinghouse revealed that Ripple is shifting its focus back to the United States, where 75% of its latest hires are based. Having pursued international expansion for years, the company saw a surge in U.S. partnerships: more were signed in the final six weeks of 2024 than in the preceding six-month period.
Meanwhile, the Mar-a-Lago dinner underscores the growing engagement between crypto-focused leaders and influential policymakers. In a related development, pro-crypto U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis recently met with Paul Atkins—a leading candidate for SEC chairman during Trump’s administration—to explore reforms aimed at making the SEC’s regulatory approach more conducive to blockchain innovation.
