'XRP Keeps Growing,' Ripple CEO Says Amid Solana Milestone
TL;DR
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse announced that XRP's interoperability milestone on Solana is driving growing demand and liquidity across ecosystems. Wrapped XRP (wXRP) is now live on Solana, expanding XRP's utility in decentralized finance.
Key points
- Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse highlights XRP's growth
- Wrapped XRP (wXRP) launched on Solana
- XRP's utility expands beyond XRP Ledger
- Institutional interest in XRP is increasing
- Regulatory clarity has improved access for institutions
Mentioned in this story
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has reacted to XRP's recent interoperability milestone on Solana. Wrapped XRP (wXRP) went live on Solana, enabled by Hex Trust and Layer Zero. "Growing demand for XRP is driving liquidity cross-chain, opening new paths across ecosystems and expanding the overall market," Garlinghouse wrote in a tweet in reaction to the milestone.
Demand for XRP keeps growing. More access, more ecosystems, more utility.
— Brad Garlinghouse (@bgarlinghouse) April 17, 2026 XRP utility has expanded on Solana with wXRP, allowing individual users and institutions alike to gain access to the token through the wrapped token issued by Hex Trust. Authorized users can send native XRP to Hex Trust, which then mints wXRP tokens on Solana or supported Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) blockchains such as the Ethereum mainnet, Optimism or HyperEVM. First announced in December, the move opens up the use of XRP beyond XRP Ledger, increasing its use in market-making and decentralized finance (DeFi) on Solana.
What comes next as XRP's institutional era arrives
In a tweet, Ripple stated that XRP's institutional era is now, supported by ETFs. For years, legal uncertainty kept institutional capital away from XRP, but regulatory clarity has arrived now. Futures markets have launched, with the path to institutional access now opened. Ripple believes that the XRP ETF market is still young. While seven U.S. spot ETFs with $1.53 billion in AUM and 773 million XRP tokens in custody represent meaningful progress, there is still plenty of room to grow. The JPMorgan prediction of $4 to 8.4 billion in first-year inflows has not yet been tested by a full bull cycle. It is believed that the product landscape will also continue to evolve. ARK Invest has allocated nearly 20% of its CoinDesk 20 ETF to XRP, making it the third-largest holding. And as XRP Ledger's technical road map advances through 2026, through confidential multi-purpose tokens, XRP's utility proposition for institutions becomes more compelling.
Q&A
What is wrapped XRP (wXRP) and how does it work on Solana?
Wrapped XRP (wXRP) is a token that allows users to access XRP on the Solana blockchain, minted by Hex Trust when native XRP is sent to them.
How is XRP's institutional era evolving with ETFs?
XRP's institutional era is supported by ETFs, with seven U.S. spot ETFs holding $1.53 billion in assets under management, indicating significant growth potential.
What are the implications of XRP's growing demand for decentralized finance?
The growing demand for XRP enhances liquidity and opens new paths for market-making and decentralized finance (DeFi) applications across various ecosystems.
