- Ripple Swell 2025 is set to feature top executives from Ripple and major financial institutions, with a focus on real-world utility and institutional innovation.
- Key panelists like Brad Garlinghouse, Stuart Alderoty, and leaders from Nasdaq, BlackRock, and Citi could play pivotal roles in shaping the future of XRP and its role in global finance.
As anticipation builds for Ripple Swell 2025, set to take place from November 3–5 in New York City, the spotlight is turning toward the influential figures who are poised to shape the future of XRP and the broader Ripple ecosystem.
Following the success of Swell Miami 2024, this year’s event is expected to host over 600 attendees and more than 60 speakers, all gathered under the theme of real-world utility and institutional innovation.
While Swell remains an invite-only event, the growing list of panelists and speakers is already making waves, offering insight into the key players who could define Ripple’s next chapter. Here are seven standout figures to watch at Ripple Swell 2025:
1. Brad Garlinghouse – CEO, Ripple
Brad Garlinghouse’s keynote addresses have become a staple of the Swell experience. With Ripple continuing to expand globally despite legal battles and regulatory uncertainty in the U.S., all eyes will be on Garlinghouse as he shares Ripple’s roadmap and potential XRP use cases in institutional finance.
2. Monica Long – President, Ripple
As Ripple’s President, Monica Long has been instrumental in driving the company’s expansion into payments and liquidity services. Her insights into Ripple’s real-world utility focus could outline the next wave of XRP adoption in enterprise and cross-border solutions.
3. Stuart Alderoty; Chief Legal Officer, Ripple
A key architect of Ripple’s legal defense against the SEC, Alderoty will likely address the evolving regulatory landscape. With XRP’s legal clarity improving, his panel discussions could offer critical insight into how regulation will shape the future of crypto in the U.S.
4. Adena Friedman – Chair and CEO, Nasdaq
The participation of Nasdaq’s CEO marks a major step toward bridging traditional finance with digital assets. Friedman’s presence could hint at broader institutional partnerships involving XRP and even RippleNet integrations with stock exchange infrastructure.
5. Sandy Kaul – Head of Innovation, Franklin Templeton
As the head of innovation at one of the largest asset managers in the world, Kaul brings the perspective of tokenized securities and RWA adoption. Her input could be critical to positioning XRP as a foundational layer for asset tokenization.
6. Maxwell Stein – Director, Digital Assets, BlackRock
With BlackRock making aggressive moves in crypto ETFs and tokenization, Stein’s presence signals serious institutional interest in leveraging XRP for liquidity and compliance solutions.
7. Ryan Rugg – Global Head of Digital Assets, Citi
Representing a major player in international banking, Rugg’s focus on digital assets within Citi’s treasury services may provide insights into how XRP can support faster, transparent cross-border payments at scale.
Ripple Swell 2025 is shaping up to be one of the most pivotal crypto events of the year, and these seven panelists could play a key role in driving XRP’s evolution from a digital asset to a financial infrastructure standard. With institutional innovation at the heart of the agenda, the future of XRP could be rewritten this November.