Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse sidestepped a direct question about whether the 
company would ever buy a bank, using the moment instead to restate Ripple’s 
institutional-first strategy and argue that clearer US rules are already 
unlocking demand for stablecoins and XRP Ledger based payments. Speaking with 
James Hasso at the Economic Club of New York on Feb. 18, Garlinghouse was 
asked whether Ripple might acquire a bank outright or lean into tighter 
partnerships as it works with large financial institutions and builds out its 
stablecoin business. “I’m going to dodge part of your question answer,” 
Garlinghouse said, before pivoting into why Ripple has historically embraced 
banks rather than positioning itself against them. What Is Ripple&#8217;s Plan? 
Garlinghouse framed Ripple’s posture as deliberately contrarian relative to 
early crypto culture. “Ripple took a contrarian and controversial strategy 
approach to how we went to market early on and that made us unpopular in 
crypto,” he said. “Early on Ripple said banks are our customers. If we want 
these technologies to have the biggest impact on the largest number of people, 
banks are the touch point for people in their financial services 
relationships.” Related Reading: Ripple Wins Key UAE Bank Partnership To 
Support Digital Asset Infrastructure He contrasted that with what he described 
as crypto’s initial instinct to build outside the existing system. “The 
earliest days of crypto was a very anti-bank anti-government uh let’s build a 
parallel universe,” Garlinghouse said. “Ripple always took the point of view 
that we’re going to be a bridge between what we would now call tradfi or 
traditional finance and defy decentralized finance.” That bridge-building 
claim also anchored his response on Ripple’s regulatory posture around its 
stablecoin business. Garlinghouse said Ripple launched RLUSD 13 months ago and 
claimed it now sits “about number five” among the largest stablecoins—an 
outcome he linked to leaning into oversight rather than avoiding it. 
Garlinghouse highlighted a New York Department of Financial Services trust 
license and a conditional OCC charter, characterizing the latter as “belt and 
suspenders” for the stablecoin business. “We think that uniquely positions us 
as you know almost overregulated,” he said. “But we want that…because we work 
with institutions we want them to look at us as going above and beyond to make 
sure there is that level of oversight so there’s no questions…is the 
stablecoin backed one to one [and]…the attestations on a regular basis about 
those backings.” Then came the cleanest non-answer of the session. “And I’m 
going to skip the question, will we ever buy a bank? They are customers,” 
Garlinghouse said. Related Reading: XRP Community Day Recap: The 7 Most 
Bullish Takeaways Pressed on whether additional US legislation could 
accelerate adoption, Garlinghouse pointed to an earlier example: “The Genius 
Act was the stable coin legislation that passed…President Trump signed it 
either at the end of July or early August,” he said. “That was an unlock for 
sure…we definitely saw a big uptick in stablecoin activity after that became 
law.” He argued a similar effect could follow if the Clarity Act passes, 
because clearer definitions would give boards, CFOs, and banks more room to 
move. For corporates, he emphasized operational utility—especially “24/7 
ability to move” stablecoins—arguing that “being able to make a payment on a 
Sunday afternoon sometimes is important.” Garlinghouse said Ripple has kept 
its commercial center of gravity on payments because the value proposition is 
straightforward: faster, cheaper settlement. On tokenization, he was 
supportive but selective, noting friction in traditional settlement cycles 
like “T+3” and “T+1,” while also warning that some projects feel like “a 
technology in search of a problem.” He pointed to BlackRock CEO Larry Fink as 
a prominent advocate, saying Fink believes a “huge percentage of assets will 
be tokenized,” and added: “I agree with him.” But Garlinghouse stressed that 
execution will be “vertical by vertical,” arguing domain experts, not Ripple, 
need to drive sectors it doesn’t understand, like insurance. At press time, 
XRP traded at $1.4027. Featured image from YouTube, chart from TradingView.com

Will Ripple Buy A Bank? Garlinghouse Dodges But The Trail Is Clear

Sanctions evasion networks, guarantee marketplaces, and large-scale money 
laundering schemes dominated illicit stablecoin use, says TRM Labs.

Illicit stablecoin activity hit 5-year high of $141B in 2025: TRM Labs

Kevin O’Leary shared insights into how a 50% bitcoin correction is prompting 
institutions to recalibrate crypto exposure, rotate capital after steep 
losses, and factor in emerging quantum computing risks shaping long-term 
strategy. Kevin O’Leary Reveals How Institutions Reassess Bitcoin After Major 
Correction and Quantum Fears Digital asset markets regularly move through 
boom-and-bust cycles that test […]

Kevin O’Leary Explains How Institutions Respond to Bitcoin’s Brutal Crash and Quantum Threat

Ethereum price found support near $1,905 and recovered some losses. ETH is now 
consolidating and faces key hurdles near $1,980. Ethereum is attempting a 
fresh recovery wave above $1,950. The price is trading below $1,980 and the 
100-hourly Simple Moving Average. There is a bearish trend line forming with 
resistance at $1,985 on the hourly chart of ETH/USD (data feed via Kraken). 
The pair could start a fresh decline if it stays below the $2,000 zone. 
Ethereum Price Dips Further Ethereum price failed to stay above $1,950 and 
started a fresh decline, like Bitcoin. ETH price traded below the $1,935 and 
$1,920 levels to enter a bearish zone. Finally, the bulls appeared near 
$1,900. A low was formed at $1,905, and the price started a recovery wave. 
There was a move above the $1,945 resistance. The price tested the 38.2% Fib 
retracement level of the downward move from the $2,038 swing high to the 
$1,905 low. Ethereum price is now trading below $1,970 and the 100-hourly 
Simple Moving Average. If the bulls remain in action above $1,920, the price 
could attempt another increase. Immediate resistance is seen near the $1,970 
level and the 50% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $2,038 
swing high to the $1,905 low. The first key resistance is near the $1,985 
level. There is also a bearish trend line forming with resistance at $1,985 on 
the hourly chart of ETH/USD. The next major resistance is near the $2,000 
level. A clear move above the $2,000 resistance might send the price toward 
the $2,050 resistance. An upside break above the $2,050 region might call for 
more gains in the coming days. In the stated case, Ether could rise toward the 
$2,120 resistance zone or even $2,150 in the near term. Another Decline In 
ETH? If Ethereum fails to clear the $1,985 resistance, it could start a fresh 
decline. Initial support on the downside is near the $1,935 level. The first 
major support sits near the $1,905 zone. A clear move below the $1,905 support 
might push the price toward the $1,880 support. Any more losses might send the 
price toward the $1,840 region. The main support could be $1,820. Technical 
Indicators Hourly MACD – The MACD for ETH/USD is losing momentum in the 
bullish zone. Hourly RSI &#8211; The RSI for ETH/USD is now above the 50 zone. Major 
Support Level – $1,905 Major Resistance Level – $1,985

Ethereum Price Poised At Critical Threshold With Directional Move Pending

Michael Saylor keeps things upbeat. He told a TV interviewer that the current 
Bitcoin dip feels milder than past crashes and that a quicker rebound is 
likely. He even said, “Spring is coming, and Bitcoin is winning.” Related 
Reading: Ethereum Staking Reaches Historic Levels, Price Hovers Near $2K 
Bitcoin Institutional Support Strengthens Outlook According to Saylor, a big 
reason for his confidence is that banks and big firms are far more involved 
than they were a few years ago. Reports note fresh banking tools and credit 
networks aimed at crypto are drawing new capital in. US President Donald Trump 
was mentioned by the Strategy big boss as a political force friendly to 
Bitcoin — a line that will be picked over by both supporters and critics. We 
may be in the middle of a crypto winter, but spring is coming — and Bitcoin is 
winning. pic.twitter.com/jxvzK3XwSN — Michael Saylor (@saylor) February 17, 
2026 Strategy’s Holdings And Price Math Strategy holds 714,644 BTC on its 
books, bought at an average near $76,056 each. At the moment, Bitcoin trades 
around $67,900. That gap matters. The roughly $49 billion value sitting in the 
vault is compared to a company market value that trades around $42.80 billion. 
Those raw numbers give weight to Saylor’s claim that the company can handle 
big swings. He went further, saying that even a fall to $8,000 would leave the 
holdings enough to cover outstanding debt. That is a strong statement. It was 
presented as reassurance to investors. Strategy’s Position And Risk 
Calculations Reports say Strategy plans to swap its convertible debt into 
stock within three to six years. The firm has also signaled it will buy more 
Bitcoin each quarter. How these moves play out depends on markets, financing 
terms, and timing. Some analysts think the company’s approach lowers short- 
term pressure on the share price. Others point out that keeping such a large 
crypto stash concentrates risk in volatile markets. Past Cycles Saylor 
compared the current episode to deeper downturns that came before. That 
comparison is useful but needs numbers to be fully judged. Historical drops in 
crypto have been steep at times, which is why claims of a milder slump invite 
scrutiny. Other investors look at on-chain flows, macro cash conditions, and 
bank behavior to decide whether this time is different. Right now, evidence of 
a fast, broad institutional inflow is mixed. Related Reading: Urgent Crypto 
Reform: Treasury Secretary Says The Clock Is Ticking Outlook And What Could 
Shift The Story Markets could swing on a few catalysts: changes in lending 
policy, moves by large funds, or fresh regulatory signals from US authorities. 
News or shocks could tilt sentiment quickly. Some market watchers look at 
10-year trendlines for context, while others focus on shorter trading 
indicators. Either way, Saylor’s optimism is clearly tied to a long view and a 
confident read of current market structure. Featured image from Long Island 
Weight Loss Institute, chart from TradingView

Cryptocurrency price in ZAR