Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has highlighted why cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are pivotal for Wall Street and institutional investors.

The businessman’s insights come amid the latest launch of the first XRP futures ETF on Nasdaq and ongoing regulatory delays from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

On Friday in Ripple’s “Crypto in One Minute” series, Garlinghouse emphasized two key reasons behind the growing excitement around crypto ETFs. First, ETFs finally provide institutional investors such as pension funds, endowments, and mutual funds with a streamlined, regulated way to gain cryptocurrency exposure. Previously, their options were limited to self-custody or trading on centralized exchanges, both of which have drawbacks and regulatory complexities.

“For the longest time, institutional investors really haven’t been able to access crypto directly,” he said. “This is an unlock for capital that couldn’t come in before.”

He further noted that ETFs allow institutional players to trade crypto assets through familiar Wall Street mechanisms, effectively bridging the traditional financial world and the emerging crypto ecosystem. This increased accessibility could bring substantial new capital inflows to digital assets.

Secondly, the pundit pointed out that ETFs are “institutionalizing” the crypto market. He cited the remarkable success of Bitcoin ETFs, which set records as the fastest ETFs to reach $1 billion and subsequently $10 billion in assets under management.

“We’ll eventually close in on the gold ETF,” he added, underscoring the accelerating mainstream adoption of crypto investment vehicles.

Garlinghouse’s remarks coincide with significant developments in the crypto ETF landscape. On May 19, 2025, CME Group launched XRP futures contracts, marking a pivotal moment for XRP’s institutional adoption. On its first day, the launch garnered over $19 million in trading volume, surpassing expectations and highlighting strong institutional demand.

Following this, on Thursday, May 22, Volatility Shares launched the first-ever XRP futures ETF in the United States, which is now listed on Nasdaq under the ticker XRPI. This ETF primarily invests in XRP-linked futures contracts, providing institutional investors with an additional regulated pathway to access Ripple’s native token.

Analysts have pointed to strong demand potential, citing similar successes in the crypto ETF space. However, regulatory hurdles remain. The SEC has delayed decisions on several other ETF applications, including Bitwise’s and CoinShares’ XRP ETFs, a Litecoin ETF, and Fidelity’s Bitcoin ETF proposal.

These delays reflect the agency’s historically cautious stance toward approving crypto investment products. However, Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart speculated this week that approvals could start rolling out as soon as late June or July if the SEC decides to ease its deferrals.

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Filed under: Bitcoin - @ May 24, 2025 4:15 pm