Ripple CEO Sees "Record" Q1 2026 as M&A Momentum Builds, Flags U.S. Policy Timing Risk

Ripple Labs CEO Brad Garlinghouse said the company's growth is accelerating on the back of mergers and acquisitions, and he expects Ripple to post a "recordbreaking" first quarter in 2026, according to ChainCatcher. Garlinghouse said Ripple deployed about $4 billion into the crypto ecosystem in 2025 through investments and acquisitions. He highlighted two major deals: the $1.25 billion acquisition of Hidden Road and the $1 billion purchase of GTreasury. He said the moves materially bolstered Ripple's institutional services footprint and its financial infrastructure capabilities. On regulation, Garlinghouse said he remains broadly optimistic about the direction of U.S. digital-asset policy, but now expects the CLARITY Act to pass later than previously anticipated, with the timeline slipping from late April to late May. He cautioned that if policy is "weaponized" for political purposes rather than used to support industry development, it could weigh on innovation. "The market is closely watching whether the U.S. regulatory framework can be implemented—we need to avoid returning to the policy uncertainty seen during Gary Gensler's tenure," Garlinghouse said. He added that ongoing negotiations between the crypto sector and traditional financial institutions over key legislative provisions, including issues such as stablecoin yields, are still creating friction and slowing regulatory progress.