Brad Garlinghouse doesn’t often talk about the version of Ripple that almost didn’t survive. But during a live taping of the KU Hustle podcast at the University of Kansas, the Ripple CEO admitted the company came close to shutting down when the SEC filed the suit. The Lawsuit That Nearly Ended Ripple During the interview, Garlinghouse said the government’s resources felt limitless once the SEC came after Ripple. He and co-founder Chris Larsen considered a stark alternative to fighting the case. Ripple holds a large amount of XRP . The company could have distributed it to shareholders on a pro-rata basis and shut down. "We almost decided to shut down the company when the SEC sued us." – Brad Garlinghouse, @Ripple CEO, Kansas University, published Jul 8, 2026. pic.twitter.com/kvbe2gnkmU — Eri ~ Carpe Diem (@sentosumosaba) July 11, 2026 “Ripple’s gone,” is how Garlinghouse put it, describing that scenario. He called that path the easier one. Hundreds of employees would have lost their jobs. Garlinghouse said that outcome felt wrong to him, even though walking away carried less risk than staying in the fight. He described the decision as difficult and said it wasn’t obvious at the time that fighting was the right call. The legal battle lasted four years , and Ripple spent $150 million on legal bills before the case concluded in the company’s favor. Garlinghouse criticized the SEC’s approach, saying he met with regulators multiple times without lawyers present to seek clear guidance, only to be hit with a lawsuit alleging XRP was an unregistered security. Ripple ultimately fought the case to protect jobs and, in Garlinghouse’s view, to set a precedent for the wider U.S. crypto industry. A New Chapter With His Alma Mater The interview came days after Ripple and Kansas Athletics announced a multi-year jersey patch partnership . An XRP logo will now appear on uniforms across every Kansas sports team, including football and basketball. Kansas Athletics called it the first cryptocurrency sponsorship on a major college athletics program’s jersey. We are on X, follow us to connect with us :- @TimesTabloid1 — TimesTabloid (@TimesTabloid1) June 15, 2025 Garlinghouse is a Kansas alumnus. He grew up in Topeka and earned an economics degree at KU before his MBA at Harvard opened doors in Silicon Valley. The partnership goes beyond branding. Ripple will fund financial and technology education programs for KU student-athletes and the wider campus community, covering both traditional finance and digital assets. The company will also expand its existing talent pipeline, connecting Kansas graduates to tech careers. Ripple’s Goal Garlinghouse also discussed Ripple’s broader mission. Cross-border payments still move slowly and cost too much, he said, comparing the current system to early closed internet networks. XRP settles transactions in under 5 seconds for a fraction of a penny, according to Garlinghouse. He said Bitcoin serves as a store of value, while XRP focuses on speed and cost efficiency in payments. Disclaimer : This content is meant to inform and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author’s personal opinions and do not represent Times Tabloid’s opinion. Readers are advised to conduct thorough research before making any investment decisions. Any action taken by the reader is strictly at their own risk. Times Tabloid is not responsible for any financial losses. Follow us on X , Facebook , Telegram , and Google News The post Ripple CEO Stuns XRP Army With Latest Revelation appeared first on Times Tabloid .
