Ripple CEO Meets With President-elect Donald Trump

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse and Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty met with President-elect Donald Trump earlier this week, just days before Trump’s January 20 inauguration.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse and Trump Discuss Future Prospects

According to a Tuesday X post from Garlinghouse, the two crypto executives dined with the President-elect on Monday.

While commentators speculated that the meeting took place in the Mar-a-Lago dining room, no specific location was confirmed.

A photo shared by Garlinghouse showed the trio smiling while posing together, with the Ripple leader describing the evening as a “strong start to 2025.”

Great dinner last night with @realDonaldTrump & @s_alderoty.

Strong start to 2025! pic.twitter.com/UjM6lahUG4

— Brad Garlinghouse (@bgarlinghouse) January 8, 2025

Despite the photo, the subject of the conversation between Trump, Garlinghouse, and Alderoty remains unclear.

“And to top it off, the beef bourguignon was really good,” Alderoty remarked in his own X post, adding a touch of levity to the occasion.

Ripple CEO Says “Trump Effect” Is Already Impacting Crypto

Earlier this week, Garlinghouse expressed optimism about Trump’s upcoming presidential term, referencing what he called the “Trump bull market.”

In a January 5 X post, Garlinghouse reported that Ripple had closed more deals in the final six weeks of 2024 than in the preceding six months.

2025 is here and the Trump bull market is real. For Ripple, this is even more personal after Gensler's SEC effectively froze our business opportunities here at home for years. The optimism is obvious and very deserved.

Today:
✅75% of Ripple’s open roles are now US-based, while…

— Brad Garlinghouse (@bgarlinghouse) January 5, 2025

Additionally, Garlinghouse stated that 75 percent of the crypto company’s roles are currently based in the United States, a vast increase from years prior.

“Team Trump is already jumpstarting innovation and job growth in the US with Scott Bessent, David Sacks, Paul Atkins and others at the helm, and they aren’t even in office yet,” Garlinghouse said.

“Say what you want, but the “Trump effect” is already making crypto great again – through his campaign, and in the Administration’s day 1 priorities,” he continued.

News of the dinner surfaced as Trump held a January 7 press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, where he made several bold claims.

The blockchain sector is expected to gain more clarity on Trump’s policies as his administration begins implementing its agenda.