Chris Larsen

Chris Larsen is an American entrepreneur, angel investor, and blockchain executive best known as the co founder and Executive Chairman of Ripple, the enterprise blockchain company behind the digital asset XRP. A longtime advocate for consumer rights and financial privacy, he previously co founded online lending platforms E Loan and Prosper Marketplace before moving into cross border payments and digital asset infrastructure.

Overview

Larsen is regarded as one of the earliest high profile executives to push for real world applications of blockchain technology in traditional finance. At Ripple he has focused on building software and networks that enable financial institutions to send money across borders quickly and at low cost. His work sits at the intersection of fintech, regulation, and crypto markets, and he has been a prominent figure in both the growth of XRP and the legal and policy debates surrounding digital assets in the United States.

Early Life and Traditional Finance Career

Born in San Francisco in 1960, Larsen studied international business and accounting at San Francisco State University and later completed an MBA at Stanford Graduate School of Business. After graduation he worked at Chevron, conducting financial audits in international operations, which gave him early exposure to global financial flows and the frictions involved in cross border payments.

In the 1990s he co founded E Loan, one of the first online mortgage lenders in the United States. As CEO, he helped turn E Loan into a publicly traded company and positioned it as a consumer friendly alternative to traditional mortgage intermediaries. The company became known for transparency initiatives such as providing free access to FICO credit scores, a practice that later became common across the industry.

After E Loan was acquired, Larsen co founded Prosper Marketplace, a peer to peer lending platform that allowed individuals to lend and borrow through an online marketplace. Prosper helped establish marketplace lending as a distinct segment of fintech and further reinforced Larsen’s reputation as a pro consumer innovator willing to challenge incumbent financial models.

Founding Ripple and the XRP Ecosystem

In 2012 Larsen co founded the company that would become Ripple, with the goal of using blockchain and digital assets to improve cross border payments. Ripple’s technology, including RippleNet and associated software, aims to provide financial institutions with a way to settle international transfers in seconds rather than days, while reducing reliance on legacy correspondent banking networks.

XRP, the native digital asset associated with the Ripple ecosystem, was designed to act as a bridge currency in cross border transactions and as a source of on demand liquidity. Under Larsen’s leadership as CEO and later Executive Chairman, Ripple focused on building partnerships with banks, remittance providers, and payment companies, positioning XRP as part of a broader enterprise solution rather than as a purely speculative asset.

Regulatory Challenges and SEC Case

Larsen has been a central figure in one of the most closely watched regulatory cases in the digital asset sector. In December 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a complaint alleging that Ripple and its top executives conducted unregistered securities offerings through the sale of XRP. The case raised important questions about how U.S. securities laws apply to crypto assets that are already widely traded on secondary markets.

Over the course of the litigation, courts issued rulings that differentiated between institutional sales of XRP and certain programmatic sales on exchanges, with implications for how token distributions are structured. In October 2023 the SEC dismissed all remaining claims against Larsen and Ripple’s CEO, clearing them personally while broader regulatory debates about digital assets and token classification continued. The case became a reference point for other projects facing similar questions about fundraising and compliance.

Advocacy, Philanthropy, and Public Engagement

Beyond his role at Ripple, Larsen has been active in policy and civic initiatives. Early in his career he co founded Californians for Privacy Now, a coalition that supported strong financial privacy laws in California and contributed to landmark state legislation on how financial institutions may share consumer data. This focus on privacy and consumer rights has remained a recurring theme in his public statements and philanthropic work.

As his wealth grew with the expansion of Ripple and XRP, Larsen became a notable donor to educational institutions, local causes, and public safety projects, particularly in the San Francisco Bay Area. His contributions have included support for universities, community organizations, food banks, and technology initiatives aimed at improving public services. He has also participated in discussions about climate, city infrastructure, and the role of technology companies in urban development.

Influence on the Digital Asset Ecosystem

Chris Larsen’s role as a founder of Ripple and early proponent of enterprise blockchain solutions has made him a key figure in the evolution of institutional crypto use cases. His work helped move the conversation around blockchain from purely speculative trading toward real time settlement, liquidity management, and integration with existing financial infrastructure.

At the same time, the SEC case involving Ripple and XRP has positioned Larsen at the center of regulatory debates that will shape how token projects and digital asset issuers operate in major markets. For industry participants, his career illustrates both the potential of blockchain technology to modernize payments and the legal and policy complexities that arise when new forms of digital value interact with long standing financial rules.

• Ripple Executive Chairman