The gap between institutional demand around Ripple’s business and XRP’s price has become a major talking point for Crypto Enthusiast VALE.
In a new X post accompanying a video, VALE focused on a reporter’s direct question to Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse about how central XRP remains to the company as Ripple expands its business and promotes RLUSD.
The reporter’s question placed XRP at the center of the discussion, asking why institutional demand appears to be arriving through RLUSD rather than XRP and whether the cryptocurrency remains a major focus for Ripple.
RIPPLE CEO GETS COOKED BY NEW REPORTER! FINALLY ASKED THE QUESTION!!
“ institutional demand has arrived and you keep talking about RLUSD and RIPPLE expanding “
BUT WHAT ABOUT XRP?!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/CQ2kW1Gimu
— VALE (@VALELORDX) October 30, 2026
Reporter Questions XRP’s Role
In the video, the reporter questioned Garlinghouse about institutional demand and Ripple’s growing business activities. The reporter noted that the demand had arrived for RLUSD, rather than XRP.
The reporter then asked how central XRP remains to Ripple as the company expands into other ventures. The question also raised the observation that XRP does not appear to be receiving the same level of attention as other parts of Ripple’s business.
VALE welcomed the question and connected it to concerns he had raised previously about XRP’s price performance despite Ripple’s partnerships.
He noted that XRP’s price has remained disconnected from the demand surrounding Ripple because, in his view, XRP has not yet become widely used by banks as a liquidity bridge.
VALE Focuses on Ripple’s Payment Volumes
VALE then turned to Garlinghouse’s comments about Ripple’s payment activity. In the video, the Ripple CEO said the company’s payment business handled $13 trillion in payment transactions in 2025, while stating that 99.9% of those transactions did not touch a crypto rail or a stablecoin.
VALE used that statement to reinforce his central criticism. He questioned how XRP could be considered central to the broader demand surrounding Ripple if almost all of the reported payment volume did not involve cryptocurrency rails.
He also referenced previous comments about XRP being central to Ripple’s strategy, contrasting those statements with Garlinghouse’s description of the payment volumes that did not use crypto rails.
VALE further referred to XRP flows and Ripple’s treasury activity, arguing that XRP flows were not included in Ripple’s treasury flows. He presented this as another reason for questioning how much institutional demand directly translates into XRP usage.
Community Members Debate the XRP Impact
The discussion also drew contrasting reactions in the comments. BK argued that many bank relationships use Ripple’s RLUSD and the XRP Ledger without requiring institutions to purchase XRP directly, adding that this dynamic is reflected in XRP’s price.
Another commenter, Personne, disputed that view. They stated that RLUSD activity on the XRP Ledger still requires XRP for transaction fees and that XRP is burned through network activity.
VALE’s central question, however, remained focused on the distinction between demand for Ripple’s broader payment infrastructure, demand for RLUSD and direct institutional demand for XRP.
His video ultimately called for greater attention to XRP’s actual role within the institutional activity surrounding Ripple, rather than assuming that growth across Ripple’s businesses automatically translates into equivalent demand for XRP.
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.
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