Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has reaffirmed the company's commitment to long-term value creation for XRP and RLUSD as the company enters 2026. In his New Year commentary, Garlinghouse highlighted 2025 as a pivotal year marked by strategic expansion and regulatory advancements. He likened Ripple's achievements to the legendary career of NFL icon Tom Brady, emphasizing the impact of the company's deliberate investments. Key drivers of Ripple's success in 2025 included the acquisitions of Ripple Prime and GTreasury, valued at $1.25 billion and $1 billion respectively. These acquisitions are set to enhance Ripple's mission of modernizing cross-border value transfers, with XRP remaining central to this vision. Additionally, Ripple's regulatory progress, including a UK EMI license, positions the company for further growth in 2026. Garlinghouse stressed the importance of focusing on real-world use cases for XRP and RLUSD, rather than short-term market trends. As of early 2026, XRP has shown strong performance, rising over 20% to $2.41 before settling at $2.08, while RLUSD's market cap has reached approximately $1.3 billion.