Ripple targets $1B recurring revenue by 2026, excluding XRP
In brief
- Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse targets $1 billion recurring operating income by 2026, excluding XRP sales.
- Company valuation jumped to $50 billion in Q1 2026, driven by fintech services and Ripple Prime brokerage.
- Ripple's payment rails moved $100 billion for corporate clients; RLUSD stablecoin ranks top five by growth.
- Garlinghouse lobbies Congress for CLARITY Act adoption before August recess.
Building a classic fintech business
The Ripple team is building a classic fintech business based on selling software and infrastructure, one designed to generate profit in any market environment. This strategy separates Ripple's revenue model from cryptocurrency price volatility—a critical distinction as the XRP token itself declined in price at the start of 2026, while the company's business was setting records.
The foundation for this shift was laid in the first quarter of 2026. The company's total valuation jumped to $50 billion, driven partly by the launch of the Ripple Prime brokerage service, with its revenue tripling after integration with the Hidden Road platform.
Fortune 500 clients and payment scale
Ripple's main clients are not ordinary traders, but corporate treasurers from the Fortune 500 list. This B2B focus underpins the company's infrastructure play. Through the company's payment rails, they have already moved more than $100 billion, managing currencies and liquidity.
Ripple is also expanding its product suite. Ripple is developing its dollar stablecoin RLUSD, which in a year and a half has climbed into the top five by growth rate in the market. Based on the XRP Ledger network, the team has also launched the AI Starter Kit tool in order to be among the first to accept automatic payments from AI robots.
Regulatory push and timeline
Garlinghouse is now focused on Washington. Garlinghouse is now actively lobbying in Washington for the adoption of the CLARITY Act, which would clarify crypto regulation. According to him, Congress has only about 16 legislative days left before the August recess, adding urgency to the push.
