Reese Merrick, Ripple’s senior executive officer and managing director for the Middle East and Africa, is excited about 2026. Merrick said in a tweet that it is difficult to explain the current energy at Ripple. This comes amid recent moves by Ripple to secure an EMI license in the UK.
Merrick said 2025 was a foundational year for acquisitions, but with the addition of the UK EMI license, 2026 looks set to be a complete game changer.
It’s hard to explain the energy in @Ripple right now. 2025 was a foundational year, but with acquisitions and the addition of the UK EMI license, 2026 looks set to be a complete game changer.
In a field where it’s easy to get distracted by the hype cycle, I… https://t.co/T90Qm4TaC9
— Reece Merrick (@reece_merrick) January 10, 2026
Ripple executives were reacting to CEO Brad Garlinghouse’s first tweet of 2026, which reflected on the year’s latest developments and progress over the past year, particularly in Q4 2025.
Merrick emphasized that Ripple is taking a long-term view rather than getting distracted by hype cycles, and said the company is building infrastructure that actually matters to the future of finance.
Brad Garlinghouse: Ripple firing on all cylinders
CEO Brad Garlinghouse said in his first tweet of 2026 that 2025 (and Q4) was a success for Ripple. Garlinghouse added that Ripple’s two major acquisitions, Ripple Prime and GT Treasury, will significantly accelerate and expand its ability to realize its vision, enabling the Internet of Value. XRP The Ripple CEO added that Ripple has been (and will continue to be) central to that vision.
With a UK EMI license, Ripple is poised to make 2026 even more significant. Ripple will continue to consider crypto assets from a long-term perspective. XRP and RLUSDIt’s something you can do instead of chasing cycles and hype.
“2026 is coming. We’re firing on all cylinders. It’s happening,” Garlinghouse said.
Ripple’s recent trends
Ripple announced a major regulatory milestone on Friday, securing approval for an electronic money institution (EMI) license and crypto asset registration from the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
This will allow Ripple to expand its licensed payments platform, allowing UK institutions to send money across borders using digital assets.
On Friday, Ripple announced that it is expanding its long-standing strategic cooperation with BNY, Ripple’s primary reserve custodian. RLUSD. This comes after BNY launched tokenized deposit services for institutional investors and Ripple Prime was an early adopter bringing digital assets directly into the banking system.
