Ripple CEO Declares ‘Nobody Can Manipulate XRP Prices’ amid December Volatility. Here’s Why.

XRP (XRP-USD) faced intense selling pressure on December 19, 2025, briefly sliding to a monthly low of $1.77 before making a resilient recovery back toward $1.88. Amid the 8% weekly decline, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse addressed resurfaced claims of market manipulation, asserting that the asset’s multi-billion-dollar daily volume makes such control unrealistic for any single entity.

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Garlinghouse maintains that XRP’s price action remains highly correlated with the broader crypto market, driven by global demand rather than internal sales. With billions currently held in transparent escrow, the CEO emphasized that the company’s incentives are strictly aligned with a stable and thriving ecosystem.

Garlinghouse Dismisses Price Control as “Unrealistic”

Responding to community concerns, Garlinghouse clarified that Ripple has no more control over XRP’s price than Bitcoin whales have over BTC. During a CNN interview, he directly confronted the idea of market interference, stating: “Nobody is in a position to manipulate XRP prices.”

He further noted that while smaller, low-liquidity tokens might be vulnerable to coordinated manipulation, XRP’s current scale, trading billions of dollars daily, places it firmly beyond the reach of any person or company attempting to dictate its direction.

How Ripple Interacts with its over 300 Global Banking Partners

The CEO also pulled back the curtain on how Ripple interacts with its over 300 global banking partners. Using major corridors as examples, he explained that institutions buy XRP at prevailing market prices rather than through “special” discounted deals.

To ensure market stability, large institutional purchases are often governed by lockup agreements. These contracts prevent sudden sell-offs by tying liquidation rights to specific trading volumes, effectively protecting the market from the very volatility that critics often attribute to institutional participation.

Escrow Transparency Counters Dumping Allegations

To combat long-standing “dumping” narratives, Ripple remains committed to its rigorous escrow schedule. The company currently holds approximately 34.4 billion XRP in escrow, with another 5.1 billion in spendable wallets. Each month, 1 billion tokens are released, but typically only 200 million are retained for operational needs while the remainder is relocked.

Garlinghouse reiterated that selling off massive amounts of XRP would be against the firm’s core interests, famously stating in a Financial Times interview: “We would not be profitable or cash flow positive [without selling XRP