Ripple Execs Clash: Memecoins at Apex 2025

- Ripple executives debate memecoin significance - CEO Brad Garlinghouse and President Monica Long present opposing views On June 12, 2025, CoinDesk reported on differing opinions from Ripple's leadership concerning the impact of memecoins, views which were expressed at the Apex 2025 summit. Invezz and The Crypto Times also provided coverage of these discussions between CEO Brad Garlinghouse and President Monica Long on June 12. Speaking at the Apex 2025 summit on June 12, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse described memecoins as "grossly overrated." He further voiced concerns that their speculative nature and unsustainability negatively affect the crypto industry's reputation. Garlinghouse emphasized Ripple's focus on developing products with real-world applications and asserted that memecoins detract from these efforts. However, Garlinghouse also admitted he previously underestimated Dogecoin's market presence, attributing its success to influential figures. Conversely, also speaking at the Apex 2025 summit on June 12, Ripple President Monica Long argued that the crypto sphere unfairly underrates memecoins. She stated that while some may be scams, many memecoins play an instrumental role by attracting new users, developers, and funding, which thereby helps the crypto ecosystem grow. Furthermore, Long compared the current memecoin trend to the 2017 Ethereum Initial Coin Offering (ICO) boom, suggesting that memecoins have significantly contributed to building wallet and blockchain infrastructure. Despite their differing perspectives, both leaders acknowledged during their discussions on June 12 at Apex 2025 that Dogecoin, which originated as a parody, now holds significant liquidity and global recognition. This consensus underscores the notable presence of memecoins within the crypto ecosystem, even amidst divergent views on their overall value and sustainability. In addition to the debate on memecoins, the Apex 2025 summit on June 12 featured discussions on broader topics such as market behavior, memes, and institutional momentum within the crypto space. Coinfomania also reported on these summit discussions on June 12. According to CoinMarketCap, as of 16:17 UTC on June 12, XRP (XRP) was trading at $2.238, marking a -3.684% change.