Matt Hougan, the CIO of main crypto asset supervisor Bitwise, lately praised XRP and emphasised the power of its neighborhood.
Hougan shared his views following his look on the lately concluded XRP Las Vegas occasion, the place he delivered a keynote handle. He later posted images of attendees from the occasion.
Excessive Attendance at XRP Las Vegas
In line with Hougan, the convention venue was filled with 1,000 folks at 1 p.m. (ET) on a Saturday. Usually, occasions scheduled throughout early Saturday afternoons have a tendency to attract smaller crowds.
Nonetheless, Hougan expressed admiration that the XRP Las Vegas venue attracted such a big viewers at the moment.
Flying residence after a short journey to talk at an XRP convention in Vegas. 1pm on a Saturday and the room was packed (~1000 folks). Spectacular. pic.twitter.com/1CBgGFU1k0
— Matt Hougan (@Matt_Hougan) Could 31, 2025
Bitcoin and XRP Not in Competitors
When requested about key takeaways from the convention, the Bitwise CIO famous that crypto lovers are more and more recognizing that Bitcoin and XRP usually are not direct rivals.
In line with him, folks at the moment are embracing the concept each XRP and Bitcoin serve completely different markets and that the expansion of 1 doesn’t disrupt the opposite.
For perspective, whereas Bitcoin has earned a fame within the monetary world as a store-of-value asset akin to gold, XRP is acknowledged for its utility in facilitating cross-border settlements.
As a result of these belongings fulfill completely different roles, Hougan believes the success of 1 doesn’t threaten the mission of the opposite.
XRP’s Neighborhood is Sturdy
Hougan additionally underscored the power of the XRP neighborhood, describing it as a significant pillar for any profitable crypto challenge. The XRP neighborhood contains builders, holders, and advocates who rally behind the coin and promote its adoption.
This vibrant neighborhood has remained energetic throughout social media platforms, pushing for broader adoption by means of initiatives associated to real-world funds, cross-border remittances, and U.S. digital asset stockpile.
Curiously, XRP’s neighborhood additionally performed a big position in Ripple’s victory towards the U.S. SEC in 2023. Recall that Choose Analisa Torres referenced affidavits from XRP holders–compiled and filed by legal professional John Deaton–to declare that Ripple’s programmatic gross sales on digital exchanges didn’t represent securities.
Following this choice, a number of U.S.-based crypto exchanges, together with Kraken and Coinbase, re-listed XRP for buying and selling.
In the meantime, Hougan has been bullish on XRP since Bitwise filed with the U.S. SEC to launch an ETF tied to the coin. In October 2024, Bitwise grew to become the primary asset supervisor to submit an XRP ETF software with the SEC.
Months after the submitting, Hougan stated on dwell TV that there’s robust demand for XRP spot ETFs. Whereas the SEC has not authorised any spot XRP ETF for launch, many are assured that the product will debut later this 12 months.
