A heated debate has flared within the cryptosphere in recent days regarding the possible inclusion of other crypto assets apart from Bitcoin (BTC) in a proposed United States digital asset stockpile.
Ripple CEO Bradley Garlinghouse has reiterated his backing for the creation of a diversified US strategic crypto reserve under the Donald Trump administration instead of one focused solely on Bitcoin.
Garlinghouse Rejects Bitcoin-Focused US Reserve
Brad Garlinghouse supports the idea of a U.S. digital asset reserve encompassing multiple tokens, not just Bitcoin or Ripple-promoted XRP.
“I own XRP, BTC, and ETH, among a handful of others — we live in a multichain world, and I’ve advocated for a level-playing field instead of one token versus another. If a govt digital asset reserve is created — I believe it should be representative of the industry, not just one token (whether it be BTC, XRP, or anything else),” the Ripple boss wrote in a post on X.
US President Donald Trump recently signed his first crypto executive order proposing the creation of a strategic national digital assets stockpile, which was one of his campaign promises. Many expect the potential reserve to include the world’s largest and oldest crypto by market cap, Bitcoin.
Garlinghouse, however, is against the maximalism that claims that no coin other than Bitcoin has a place on the US government’s balance sheet. According to him, there is a need for collaboration in the industry instead of unnecessary competition.
“Maximalism remains the enemy of crypto progress, and I’m very glad to see fewer and fewer folks ascribe to this outdated and misinformed thinking,” Garlinghouse explained.
Tensions Rise Over Strategic Asset Reserves
The friction between XRP supporters and Bitcoin maximalists crescendoed when crypto industry figures started bashing Ripple’s active push for a multi-coin national digital assets stockpile.
As ZyCrypto previously reported, Pierre Rochard, Vice President of Research at Riot Platforms, accused Ripple of being the “biggest obstacle” to a US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve because it backs the inclusion of multiple coins, including XRP.
Meanwhile, lawmakers in Washington and at the state level have been gearing up for what they are terming a “strategic Bitcoin reserve.” There are at least a dozen BTC reserve-related bills at different stages in states like Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kansas, New Hampshire, Wyoming, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Texas.
The success of these bills could lure in the institutional investors who have been sitting on the sidelines. It could also lead to a rapid price appreciation in the BTC price.
