Longtime Investor Says XRP Holders Never Benefit, ‘Ripple Dumped Billions on Retail’ to Buy Companies

Longtime crypto investor Crypto Bitlord has accused Ripple of enriching itself at the expense of XRP holders.

In a post on X, Bitlord claimed Ripple “dumped billions” of dollars’ worth of XRP on retail investors and later used those funds to acquire real-world companies. According to him, XRP holders have “never benefited,” while only Ripple Labs has profited from the strategy.

His remarks mark a sharp turn from his earlier bullish stance on XRP, when he urged followers to accumulate the token during periods of low price action.

Key Points

The Trigger

Bitlord’s comments came in response to a post by Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse from October 2025. At the time, Garlinghouse highlighted the company’s acquisition of Hidden Road, now rebranded as Ripple Prime.

He noted that with the closure of Hidden Road, Ripple had completed five major acquisitions in roughly two years. These include GTreasury, Rail, Standard Custody, Metaco, and Hidden Road. The CEO emphasized that XRP sits “at the center of everything Ripple does” and encouraged supporters to “lock in.”

Ripple described Ripple Prime as making it the first crypto company to own and operate a global, multi-asset prime broker aimed at serving institutional clients at scale.

Ripple’s Position: Strategic Moves to Strengthen XRP

However, Garlinghouse has consistently argued that Ripple’s acquisition strategy is to reinforce the XRP ecosystem and expand the utility of the XRP Ledger.

Speaking recently about the company’s direction, he explained that the acquisitions were not random but aligned with long-term infrastructure goals. According to Ripple’s leadership, tools such as institutional custody, treasury software, and liquidity solutions are to deepen on-chain activity and increase adoption.

Part of that strategy includes RLUSD, Ripple’s stablecoin, which Garlinghouse says enhances liquidity on the XRP Ledger and benefits developers, institutions, and payment flows.

Ripple has also maintained a bank-first approach since its early days. While the strategy once drew criticism, it has positioned the company as a blockchain infrastructure provider for financial institutions rather than a disruptor working against them.

Growing Frustration Among Some XRP Holders

Notably, Bitlord’s criticism reflects popular frustration among some XRP holders, particularly long-term investors who expected significantly higher price targets over the past decade.

In August 2025, Bitlord publicly threatened to sell all his XRP if it returned to $2, arguing that such a move would signal failure after more than a decade of holding.

That post sparked debate. Some supporters defended Ripple’s long-term strategy, while others questioned whether the company’s institutional growth has truly benefited retail investors.

XRP Price and Ripple’s Strategy

Indeed, XRP has struggled to gain positive price action in recent weeks, with the price dipping to $1.11 earlier this month. This weak performance has led many to wonder whether Ripple’s corporate expansion directly increases XRP’s value.

Critics argue that Ripple’s acquisitions mainly strengthen the company, not necessarily the token’s price. Meanwhile, supporters believe that building institutional infrastructure and achieving regulatory clarity could support long-term adoption and eventually boost XRP.

At present, the situation highlights a growing divide between Ripple’s enterprise-focused approach and retail holders who measure success primarily by price performance.