Ripple CEO Clashes with Avalanche Founder

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has publicly responded to a pointed April Fools’ Day joke made by Emin Gün Sirer, the founder of Avalanche. The exchange underscores the competitive dynamics between the two blockchain platforms.

Sirer's April Fools' Day Remark

Sirer’s joke, published on April 1st, took aim at Ripple’s core business proposition. He posted: “Banks are choosing Ripple. April Fools, obviously. They actually use Avalanche.”

Ripple's Established Position in Payments

Despite Sirer’s jab, Ripple maintains a significant presence in the cross-border payments sector. Ripple collaborates with major financial institutions like Santander and SBI Holdings.

Avalanche's Growing Traction with Institutions

Avalanche is also gaining traction within traditional finance. Its Subnet architecture is currently being utilized for tokenization pilots with Wall Street firms including J.P. Morgan and Citi.

Past Disputes for Garlinghouse

This isn’t the first time Garlinghouse has engaged in public disagreements within the crypto industry. He previously had a contentious exchange with Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino after publicly suggesting Tether could pose a risk to the crypto market.

Ardoino responded by labeling Garlinghouse as “uninformed.” Garlinghouse has also faced criticism from Bitcoin maximalists, including Pierre Rochard and Jack Mallers, whom he playfully challenged after they accused Ripple of opposing a Bitcoin-focused U.S. strategic reserve.