Ripple CEO Tells Bloomberg: What Are Working Daily to Take Over SWIFT

XRP researcher SMQKE has brought attention to a notable statement by Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, emphasizing Ripple’s continued relevance in the evolving global payments landscape.

In a recent tweet, SMQKE shared an excerpt from American Banker, citing Garlinghouse asserting that Ripple is actively taking business away from SWIFT.

The post underscores a specific quote attributed to Garlinghouse, in which he stated that the company’s daily execution is effectively “taking over SWIFT,” a remark he delivered during an interview with Bloomberg.

‼️AMERICAN BANKER: BRAD GARLINGHOUSE HAS REPEATEDLY SAID RIPPLE WILL TAKE BUSINESS FROM SWIFT‼️

“What we're doing and executing on a day-by-day basis is, in fact, TAKING OVER SWIFT," Brad Garlinghouse told Bloomberg.😏💨

This is documented below.📝👇

— SMQKE (@SMQKEDQG) March 31, 2026

Origins of the 2018 Bloomberg Interview

The statement highlighted by SMQKE traces back to an interview conducted during the Singapore Fintech Festival in November 2018. At the time, speculation had circulated regarding a potential collaboration between Ripple and SWIFT. Garlinghouse directly addressed these rumors, rejecting the idea of integration and instead outlining a competitive stance.

During that exchange, Garlinghouse clarified that such partnership claims were unfounded and reiterated that Ripple’s strategy focused on building an alternative infrastructure. His remarks, as referenced in SMQKE’s post, framed Ripple’s activities as a direct challenge to SWIFT’s established role in global financial messaging and settlement.

A Broader Strategic Position

SMQKE’s post reflects how this earlier statement aligns with Ripple’s consistent positioning over the years. The quote illustrates that Ripple did not approach legacy systems as partners but rather as incumbents to be replaced or improved upon. The language used by Garlinghouse in the interview conveyed a clear intention to compete for market share in cross-border transactions.

SMQKE’s inclusion of the original context provides additional clarity, showing that the statement emerged at a time when Ripple was actively promoting its distributed ledger solutions as a faster and more efficient alternative to traditional correspondent banking systems. By revisiting this moment, SMQKE emphasized continuity between past messaging and present-day developments.

Present-Day Relevance

The resurfaced quote connects Ripple’s earlier ambitions with current developments in the payments sector. While the industry has evolved since 2018, the objective described by Brad Garlinghouse remains central to ongoing discussions about blockchain-based settlement systems.

The statement does not introduce new claims but instead reinforces an established narrative through documented remarks. It reflects how comments made during a period of heightened industry speculation continue to shape perceptions of Ripple and its position within global finance.