The Bitcoin community is criticizing Ripple for advocating for a US multi-coin strategic reserve rather than a Bitcoin-specific reserve, sparking a heated debate within the cryptocurrency space.
Bitcoiners have accused Ripple of being the “biggest obstacle” to America’s strategic Bitcoin Reserve because it has actively promoted the inclusion of several coins, including XRP (XRP).
On January 16, the New York Post reported that President Trump had embraced the idea of establishing a strategic reserve comprised of US-based tokens such as USD Coin (USDC), Solana (SOL), and XRP.
The idea, heavily endorsed by Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, has sparked debate in the community, with many arguing that no coin other than Bitcoin (BTC) should be included in the US government’s balance sheet.
Garlinghouse has confirmed that it is pursuing various cryptocurrency reserves.
Pierre Rochard, head of research at Riot Platforms, visited X on January 23 and called Ripple “the biggest obstacle to strategic Bitcoin reserves.”
He highlighted Ripple’s strong political lobbying and active participation in building central bank digital currencies (CBDCs).
Ripple’s Garlinghouse jumped on Rochard’s thread to confirm his support for holdings in a variety of cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin alone.
source: Pierre Rochard
“Our efforts are actually increasing the likelihood that strategic reserves for cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, will arise,” Garlinghouse wrote.
Rochard is not alone in bashing Ripple.
Many in the community have joined the debate over whether the United States should create multi-asset cryptocurrency reserves, with Bitcoin users criticizing Ripple for supporting multiple cryptocurrency reserves.
Bitcoin advocate Wayne Vaughan added to
“Ripple, Ethereum, and Solana have no place on the U.S. government’s balance sheet. “Involving them would result in costly political fallout for the Trump administration.”
Bitvolt CEO Nico Moran echoed Rochard’s comments about Ripple, saying the company is “deliberately opposing the U.S. Bitcoin Strategic Reserve Initiative while prioritizing its own interests over the well-being of the American people.”
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Messari CEO Ryan Selkis criticized Ripple’s political ties and its push for XRP to be an asset on the U.S. balance sheet.
Source: Ryan SelkisTobiddiot)
“I didn’t donate $12 million to Kamala and I didn’t demand three additional Senate seats for the GOP like Ripple did,” Selkis added.
“But I will still work to help President Trump and their team understand that XRP is the poster child for why we should not have national cryptocurrency reserves. Bitcoin reserves or nothing.”
Independent journalist Efrat Fenigson joined the growing criticism of Ripple, citing a “love story” between Ripple and CBDC.
She emphasized that Ripple’s lobbying for Bitcoin reserves is evident in the context of supporting centralized funding and CBDCs for Bitcoin’s freedom.
The news comes as President Trump signed an executive order on January 23 banning the development of CBDCs in the United States and creating a national digital asset reserve.
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