Rumors are swirling across the fintech and crypto communities over a potential acquisition of Ripple Labs by tech giant Meta. This speculation fueled by a recent interview on the TechPath YouTube channel featuring XRP Las Vegas event director Bradley Kimes.
Is Meta Planning to Acquire Ripple?
During the discussion, Barrow highlighted Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s renewed interest in stablecoins and cross-border payments, an area Ripple has long been involved in. Hence, if materialized, Meta’s rumored acquisition could involve interest in Ripple’s XRP and RLUSD stablecoin.
“Could we see a potential end-around here with someone like Meta going after Ripple?” Barrow asked. Here, he referenced Zuckerberg’s comments on the profitability of cross-border payment systems. “Zuckerberg just said that it would double their profit if they could get into cross-border payments.”
Kimes did not confirm any deal but acknowledged the broader trend of mergers and acquisitions across the industry. “Whether it’s Ripple or whether it’s Meta targeting them or what have you, I see this is the moment where special things like this can take place,” he said. “Meta has to have a plan. Now, if that plan involves trying to acquire Ripple, I don’t know.”
Zuckerberg’s comments at a Stripe-hosted event have also fueled speculation. He described global money transfers as “crazily difficult” and said, “someone needs to build a stablecoin… it needs to have a certain amount of scale in order to become a standard.” Barrow suggested that Ripple’s established user base—more than 6.5 million holders—represents the kind of scale Zuckerberg is seeking.
Meta’s recent hiring decisions have added to the intrigue. Ginger Baker, Meta’s current VP of product, has past affiliations with Stellar Foundation, Plaid, and First Horizon, organizations deeply connected to the payments and blockchain industries.
Kimes also referenced a broader pattern of strategic alignments: “Just like Ripple trying to acquire Circle… all of these things happening tell me the larger sign is this isn’t turning around and going the other way.”
The XRP Las Vegas event, slated for May 30–31, is expected to be a stage for industry announcements. “If history is any measure, last year and every year, we’ve always had something on stage be breaking news,” Kimes stated.
When asked how the XRP community might respond to a potential Meta-Ripple collaboration, Kimes responded confidently: “I think they would be for it… Whatever they do, it’s going to be in the best interest of Ripple and pursuing the mass adoption of innovation and technology.”
With growing speculations, many are watching for possible developments at the upcoming event. For now, neither Ripple nor Meta has issued any official comment on the matter.
Also Read: XRP Price Drops as Judge Torres Denies Motion in SEC Case
