Garlinghouse Saves Rocket Socks For Main Stage As XRP Price Gains 3%

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse headlines the main stage at Ripple Swell on Wednesday, October 28, in a 25-minute conversation with CNBC’s Tanaya Macheel starting at 9:35 am New York time, or 7:05 pm IST. The session is the first main stage appearance by Garlinghouse at this year’s event, which XRP holders are watching closely after he confirmed his well-known rocket socks are reserved for main stage only. Topics are expected to cover Ripple’s business progress, US crypto regulation and the role of XRP in its payment products. The day’s main stage programme also includes a Ripple product presentation at 11:10 am New York time, led by Dennis Jarosch, Jack McDonald, Aaron Slettehaugh and Aditya Turakhia.

Posts circulating on X allege that BlackRock representatives are attending Ripple Swell 2026 in New York, with some accounts hinting that a major announcement could follow. Neither BlackRock nor Ripple has confirmed any involvement by the asset manager at the event, and no details of a partnership or product have been shared. The claims have drawn wide attention from XRP holders, who often watch for links between Ripple and large traditional finance firms. Similar rumours have surfaced around past Swell conferences without leading to announcements.

XRP has stayed flat near $1.30 during Ripple Swell 2026, despite a run of partnership announcements at the New York event. The gap reflects a difference between Ripple’s business growth and actual buying demand for the token. Most Swell deals focus on payment infrastructure, custody and tokenisation services. Those partnerships do not necessarily require institutions to buy XRP on the open market, so they rarely create immediate spot demand. Other pressures are also weighing on the price. Whale deposits to Binance reached a seven-month high this month, and futures open interest has dropped 28% since September 22. XRP remains stuck in a ten-week range between $1.25 and $1.55, with traders waiting for a clear breakout.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has confirmed that his well-known rocket socks will appear at Ripple Swell 2026, but only when he takes the main stage. The XRP community noticed that he was not wearing the socks during his first appearance at the New York event on Tuesday. When a user asked about it on X, Garlinghouse replied that the socks were reserved for the main stage. He first drew attention for wearing them at Swell 2025, and many XRP holders see them as a light-hearted signal of optimism for the token. The reply quickly spread across social media ahead of his keynote. Swell runs until October 29, with XRP trading near $1.33.