There’s been a lot of noise lately around Ripple possibly buying out Circle, the company behind USDC, the second-largest stablecoin after USDT. And now, that rumor just got a boost thanks to something Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse said at the XRP Las Vegas event.
When asked about the rumored deal, Garlinghouse didn’t say yes. But more importantly, he didn’t say no either. His exact words? He “cannot pre-announce” any acquisition. That one line has left the door wide open and the crypto community is buzzing.
Let’s get one thing straight, Garlinghouse made it very clear that Ripple didn’t offer $20 billion to buy Circle. He said that never happened. But what he didn’t do was shut down the idea that talks are happening behind the scenes.
And that’s what caught people’s attention. If there really were no deal on the table, most CEOs would’ve just killed the rumor on the spot. Instead, Brad only addressed the price tag, not the possibility of a deal at all.
That’s why some XRP holders think there’s something brewing. Maybe not for $20 billion, but maybe $5 or $10 billion? That’s what some earlier reports claimed Ripple might’ve offered before Circle turned it down in favor of going public.
Moreover, Circle is getting ready to go public with a massive IPO. They originally planned to raise $624 million by selling 24 million shares, priced between $24 and $26. But demand has been so high, over 25 times more buyers than shares, they’ve bumped it up to 32 million shares.
That boosts Circle’s estimated valuation to around $7.2 billion. Big players like BlackRock and ARK Invest are said to be getting in. The IPO is set for June 5 under the ticker “CRCL” on the New York Stock Exchange.
If the demand stays this strong, Circle might just stick to the public route and walk away from any buyout talk, no matter how tempting.
#Ripple CEO Has Not Denied Circle Acquisition Talks: Here’s Why. 🧵🧵🧵 pic.twitter.com/WdCKXB8c1w
— TheCryptoBasic (@thecryptobasic) June 5, 2025
Furthermore, Ripple’s not new to big moves. Over the past year, they’ve been buying up companies left and right, Metaco, Standard Custody, and even Hidden Road. It’s part of their bigger play to grow through acquisitions while putting their own IPO on hold.
If they did manage to scoop up Circle, it would be a big leap into the stablecoin market. USDC already has deep roots across DeFi, crypto payments, and institutions. It fits perfectly with Ripple’s global ambitions.
Read Also: Data Reveal Stellar (XLM) Is Just Starting: Analyst Raises Urgency as Rally Nears
So, Is the Deal Still Possible?
Brad didn’t confirm anything. But he didn’t deny it either. And in crypto, sometimes the things not said speak the loudest.
With Circle’s IPO just days away and Ripple staying active on the M&A front, it’s clear something is in motion. Whether it ends with a deal or not, we’re watching two major players in the space take very different but very big swings. Let’s see how it plays out.
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