Ripple’s flagship SWELL 2025 conference, scheduled for October 22–23 in London, is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched events in institutional crypto.
Among the most notable additions to the speaker lineup is Maxwell Stein, Director of Digital Assets at BlackRock, whose participation has sparked renewed speculation about the asset manager’s potential plans for XRP.
Stein’s presence has been interpreted by many in the XRP community as more than symbolic. Crypto influencer Crypto Eri was quick to urge followers to “connect the dots,” highlighting the timing of BlackRock’s involvement alongside Ripple’s pursuit of U.S. Trust Bank status, a milestone that could integrate XRP into Federal Reserve infrastructure for institutional payments.
While no XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF) has been announced, BlackRock’s previous success with Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs makes the idea of an XRP ETF plausible. Some industry observers believe that if Ripple secures full legal clarity and the regulatory landscape stabilizes, BlackRock could revisit the concept of an XRP ETF.
The inclusion of Stein also validates Ripple’s positioning as an institutional-ready payments network as the company continues to bridge blockchain technology with traditional finance. Ripple’s momentum has been further bolstered by its recent legal win with the rejection of a Securities and Exchange Commission motion, reaffirming XRP’s regulatory standing.
Large players set to attend Ripple SWELL 2025
Beyond BlackRock, the SWELL 2025 lineup will feature major financial leaders such as Ryan Rugg of Citi, who serves as Global Head of Digital Assets for Treasury and Trade Solutions. Citi has been exploring blockchain-based settlement solutions aligned with Ripple’s technology.
Sandy Kaul of Franklin Templeton, known for her expertise in tokenization and institutional adoption, will also take the stage.
Elsewhere, Carolyn Weinberg, Chief Product and Innovation Officer at BNY Mellon, represents a custodian leading in secure digital asset storage. Finally, Cynthia Lo Bessette, who heads Fidelity Digital Asset Management, adds the perspective of one of crypto’s earliest institutional backers.
For now, the spotlight remains on London this October, where the discussions at SWELL could provide the clearest signals yet about Ripple’s institutional roadmap and whether an XRP ETF may move from speculation to reality.
