Veteran Investor Says Ask Anyone on Street About Crypto and They Will Say Ripple Not Ethereum

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Ripple and XRP are drawing fresh attention after crypto investor Santiago, who has backed over 150 companies, shared a detailed take on how the firm is positioning itself beyond crypto and into global finance.

In a podcast, Keith & Ben talk to Santiago Santos, who highlighted Ripple’s biggest advantage, mainstream recognition.

“You walk around the street… people won’t say Solana or Ethereum. They’ll tell you, Ripple. Without a doubt.”

He argued that Ripple has captured attention better than almost any project except Bitcoin, effectively “memeing itself into existence.” In his view, this level of brand recall plays a major role in long-term positioning, even if the underlying tech debate continues.

Using XRP as a Strategic Currency

Beyond branding, Santiago pointed to Ripple’s treasury strategy as the real differentiator.

He further noted that, “they’re using that currency to go buy real businesses… that’s exactly what you should be doing.”

He referenced Ripple’s recent acquisitions, including Hidden Road, noting that the company is actively deploying its resources to acquire infrastructure and expand its footprint. He compared this approach to historical corporate strategies like AOL-Time Warner, where companies leveraged valuation to secure real-world assets. 

“I’m not advertising XRP. I’m just saying they have done very interesting things to become a dominant player, not in crypto. In finance,” he said.

A Practical Approach in a Competitive Market

Santiago contrasted Ripple’s execution with the broader crypto space, where many projects remain focused on ideology or long-term roadmaps.

“Business, practicality, and common sense… is what wins.”

He criticized ecosystems that rely too heavily on theory, pointing out that crypto’s open nature allows users and liquidity to move quickly. Projects that fail to act decisively risk losing relevance.