Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has broken his silence on the Dutch central bank’s latest gold transfer, showing why financial infrastructure still needs faster settlement. He claimed that crypto can transfer value around the world without having to physically change hands.
Garlinghouse pointed to De Nederlandsche Bank’s transfer of about 86 tonnes of gold between March and August 2026. He noted the process demonstrated that there is a heavy reliance on location and custody in existing reserve systems.
Brad Garlinghouse Uses Dutch Gold Move to Make Crypto Case
Approximately 59 tonnes were sold in New York and replaced by gold purchased in London, DNB said. The bank also physically transferred another 27 tonnes, as it changed its reserve placement.
Brad Garlinghouse’s point was that the majority of the value was transferred without the same gold bars crossing the Atlantic. In an X post, he described crypto as an “ideal use case” for fast, secure, and cheap global transfer of value at low costs.
The Ripple CEO also compared the process to the expansion of cryptocurrencies since 2013, when the asset class was valued at $1.5 billion and now has reached around $2.7 trillion.
Germany’s Four-Year Gold Transfer Adds Context
Garlinghouse also mentioned Germany’s previous attempt to return 674 tonnes of gold to Frankfurt. According to him, the Bundesbank transferred the reserves from Paris and New York between 2013 and 2017.
Even though the assets were already in the hands of a number of central banks, that process took four years. Consequently, the Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has used the example to compare physical reserve movement with digital asset transfers amid local German banks launching crypto trading.
Custodial services and vault access are still needed for bullion, whereas crypto assets can be traded digitally via networks. Garlinghouse asked,
“Why does financial value still depend on these location-centric processes?”
The move, DNB noted, was intended to “increase tradability and enhance crisis preparedness. Today the Bank of England owns 32.1% of the Dutch gold reserves.
New York and Ottawa each hold 18.5%, while DNB’s cash center in Zeist holds 30.8%. According to the bank, London is the faster route for trading gold internationally during volatile markets. However, the Governor Olaf Sleijpen said DNB expects never to use the reserves during a crisis. But the bank still requires resilience and preparedness, he said.
CZ Adds to the Debate Over Bitcoin and Gold
Garlinghouse’s comments come as crypto executives continue questioning gold’s role in a more digital financial system. Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao recently said Bitcoin could eventually surpass gold in importance.
During a Bitcoin Asia fireside chat, Zhao said that the shift would depend partly on governments adopting Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset. However, he noted that gold already has mature custody, valuation, and reserve systems built over many years.
Consequently, unlike Ripple CEO’s comments, CZ has noted that existing infrastructure means any move away from gold could take time, especially for large economies.
For more on crypto in Germany, check out our 9 Best Crypto Exchanges in Germany For 2026
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