Conor McGregor Explores XRP and Cardano as U.S. Considers a Broader Digital Asset Reserve

XRP's decentralization is defended amid rising ETF speculation, with growing support for its inclusion in national crypto reserves.

UFC legend Conor McGregor is now showing interest in XRP, expanding his focus beyond Bitcoin as the U.S. considers a broader digital asset reserve.

McGregor, who has been vocal about a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, is now turning his attention to the decentralization behind XRP, Cardano, and Solana, sparking debate in the crypto world.

Wanting to Understand XRP

In a post on X, McGregor said he wants to learn more about XRP and other altcoins. He noted that he had been told only Bitcoin and Ethereum are truly decentralized, but the U.S. government’s move to include XRP, Solana, and Cardano in its planned crypto reserve made him curious.

It came after the U.S. kicked off the idea of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve earlier this year, and now several states, including Texas and New Hampshire, are following suit. Other countries like Ukraine and Ireland may be next. McGregor has even set a meeting with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele to explore a similar plan for Ireland.

However, XRP supporters quickly stepped in to defend its decentralization. XRPL validator Vet and Anodos Finance founder Panos Mekras argued that XRP is just as decentralized as Bitcoin and Ethereum. They pointed to recent upgrades on the XRP Ledger that boost its decentralization and utility.

Some experts also highlighted XRP’s early innovations in token burning and real-world asset tokenization. Dom Kwok from EasyA clarified to McGregor that Bitcoin is more of a store of value, while XRP, Solana, and Ethereum serve broader utility functions. That’s why, he said, the U.S. government is interested in these altcoins as they bring real use cases.

Not All in Sync…

In response, one crypto analyst, J L disagreed with Vet, saying the idea of a BTC-only reserve is being hyped up. He argued that the U.S. crypto reserve includes ETH, XRP, SOL, and ADA too, and it’s just starting with BTC. He also claimed the “stockpile” narrative is being downplayed and pointed to a Treasury clarification after the executive order as proof.

Meanwhile, XRP is gaining more attention from institutions. Hopes for a spot XRP ETF are increasing, with odds now sitting at 83%, despite the SEC dragging its feet.

McGregor’s curiosity about XRP comes at a time when major governments and investors are re-evaluating what tokens belong in the next phase of digital finance.