'Complete Disregard' For $XRP Holders: Outrage After Ripple's Larsen Donates $10M To
Harris Campaign
The cryptocurrency community is on fire after Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen revealed Monday that he has
donated another $10 million XRP tokens to support the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris.Larsen's
latest move came about a week after Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings showed that the crypto
executive donated $1 million in XRP tokens to the Future Forward super PAC, which backs the Democratic
presidential nominee.Larsen Makes His Views ClearThe executive chairman of Ripple, which is currently
grappling with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in a lawsuit initiated by the financial
regulator four years ago, said he believes Harris "will ensure that American technology dominates the
world.""It's time for the Democrats to have a new approach to tech innovation, including crypto," Larsen
said, seemingly referring to earlier statements made by pro-crypto candidates from the Democratic Party
regarding Kamala's supposed desire for a "reset" with the industry that's been hounded by the SEC under
Chair Gary Gensler.Ripple CEO Comes to Colleague's DefenseShortly after Larsen revealed his huge
donation to the Harris campaign, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse took to the comments, saying he respects
Larsen and everyone else's right to support "whomever they think is best to lead the U.S."He went on to
note that there is an urgent need to "change course" from the current administration's "misguided war on
crypto." He promised that Ripple, the largest holder of the XRP token, will engage with both political
parties to push for pro-crypto policies."It's not about party lines; it's about championing policies
that drive blockchain and crypto innovation," he pointed out.Crypto Community Blasts Larsen's 'Careless'
MoveSeveral key figures in the crypto community raised concerns about Larsen's latest donation, and many
crypto users, especially those who use the XRP token, criticized his presidential choice.Trader Amonyx
accused Larsen of "carelessly spending money without considering XRP investors and supporters." He
wondered whether Larsen was "comfortable inside" with the choice he made. One user agreed, saying the
crypto executive had "complete disregard for $XRP holders."On the Chain podcast founder Chip said Harris
could have easily called for Gensler to step down since she is currently in power, but she has chosen
not to.Venture capitalist and Bitcoiner Nic Carter called the donation "completely baffling," while
crypto influencer Amelie said she hopes "there is a hidden twist in that action."Crypto YouTuber Corey
Costa said he feels bad for XRP investors, while crypto investor CryptoTank said Larsen's decision to go
public about his support for Harris will be "a bad look" in the eyes of XRP holders who, mostly, have
expressed frustration over Kamala's silence despite the SEC's crusade against XRP and the broader crypto
industry.Crypto lawyer James Murphy, popularly known in the community as MetaLawMan, raised an issue
regarding how the Harris campaign will work around the donation. He pointed out that the campaign will
presumably sell the donated XRP to convert the tokens into fiat."Will Harris clear that transaction with
@GaryGensler? Will this trade impact the SEC's appeal in the @Ripple case?" he asked. The SEC filed an
appeal in an attempt to overturn some provisions of a 2023 ruling in its lawsuit against Ripple.What's
Between the Lines?While most crypto and XRP users are fuming over Larsen's announcement, others are
theorizing about why the crypto magnate had to make the move.One user suggested that Larsen may have
picked the blue side "in lieu of a larger, corporate fine." In August, the SEC vs. Ripple lawsuit could
have ended with a $125 million fine. However, the Wall Street regulator's recent appeal filing revives
the case, and for some, Larsen's donation may be linked to the four-year-long legal scuffle.For one
user, Larsen made a "smart" move, choosing the businessman's way with a focus on "influence" over other
matters.$XRP Plummets Amid the NewsNews of the outrage on X over Larsen's donation seems to have
affected XRP prices. The token plunged by 4% in the last 24 hours, as per data from CoinGecko. It is
down by over 2% in the past week.Just around three weeks, the token's prices were faring much better,
propelled by Bitwise's filing for a spot XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF) and excitement around the news.