[Digital Today reporter Yoonseo Lee] Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse (브래드 갈링하우스) hit back at remarks by Avalanche (AVAX) founder Emin Gun Sirer (에민 귄 시러) that “banks use Avalanche technology, not Ripple’s solution.”

On April 2, blockchain outlet The Crypto Basic reported that Sirer posted a joke on X, formerly Twitter, saying “banks choose Ripple,” then said it was an April Fools-style prank and claimed financial institutions actually use Avalanche. Garlinghouse responded in effect that he was glad to know Ripple was living rent-free in Sirer’s head.

Avalanche is promoting “subnets” as part of its institutional strategy. Subnets are tailored networks designed to let institutions build dedicated blockchain environments for uses such as tokenisation and financial infrastructure. JPMorgan Chase tested the Avalanche network through its blockchain unit Onyx, and Citigroup reviewed tokenisation plans on Avalanche infrastructure.

Ripple, by contrast, has promoted cross-border payment infrastructure based on the XRP Ledger (XRP Ledger). It said Ripple Payments converts fiat currency into XRP or Ripple’s stablecoin RLUSD, sends it through XRPL, then converts it back into local currency, processing international remittances in seconds. Ripple said the payment network has processed more than $1 billion in transactions so far and counts SBI Holdings, Santander, Brazil’s Braza Bank and Banco Genial as partners.

Ripple also said it received conditional approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for a national bank charter. If the licence is finalised, it will be able to operate within the U.S. banking system and offer regulated digital asset custody services.

The exchange shows competition among blockchain projects for the institutional market is intensifying. With Avalanche and Ripple taking different approaches to targeting the financial sector, some expect the outcome to hinge on real-world adoption cases, regulatory foundations and service scalability.

Glad to know we’re living rent-free in your head…