Ripple CEO Takes Jab at Former SEC Official Bill Hinman

Brad Garlinghouse, the CEO of San Francisco-based company Ripple, joked that he is considering dressing as former SEC official Bill Hinman for Halloween.

The comment, which has been shared on social media, took place at the CoinAlts 2023 conference, an event highlighting crypto and alternative investments.

The innocuous jest shows the ongoing tensions between Ripple’s top executive and the former SEC official.

A gathering of industry luminaries

The CoinAlts 2023 conference, backed by premier firms like Harneys, brought together some of the brightest minds in the crypto space. Scheduled for Oct. 26, the event promised enlightening panels, engaging discussions, and networking opportunities with industry trailblazers.

Among those in attendance were Ripple’s Garlinghouse and Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal, both of whom exchanged friendly Twitter banter prior to their appearances.

Grewal, addressing the Ripple CEO on X, humorously remarked that he was just “warming up the crowd” for Garlinghouse’s later segment.

Past tensions simmer

At the heart of Garlinghouse’s jest about Hinman lies a history of serious allegations. Previously, Garlinghouse has been vocal about his criticisms of the SEC and, in particular, Bill Hinman, the former director of the Division of Corporation Finance at the SEC.

At the center of the controversy are the “Hinman docs,” a collection of documents revealing internal discussions the SEC had leading up to Hinman’s 2018 speech.

Garlinghouse contends that Hinman, during his tenure as a public servant, received significant payments from law firms that had a vested interest in the outcome of his speech.

Moreover, Garlinghouse previously suggested that the content of these documents could play a pivotal role in tipping the court battle with the SEC, from which Ripple has now emerged victorious.

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