Svmuu reports that Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse stated the company expects a record first quarter driven by M&A, having invested approximately $4 billion into the crypto ecosystem in 2025, including the $1.25 billion acquisition of Hidden Road and roughly $1 billion for GTreasury. He also noted that progress on digital asset legislation in the U.S. is slower than anticipated, with the CLARITY Act potentially delayed from its original April target to May, and called for avoiding over-politicization of regulation to prevent hindering industry development. (The Block)