BlackRock’s Director of Digital Assets, Maxwell Stein, is set to be a prominent speaker at Ripple’s flagship Swell 2025 conference, which will take place in New York City on November 4 and 5. The event will feature a star-studded lineup from the finance and cryptocurrency sectors, including notable figures such as Adena Friedman, chair of Nasdaq; Chris Larsen, co-founder of Ripple; and other key industry leaders.
The XRP community is particularly eager to hear Stein’s insights, especially regarding the ongoing discourse about digital assets and potential future products, including an XRP-linked ETF. While anticipation builds, it’s important to note that BlackRock currently has no plans to introduce such an ETF, despite managing crypto ETFs linked to Ethereum and Bitcoin. This cautious stance may be influenced by Ripple’s recent legal challenges with the SEC, which concluded last month.
At the conference, Stein is expected to engage in a discussion with Rory Callagy, an executive at Moody’s, focusing on the transformational impact of tokenized assets on capital markets. However, the agenda does not specifically mention plans to address an XRP ETF, leaving attendees to speculate about future developments.
Ripple’s detailed schedule for the Swell event promises a variety of panels covering critical topics such as payments, stablecoins, regulatory environments, and the broader adoption of blockchain technology. With the conference commencing on November 3 and extending over two days, industry stakeholders are poised for insightful discussions that could shape the digital asset landscape going forward.


