On The Chain Podcast | Feb 12, 2026

Episode: “XRP Slides | Crypto Tears | Epstein Fallout & 2020 Election Questions Return”
Hosts: Chip & Jeff

Episode Overview

This episode merges in-depth XRP and crypto market analysis with sharp commentary on political, regulatory, and social developments—most notably the resurgence of Epstein documents in the news and intensifying debate over the 2020 US Election. The hosts maintain their trademark irreverent yet analytical style, focusing on separating signal from noise. They discuss the implications of Ripple’s strategy for XRP, mounting regulatory pressure, institutional activity, as well as broader concerns of freedom, financial sovereignty, and legitimacy in elections. The episode also features NFT giveaways, community engagement, and memorable tangents offering both humor and critique.

Main Themes & Discussion Points

1. XRP in the Spotlight: Utility, Institutional Moves, and Ripple’s Strategy

• XRP Price Dip & Community Reassurance:
  • Despite current volatility and price slippage, the hosts stress the importance of looking beyond price and focusing on fundamentals and positioning amidst regulatory momentum.
• Brad Garlinghouse Declaration (02:52):
  • [Quote] “I want every single person in the XRP family...to know that XRP is the North Star for Ripple. It’s our purpose...We’re going to continue to make sure as we think about Ripple as a platform company for financial infrastructure that XRP is at the heartbeat of that.” – Brad Garlinghouse, replayed by hosts
  • Institutional partnership announcement: Aviva Investors is tokenizing assets on the XRP ledger.
  • Ripple’s commitment to positioning XRP at the center of payments, custody, liquidity, and DeFi-like services.
• Institutional Adoption & Ecosystem Growth:
  • Ex-Rippler Sheesh Birla (now Evernorth CEO) highlights that “The XRP Ledger is turning into more than just a payments network. It’s starting to look like real financial infrastructure, liquidity, tokenization, and on-chain finance all in one place.” (09:54)
  • Features like permissioned domains, lending protocols, and confidential transfers now live, signaling real DeFi capabilities.
  • Appointment of Brett Mullen as XRPL Foundation Executive Director is discussed as a boost for governance and network strength.
    • “You can't run unless you understand as a developer...so he brings some uniqueness in that role.” (16:25)

2. Regulatory & Legislative Landscape

• Ripple and Bipartisan Momentum:
  • Stu Alderati, Ripple’s Chief Legal Officer, met at the White House and sees bipartisan optimism for “sensible crypto market structure legislation.”
  • [Quote] “We should move now while the window is still open and deliver a real win for consumers and America.” – Stu Alderati (19:05)
  • Hosts frame progress as possible due to improved political climate post-SEC lawsuit, warning that aggressive anti-crypto stances could quickly return with political shifts.
• Agentic Wallets by Coinbase:
  • New “agentic” wallet infrastructure enables AI agents to send, receive, and manage crypto without human intervention (21:00–24:45).
  • Skepticism and warnings voiced about giving AI agents financial autonomy.
    • [Quote] “I’m not ready for that yet...next thing you know, it’s changing passwords on your bank account.” (22:28)
• Election Integrity, Freedom & Political Power Struggles:
  • Extensive discussion of new legislative efforts around voter ID, financial freedom, the risk of regulatory capture, and the intertwining of crypto and politics (38:54–43:35).
  • Paulina Luna, FL Congresswoman, pushes back on claims that voter ID is “Jim Crow 2.0,” calling such rhetoric a historical distortion.
    • [Quote] “If you are not an American, you do not get to vote in our elections. This is not a free-for-all country. A majority of Americans support this. A majority of the world has voter ID in place. It is not racist.” – Paulina Luna (67:08)

3. Epstein Files & Media Spin: Trump, Democrats, and Political Gamesmanship

• Epstein Fallout Returns:
  • Hosts spotlight new revelations that exonerate Trump and expose Democrats’ connections with Epstein, e.g., Hakeem Jeffries soliciting Epstein and Rep. Stacey Plaskett’s pseudonymous communications (31:17–34:57).
  • Key Segment: Scott Jennings audio explaining that Trump was an FBI whistleblower in the Epstein investigation – contrary to years of media implication.
  • Hosts lambast the media for past misdirection and hail Trump’s “3D chess” manipulation of political opponents to trigger the unsealing of the Epstein files.
    • [Quote] “He gets them all riled up to release the files...You thought he was like a co-conspirator. He played y’all again.” – Female commentator, discussed by hosts (36:32–37:39)
• Media & Political Narrative Control:
  • Discussion on why mainstream outlets suddenly pivoted to reinforce Trump’s innocence. Speculation: they’re trying to soften blowback or reshape narratives as the files gut prominent Democrats (38:54).
  • The hosts double down, connecting “drip, drip, drip” leaks to a looming flood of exposes targeting political corruption.

4. 2020 Election: Data Oddities, Voting Machines & Systemic Trust Deficits

• Data Irregularities in Vote Counting:
  • Charts and commentary show statistically improbable voting patterns (138,000 consecutive Biden votes)—hosts and guests denounce this as evidence of fraud (47:55–52:32).
• Dominion Voting Machine Vulnerabilities:
  • Joe Oltmann details modeling and forewarning officials about how the Georgia Senate runoff would be “stolen,” alleging methods and skiff-level security for intelligence hand-offs.
• Cynicism & Reform:
  • Skepticism about both “leftist” and “libertarian” crypto influencers who, hosts claim, fail to grasp the broader fight for financial and political sovereignty.
  • Strong advocacy for national voter ID: “It has to be a national mandate...Otherwise, California continues doing what California does...” (38:58)

5. Crypto Community, Events, and NFT Giveaway Fun

• XRP Community Day & Spaces Feedback:
  • Multiple references to ongoing XRP events (e.g., Community Day), with some FOMO as hosts note audience overlap and wish for better visual/interactive tools on platforms like Twitter/X Spaces.
• NFT Giveaway – Badass Yetis:
  • Lighthearted, community-centric segment featuring a “Lil Prowlers” NFT drop, including an original, thematic song—delight amid headier topics (28:01–30:45, 62:15–75:58).
• Memorable Quotes/Humor:
  • Hosts riff on everything from “Bitcoin purses” in mainstream media (25:18), to US election math, to Olympians’ political activism and the contrast between representing US and CCP interests (55:32–57:30).
  • Joe Oltmann and others provide candid, sometimes biting commentary on fraud, freedom, and government incompetence, e.g., “Imagine you have a position of authority and you don't even understand the basics you learn in fifth grade.” (45:12–47:28)

Notable Moments & Quotes with Timestamps

• Brad Garlinghouse: “XRP is the North Star for Ripple...” (02:52–04:20)
• Sheesh Birla (Evernorth CEO): “It’s starting to look like real financial infrastructure...” (09:54–10:03)
• Stu Alderati on legislation: “Compromise is in the air...move now while the window’s still open...” (19:05–20:20)
• Agentic Wallets Explanation: “Agents can spend, earn and trade autonomously and securely...what could possibly go wrong?” (24:28)
• On political climate post-SEC lawsuit: “Imagine the lawsuit ended...and we would have had the same political environment as we had with the previous administration...We wouldn’t see what it takes to bring freedom on a global scale...” (07:19–09:42)
• Scott Jennings on Trump & Epstein: “Newly released FBI interview records confirmed that Trump...personally contacted Florida Police in 2006...to support law enforcement going after him.” (32:54–34:57)
• On media U-turn: “Strange...all mainstream media sharing the same story...could it be they want the courts to go lighter?” (38:54)
• On the 2020 Election: “138,000 votes—every single one of them for Biden. Not one. It’s statistically improbable...” (48:22–49:23)
• Paulina Luna advocates for voter ID:
  • [Quote] (67:08–68:56)
• Humor/Community:
  • “Never heard anyone say ‘Bitcoin purse’...” (25:37)
  • “Kick him out of the country, you never have to feed him again.” (Trump joke) (53:32–54:03)

Episode Structure & Timestamps

| Time | Segment/Topic | | --------- | ---------------------------------------------- | | 00:01–02:52 | Intro, framing of episode, XRP & crypto landscape | | 02:52–04:20 | Brad Garlinghouse’s “North Star” remarks | | 04:20–09:54 | Ripple strategy, acquisitions, infrastructure | | 09:54–11:59 | Sheesh Birla & institutional DeFi use cases | | 12:00–18:41 | XRPL Foundation, product updates, event commentary | | 19:01–24:45 | Stu Alderati, agentic wallets, Coinbase news | | 25:18–26:04 | Bitcoin in mainstream news, “purse” anecdote | | 28:01–30:45 | NFT giveaway, community segment, musical break| | 31:17–38:54 | Epstein documents, Trump, Dems, media spin | | 38:54–44:43 | Elections, integrity, US voting system flaws | | 45:12–47:28 | Laws, government ignorance, Civics 101 moment| | 47:55–52:32 | 2020 election anomalies, Dominion discussion | | 53:32–54:03 | Jokes, political/cultural tangents | | 55:32–57:30 | Olympian activism, US vs. China narratives | | 62:15–75:58 | Closing community, yeti NFT fun, drawing | | 75:58–87:29 | Outro banter, logistics, community details |

Final Thoughts

This episode of “On The Chain” packs incisive crypto analysis, institutional updates, and candid, often comedic, political commentary. By covering both XRP’s strategic direction and the reemergence of the Epstein scandal and 2020 Election questions, the hosts powerfully illustrate how finance and politics are increasingly intertwined. Listeners gain a clear-eyed perspective unclouded by hype, all within a vibrant, interactive community setting.

For fans of both blockchain news and pointed, sometimes irreverent political opinion, this episode is not to be missed!