Ripple CEO cites Dutch gold move to highlight crypto settlement speed

De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) recently completed a strategic reallocation of its gold reserves between March and August 2026. The process involved selling 59 tonnes of gold in New York and repurchasing an equivalent amount in London, alongside the physical transport of 27 tonnes from North America to a facility in Zeist, and subsequently to London. By mixing market sales with physical movement, the bank aimed to improve liquidity and crisis readiness without altering the total volume of its holdings.

Garlinghouse argued that the reliance on vaults, secure transport, and specific bar standards illustrates the limitations of legacy systems. He characterized the operation as a prime example of why blockchain networks, which allow for the transfer of value between digital addresses without physical movement, offer a superior alternative. While noting that the Dutch central bank did not utilize crypto for this specific task, he contrasted the agility of digital assets with the logistical burden of moving bullion.

This is not the first time central bank gold logistics have drawn such comparisons. Germany’s multi-year repatriation of 674 tonnes of gold to Frankfurt, concluded in 2017, served a similar purpose by balancing domestic storage with access to international markets. Despite these arguments, DNB officials maintain that their focus remains on optimizing existing institutional infrastructure for resilience. Meanwhile, industry figures like Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao acknowledge that while Bitcoin may eventually challenge gold as a reserve asset, the latter retains a massive advantage due to decades of established custody and auditing frameworks.