Ripple has named Oscar-winning actor and Water.org co-founder Matt Damon as a keynote speaker for the Swell 2026 conference. Scheduled for October 27-29, the event will take place at The Shed in Hudson Yards, New York City, located at 545 West 30th Street.
This year marks a new format for the XRP ecosystem. For the first time, the annual Swell conference is merging with the XRPL Apex developer event under one roof. Organizers are targeting more than 1,500 attendees to see 75 speakers across 50 sessions spread over three stages.
Lineup from Wall Street to Robinhood
Damon is not alone. He joins a lineup of new executives including Susquehanna Crypto CEO Chase Lax, PEAK6 founder Jenny Just, and Aviva representative Alastair Sewell. On the host side, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, President Monica Long, and CTO Emeritus David Schwartz are confirmed to take the stage.
The roster is further packed with former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan, Bullish CEO Tom Farley, Robinhood Crypto representative Johann Kerbrat, and executives from financial institutions BNY and ICE. Over three days, they will discuss industry topics ranging from payments, stablecoins, XRP utility, DeFi, ETFs, crypto markets, tokenization, and privacy, to the intersection of blockchain with artificial intelligence and quantum computing. Attendees wishing to participate face a $1,200 ticket fee through October 5, before the price jumps to $1,500 between October 6 and 20. The three-day event will also host institutional meetings and a hackathon competition.
What Will the Actor Discuss?
Damon’s involvement stems from Ripple’s recent partnership. In June, Ripple joined Water.org’s “Get Blue” campaign as its exclusive digital asset and payment partner. The collaboration leverages the RLUSD stablecoin to transfer aid directly to microfinance partners. Alongside Damon, Water.org CEO Gary White is also featured on the Swell speaker list.
Despite his prominent presence, the specific topic Damon will cover on stage at The Shed remains unconfirmed. It is not yet clear whether he will explore the technical use of RLUSD, charitable payment infrastructure, or present the vision behind the Get Blue campaign. Ripple’s philanthropic track record dates back years, including support for World Central Kitchen since 2020 and a blockchain-based humanitarian aid distribution partnership with Mercy Corps.
Ticket prices climbing into the thousands of dollars underscore Ripple’s ambition to bring its ecosystem straight to the heart of New York City. The bet now hinges on celebrity appeal and the merger of two major XRP communities to draw institutional interest.
Reported by crypto.news.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only, not financial advice. Cryptocurrency assets are highly volatile and carry significant risk. Always do your own research (DYOR) and never invest more than you can afford to lose.
