XRP News Today: Ripple Invests $1.25B to Connect Blockchain with Mainstream Finance

Ripple’s $1.25 billion purchase of Hidden Road has established the company as a major force in institutional digital asset trading, representing a significant step toward merging blockchain technology with mainstream finance. Now rebranded as Ripple Prime, the company is the first crypto business to provide a worldwide, multi-asset prime brokerage service, giving institutional clients access to clearing, financing, and trading in foreign exchange, derivatives, fixed income, and digital assets, according to

. This development highlights Ripple’s goal to connect digital and traditional financial sectors by embedding its Ledger (XRPL) and RLUSD stablecoin at the heart of its prime brokerage offering, the ZyCrypto analysis continues.

This acquisition speeds up Ripple’s transformation from a blockchain company focused on payments to a full-scale financial infrastructure provider. Ripple Prime’s over-the-counter (OTC) spot trading, which began in November 2025, enables U.S. institutions to trade XRP and RLUSD alongside other leading digital assets and stablecoins, as reported by

. By combining OTC spot trading with swaps, futures, and cross-margining, Ripple Prime delivers an integrated platform for managing both digital and traditional asset portfolios, as mentioned in . The RLUSD stablecoin, now boasting a $1 billion market cap, has become a vital part of this ecosystem, acting as collateral for derivatives and boosting liquidity, according to .

Institutional uptake of XRP and RLUSD has accelerated, supported by Ripple’s broader acquisition approach. The company has finalized a $1 billion agreement with GTreasury, a treasury management platform, and acquired Rail, a stablecoin payments processor responsible for 10% of global B2B stablecoin transactions, according to

. Alongside Evernorth’s $1 billion XRP treasury project, these actions underscore XRP’s expanding importance as a settlement asset in institutional finance, as noted in the ZyCrypto analysis. Analysts highlight in that XRP’s recent price rally—hitting $2.85 in Q3 2025 and reaching a $170 billion market cap—signals renewed investor optimism fueled by enterprise adoption and practical use cases.

Nevertheless, obstacles remain. A significant XRP holder recently threatened to liquidate their position after Western Union teamed up with

to launch a USD-backed stablecoin, sparking debate over Ripple’s leadership in cross-border payments, according to . Despite this, Ripple’s leadership stresses the importance of long-term institutional relationships, pointing to Ripple Prime’s $3 trillion in annual transaction volume and the integration of XRP’s rapid settlement features, as also noted in the CryptoBasic coverage. The company also intends to release 1 billion XRP from escrow in November 2025, a routine event that may impact short-term price trends, according to .

Ripple’s ambitions go beyond trading. By seeking a national banking license and broadening its custody offerings, the company aims to make stablecoins and tokenized assets standard within regulated environments, as outlined in

. CEO Brad Garlinghouse described the Hidden Road acquisition as part of Ripple’s broader vision to create an “Internet of Value,” with XRP as the foundation of its ecosystem, according to the ZyCrypto analysis.

As the cryptocurrency sector evolves, Ripple’s approach appears to match institutional needs for robust, compliant infrastructure. With XRP showing technical patterns reminiscent of the 2017 bull market and some analysts predicting a possible $20 price, according to

, the token’s future is closely linked to Ripple’s success in expanding its institutional presence. The company’s recent achievements—from launching prime brokerage services to gaining regulatory clarity—position it as a leading architect in the emerging tokenized financial landscape.