In a bold move aimed at accelerating its presence in institutional finance, Ripple has announced a landmark $1.25 billion acquisition of Hidden Road — a global prime brokerage platform that handles billions in daily trades. The strategic deal, unveiled on April 8, positions Ripple as the first crypto-native company to own and manage a full-spectrum, multi-asset prime brokerage firm.
This game-changing acquisition is expected to redefine the role of XRP in institutional markets by integrating Ripple’s own RLUSD stablecoin and settling transactions via the XRP Ledger (XRPL), potentially triggering a significant rise in utility-driven demand for XRP.
Unlocking Institutional Utility for XRP
Jake Claver, Managing Director at Digital Ascension Group, weighed in on the implications of this acquisition in a detailed commentary posted to X. According to Claver, Hidden Road’s network spans over 300 institutional clients and facilitates an impressive $10 billion in daily trade volume — all of which could soon leverage the XRP Ledger for faster, cheaper settlement.
What happens when just a fraction of that $10B daily volume starts settling through XRP? Demand skyrockets. These aren't retail traders—these are hedge funds and market makers who need XRP to power their operations. And they'll be buying lots of it.
3/19— Jake Claver, QFOP (@beyond_broke) April 8, 2025
This development is monumental: every transaction on the XRPL requires XRP to function. As institutions onboard into the Ripple ecosystem, their day-to-day operations — ranging from trade settlements to collateral management — will necessitate XRP holdings, creating a direct link between institutional usage and XRP demand.
RLUSD Stablecoin Bridges Traditional and Digital Finance
A key piece of the integration is RLUSD, Ripple’s recently launched stablecoin. It will serve as the primary collateral instrument within Hidden Road’s operations. What sets RLUSD apart is its ability to enable cross-margining across both crypto and traditional markets — a first of its kind. This feature offers institutions a unified framework for capital efficiency, with XRP and RLUSD working in tandem to streamline workflows and reduce transaction friction.
Together, XRP and RLUSD form the backbone of a new institutional finance architecture, one designed for speed, liquidity, and seamless interoperability between asset classes.
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A Gateway to $3 Trillion in Institutional Flows
Perhaps most eye-catching is the scale of opportunity now tethered to the XRPL. With Hidden Road processing over $3 trillion in annual trade flows, even a conservative migration of that volume onto the XRPL could deliver an exponential impact on XRP’s utility, liquidity, and valuation.
Claver described the acquisition as a foundational shift — one that doesn’t just add volume but rewires how institutions interact with crypto infrastructure. As more capital flows through Ripple’s vertically integrated brokerage model, XRP’s role as the settlement asset of choice may be solidified.
Short-Term Price Action
XRP has reacted favorably in the short term; as of report time, the token is trading at $2.06, exhibiting a 12.48% over the past 24 hours. Over the past week, it has declined by a mere 2.38%.
Many analysts argue that the Hidden Road deal is a long-term catalyst, one that could reshape the narrative around XRP’s institutional relevance and bring sustained demand growth in the years ahead.
Disclaimer: This content is meant to inform and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author’s personal opinions and do not represent Times Tabloid’s opinion. Readers are urged to do in-depth research before making any investment decisions. Any action taken by the reader is strictly at their own risk. Times Tabloid is not responsible for any financial losses.
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