Ripple’s $1.25 Billion Acquisition of Hidden Road Expands Institutional Reach

2 mins mins

Key Points:

Ripple acquires Hidden Road for $1.25 billion, expanding institutional services.
XRP and RLUSD integration enhances infrastructure.
Broadened market access boosts Ripple’s financial standing.

Ripple, the cryptocurrency entity behind XRP, acquired Hidden Road, a global prime brokerage platform, for $1.25 billion. Ripple’s strategic move marks its presence in institutional finance, making it the first crypto firm to own a multi-asset prime broker.

The acquisition significantly impacts Ripple’s infrastructure, integrating XRPL into Hidden Road’s operations and deploying RLUSD for collateral. This aims to facilitate larger institutional adoption and streamline cross-asset transactions, as highlighted by Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse.

Ripple’s Strategic Infrastructure Investment Enhances Institutional Services

Ripple’s $1.25 billion acquisition of Hidden Road is a substantial advance, cementing its prominence in institutional finance. Brad Garlinghouse emphasized expanding infrastructure to enhance services for institutional investors, showing commitment to integrating comprehensive broker solutions.

XRP’s role will broaden as the XRPL is set to facilitate Hidden Road’s post-trade settlements, optimizing transactions and promoting RLUSD for collateral purposes. This development aims to boost on-chain activity and XRP demand in cross-border operations.

Prominent figures such as Brad Garlinghouse have stated, “Ripple needs the right infrastructure to scale to large institutions.” Meanwhile, Marc Asch of Hidden Road views the deal as transformative, unlocking new growth opportunities. Ripple’s compliance with over 60 regulatory licenses globally is crucial for the deal’s success, perceived as a fusion of traditional and decentralized finance by the crypto community. As Garlinghouse put it, “This is one of the largest deals in the crypto space and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for crypto to access the largest and most trusted traditional markets, and vice versa.”

XRP’s Market Integration: Broader Implications for Adoption

Did you know? Ripple’s acquisition is seen as a pivotal moment for integrating traditional finance with cryptocurrency markets.

According to CoinMarketCap, XRP’s price is $1.86 with a market cap of $108.42 billion. Its 24-hour volume is $6.47 billion, experiencing a -1.92% change. XRP’s market dominance stands at 4.41%, with the current price showing a -12.83% fall over the past week.

xrp-daily-chart-12 — XRP(XRP), daily chart, screenshot on CoinMarketCap at 18:37 UTC on April 8, 2025. *Source: CoinMarketCap*

Coincu research highlights that the financial integration resulting from Ripple’s acquisition promotes innovative solutions. The expansion could potentially reshape regulatory landscapes, accelerating blockchain adoption. XRP’s involvement in Hidden Road’s ecosystem may yield enhanced liquidity and broaden its appeal.