Ripple is wasting no time after putting its long-running $XRP lawsuit behind it, announcing a major $1.25 billion acquisition of prime brokerage firm Hidden Road. The crypto market is surging with activity, as U.S. crypto-related acquisitions and public listings hit $8.2 billion across 88 deals in just the first four months of 2025, already tripling the entire total from 2024. This unprecedented boom signals a deepening fusion between traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi).

Ripple’s $1.25B Deal: A Landmark in TradFi and DeFi Integration

Among the wave of mergers and acquisitions, Ripple’s latest deal is making the biggest waves.

Pro-XRP lawyer John Deaton hailed Ripple’s Hidden Road acquisition as “possibly the best example” of the TradFi-DeFi convergence currently reshaping the crypto world. Hidden Road, which processes over $3 trillion annually for more than 300 institutional clients, is now integrated with the XRP Ledger (XRPL).

Thanks to this integration, settlement times have dropped dramatically — from 24 hours to just 3–5 seconds, a game-changer for institutional finance.

RLUSD Stablecoin Powers Ripple’s Institutional Push

Ripple is leveraging its newly launched RLUSD stablecoin to act as collateral within Hidden Road’s institutional trading workflows.

This development seamlessly connects blockchain infrastructure to the world of traditional asset trading, allowing institutions to experience the speed and transparency of DeFi while maintaining the scale and compliance of TradFi operations.

John Deaton emphasized how this move positions Ripple as a leader in institutional DeFi, combining DeFi’s speed with traditional finance’s massive reach.

Ripple’s Aggressive Expansion into Custody Services

Beyond brokerage, Ripple has been quietly building a powerful crypto custody business. Following its earlier Metaco acquisition, Ripple also bought Standard Custody and has since launched Ripple Custody, offering a comprehensive service suite to institutions.

Why the sudden focus on custody? Deaton explained that Ripple is preparing for the massive tokenization wave expected in the coming years. As the custody market is projected to grow past $16 trillion by 2030, Ripple is building critical infrastructure that banks and financial institutions will need to tokenize stocks, bonds, and real estate, all powered by the XRP Ledger and RLUSD.

Brad Garlinghouse: Making Up for Lost Time

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse is leading this aggressive expansion, rapidly positioning Ripple at the forefront of the next major phase of blockchain adoption.

“It looks like Brad Garlinghouse is making up for lost time,” Deaton remarked, pointing to Ripple’s laser-focused strategy post-SEC litigation victory.

By combining custody, stablecoins, institutional trading infrastructure, and a high-speed blockchain network, Ripple is laying the groundwork for its next era of growth — and possibly for broader mass adoption of tokenized finance.

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