In a bold stride toward bridging traditional finance and digital assets, Ripple has completed its $1.25 billion acquisition of Hidden Road, a non-bank prime broker. This landmark deal, marking yet another milestone in Ripple’s strategic expansion, reflects the company’s growing influence across the financial ecosystem. Following the acquisition, Hidden Road has been rebranded as Ripple Prime, making Ripple the first crypto firm to operate a global, multi-asset prime brokerage.
Ripple Prime is designed to serve institutional investors with a comprehensive platform for digital asset trading. This includes financing, clearing, and access to a wide array of markets, from foreign exchange and fixed income to derivatives. Crucially, it also offers direct integration with Ripple’s own digital assets, including $XRP and the stablecoin RLUSD, providing clients with seamless access to liquidity across the Ripple ecosystem.
The Ripple Prime Advantage for RLUSD
One of the most significant impacts of this acquisition lies in the adoption of Ripple’s stablecoin, RLUSD. Ripple President Monica Long emphasized that Ripple Prime opens vast opportunities for institutional clients, particularly by leveraging RLUSD as collateral. Already, many investors have started shifting their derivative holdings into RLUSD balances, signaling a deepening integration of the stablecoin into professional financial workflows.
The figures are telling. RLUSD currently dominates Ripple’s stablecoin transfer volume, surpassing 25 million transactions, while USDC trails far behind at 2.5 million. With Ripple Prime now operational, analysts anticipate this number will exceed 30 million transactions in the near future, solidifying RLUSD’s position as a key player in institutional stablecoin usage.
XRP Market Reaction
The market response to this acquisition has been robust. XRP saw an immediate surge of 4.2%, hitting a local high of $2.56 before stabilizing at $2.54 at the time of writing. Trading volumes mirrored this enthusiasm, climbing 35.82% to $4.62 billion, signaling a steady influx of capital.
Spot Netflow data further indicates aggressive accumulation. Despite $292.15 million in spot outflows versus $255.46 million in inflows, the net flow remained positive at $36.69 million, suggesting strong buying interest. Even more striking, Whale-to-Exchange transactions dropped from 2.2k to zero, implying that large investors are shifting from selling to accumulating XRP, reinforcing a bullish outlook.
Looking Ahead
The combination of strategic acquisitions, growing institutional adoption of RLUSD, and bullish market indicators positions XRP for potential gains. Analysts suggest that if the current momentum persists, XRP could target the $2.8 resistance level. However, in the absence of a breakout, the token is likely to trade within a $2.3 to $2.5 range, reflecting a healthy consolidation phase.
Ripple’s acquisition of Hidden Road is not just a corporate milestone, it is a clear signal of the growing convergence between traditional finance and digital assets. By embedding RLUSD into institutional workflows and expanding Ripple’s global brokerage footprint, Ripple is setting the stage for a future where crypto and TradFi operate as complementary forces rather than isolated markets.
As Ripple continues to navigate regulatory clarity and capitalize on favorable market conditions, Ripple Prime and RLUSD are poised to redefine institutional access to digital finance, ushering in a new era of seamless, blockchain-backed financial services.
