Ripple announced today the completion of its $1.25 billion deal for Hidden Road. This brokerage firm will be rebranded as Ripple Prime. According to an official press release, the move establishes Ripple as the first crypto firm to own a global multi-asset prime broker. This Ripple Prime acquisition seeks to integrate its technology into traditional finance.
The new entity, Ripple Prime, will offer key institutional services. These include clearing, financing, and access to diverse markets. It will cover foreign exchange, derivatives, fixed income, and digital assets. Technological integration is a central pillar of this strategy.
The new platform is expected to utilize Ripple’s infrastructure, such as the XRP Ledger (XRPL). Furthermore, the RLUSD stablecoin will be fundamental to operations. In fact, RLUSD is already used as collateral for derivative products, and its adoption is expected to increase. Hidden Road will also migrate its post-trade clearing onto the XRPL, demonstrating the blockchain‘s capacity for institutional flows.
This move is not isolated; it is part of an aggressive buying spree. Ripple aims to deepen its control over global financial infrastructure. Last week, the company acquired GTreasury for $1 billion. GTreasury is a corporate treasury management firm. This purchase reinforces Ripple’s integration into the US banking system. Additionally, in August, Ripple agreed to buy Rail for $200 million. Rail is a payments platform specializing in stablecoin infrastructure.
Is Ripple preparing to dominate the institutional market?
Ripple’s acquisition strategy redefines its role in the digital economy. By controlling a prime broker, Ripple now offers a direct bridge for institutions (TradFi). This could significantly increase the utility of the XRP Ledger. It would also strengthen the use of its RLUSD stablecoin. For investors, this positions Ripple as a critical infrastructure player, beyond just being a speculative asset. Analysts will watch if this Ripple Prime acquisition accelerates real institutional adoption of Ripple’s ecosystem.
The completion of the Ripple Prime acquisition consolidates the company’s vision. Ripple is building a comprehensive financial ecosystem. This ecosystem connects digital assets with traditional finance. With the integration of GTreasury and Rail pending, Ripple is accumulating key infrastructure pieces. The market’s focus will now turn to execution. Specifically, how Ripple Prime will leverage the XRPL and RLUSD to capture institutional trading flow in the coming months.
