Ripple Completes $1.25 Billion Hidden Road Acquisition, Launches Ripple Prime as First Multi-Asset Crypto Broker.

• Ripple completes $1.25 billion Hidden Road acquisition, and renames it as Ripple Prime.

• The acquisition marks Ripple’s fifth major deal in two years, reflecting a growth strategy that focuses on integrating traditional finance (TradFi) with digital assets.

Ripple Completes $1.25 Billion Hidden Road Acquisition.

In a significant development in the crypto industry, Ripple completes $1.25 billion Hidden Road acquisition. With this move, Ripple Prime is officially launching, the first-ever multi-asset prime broker owned and operated by a crypto company.

The platform is designed to serve institutional investors by offering a comprehensive suite of services spanning foreign exchange, derivatives, cryptocurrencies, and fixed-income instruments.

According to Ripple’s announcement, the new brokerage will provide clients with clearing, trade financing, and brokerage services, all powered by Ripple’s blockchain infrastructure. The firm said that since announcing the deal in April, the business has tripled in size, signaling strong institutional demand for integrated digital asset solutions.

Ripple Prime to Boost RLUSD Stablecoin Adoption

A key part of Ripple’s strategy involves integrating its stablecoin, RLUSD, into Ripple Prime’s ecosystem. The company expects RLUSD to play a central role in collateral management and liquidity provisioning for institutional products, particularly in derivatives trading.

Ripple revealed that some clients have already begun holding RLUSD balances, and the number is projected to grow as adoption expands. This move aligns with Ripple’s goal of using stablecoin technology to bridge traditional and digital financial markets.

The stablecoin’s market supply has surpassed $900 million, ranking it 15th among stablecoins globally with over $300 billion in total trading volume. Ripple also continues to strengthen RLUSD’s global reach, most recently by expanding its partnership with SBI Holdings to promote the stablecoin in Japan.

Integrating XRP and Institutional Infrastructure

Ripple emphasized that the acquisition will enable Ripple Prime to leverage its existing technology stack, including the XRP Ledger (XRPL) and crypto custody services. These integrations are expected to streamline trading operations, reduce settlement costs, and increase transparency for institutional participants.

“The synergies between the two businesses made this acquisition a logical next step to support institutional adoption of digital assets,”

Ripple stated.

“Our foundational infrastructure across payments, custody, and stablecoins complements the services offered within Ripple Prime.”

Following the announcement, XRP’s price rose more than 4% in 24 hours, outperforming the rest of the top 10 cryptocurrencies. The token was trading around $2.55, reflecting renewed market confidence in Ripple’s expanding institutional footprint.

Part of Ripple’s Aggressive Expansion Strategy

The Hidden Road acquisition marks Ripple’s fifth major deal in two years, highlighting an aggressive growth strategy focused on merging traditional finance (TradFi) with digital assets. Other recent purchases include:

GTreasury is a $1 billion acquisition of a global treasury management platform to integrate digital assets into corporate finance.

Rail is a $200 million stablecoin and cross-border payments firm (deal pending regulatory approval).

Metaco and Standard Custody crypto custody firms were acquired earlier to enhance Ripple’s infrastructure and security capabilities.

In parallel, Ripple is reportedly planning a $1 billion fundraising round to create a digital asset treasury (DAT) of XRP. The initiative would give the company more control over liquidity management and treasury operations for its expanding institutional services.

A Major Step Toward Institutional Crypto Adoption

Ripple Prime represents a milestone in the convergence of blockchain technology and traditional financial systems. By combining Ripple’s digital asset expertise with a full-scale prime brokerage model, the company aims to position itself as a bridge between institutional finance and crypto markets.

With its growing portfolio of acquisitions and expanding stablecoin ecosystem, Ripple continues to push the boundaries of how digital assets are integrated into mainstream finance, a move that could redefine the next phase of institutional crypto adoption.