XRP News: Ripple’s $1.25B Deal Could Push XRP to $10 — Here’s How RLUSD Is Reshaping DeFi

​Ripple entered into an agreement to acquire Hidden Road through payment of $1.25 billion for this prime brokerage firm that operates across multiple asset classes. Through this acquisition, Ripple emerged as the inaugural cryptocurrency company to operate a global prime broker system for multi-asset management. ​

Unlocking the Power of XRP Ledger Technology Platform

Hidden Road delivers services spanning clearing and prime brokerage and financing, which work with foreign exchange (FX) and digital assets in addition to derivatives, swaps and fixed income products. As a processing institution, the firm handles about $3 trillion yearly to support more than 300 institutional clients. Ripple uses Hidden Road technology to connect traditional financial systems with decentralized finance (DeFi), which delivers a single platform where institutions can execute different financial transactions.​

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse considers the U.S. market truly accessible now that the regulatory obstacles from the previous SEC have cleared the way to serve traditional financial sector needs. The acquisition supports Ripple’s plan to develop its service portfolio past payments by including trading and custody and lending services that cater to institutional clients.​

The Benefits of RLUSD Integration with Blockchain Systems

An important factor of this acquisition is the predicted improvement of Ripple’s stablecoin, known as RLUSD. RLUSD started operation in December 2024 as a stable U.S. dollar-pegged digital asset intended for institutional-level usage. The integration of RLUSD with Hidden Road’s prime brokerage products will make RLUSD become the pioneer stablecoin to offer efficient margin cross-functionality between digital and traditional asset classes. RLUSD embraces new capabilities that enable it to offer improved competition against leading stablecoins, Tether and USD Coin, which should increase interest from institutional investors

Integration with XRP Ledger and DeFi Initiatives

Post-trade operations of Hidden Road will shift to the decentralized blockchain XRP Ledger while the firm joins Ripple’s platform as part of the purchase agreement. The goal of the move is to expand Ripple’s DeFi capabilities through the utilization of XRP Ledger transactions, which provide efficient, transparent processing. Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer, David Schwartz, labeled this purchase as a landmark development for XRP Ledger and XRP because the acquisition brings unprecedented possibilities to expand its use cases and engage institutional clients. 

What’s the Future of XRP Price Trends?

The future of XRP price looks bright, with many experts predicting a significant increase in value. Ripple anticipates that its implementation of Hidden Road’s services will substantially boost the benefits it provides to institutional clients in the future. Ripple develops an extensive service portfolio that combines blockchain and traditional financial elements because it seeks to become a central player in the financial industry’s ongoing evolution. The acquisition demonstrates how traditional financial services merge with digital assets while showing the world’s growing awareness that cryptocurrencies and blockchain belong to the fundamental structure of the global financial system.​

The $1.25 billion acquisition of Hidden Road by Ripple brings strategic benefits that expand its prime brokerage capabilities while strengthening its institutional services through the utilization of RLUSD, its stablecoin. Ripple puts itself in a leading position to connect traditional banking with decentralized finance through Hidden Road integration and ledger system transition to the XRP Ledger.