XRP News Today: Ripple Prime Merges Traditional Finance and Blockchain in All-in-One Trading Platform for Institutions

Ripple has launched a digital asset spot prime brokerage for U.S. institutions, marking a significant expansion into institutional trading services. The platform, rebranded as Ripple Prime following the acquisition of multi-asset prime broker Hidden Road, enables over-the-counter (OTC) spot trading in major cryptocurrencies, including XRP and RLUSD. This move positions Ripple to offer U.S. clients a comprehensive suite of financial products, spanning foreign exchange, derivatives, swaps, and fixed income, all integrated into a single platform.

The launch of Ripple Prime underscores Ripple's strategy to bridge traditional finance and blockchain-based assets. By combining Ripple's regulatory licenses with Hidden Road's infrastructure, the platform allows institutions to cross-margin OTC spot positions alongside swaps and CME-listed futures, enhancing trading flexibility. Michael Higgins, international CEO of Ripple Prime, stated that the service complements existing derivatives offerings and aims to meet institutional demand for diversified trading strategies.

XRP and RLUSD are central to this expansion. XRP, Ripple's flagship token, is already used in cross-border payments and liquidity solutions, while RLUSD, a U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin, is gaining traction in institutional markets. The integration of these assets into Ripple Prime's offerings reinforces their role in global financial infrastructure. RLUSD's market capitalization recently surpassed $1 billion, reflecting growing adoption across Ethereum and XRP Ledger networks.

Ripple's acquisition of Hidden Road, finalized in October 2025, was a pivotal step in this strategy. The firm has spent roughly two years acquiring companies to build a full-stack financial services ecosystem, including GTreasury, Rail, and Standard Custody. These moves align with Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse's vision of XRP as the "core of everything Ripple does," emphasizing the token's utility in collateral management and liquidity provision. Analysts argue that Ripple's success is intertwined with XRP's price, as the company holds 35 billion tokens in escrow—valued at over $100 billion at current prices. Analysts also note planned escrow releases, with Ripple set to unlock 1 billion XRP on November 1, and another analysis forecasting a net supply increase of $500–750M.

The launch of Ripple Prime also comes amid ongoing debates about XRP's market cap. Critics, including developer Vincent Van Code, question whether locked escrow tokens distort supply metrics, while Ripple executives defend the model as a tool for predictable liquidity. That debate intensified when a major XRP stakeholder threatened to dump holdings, and some outlets framed the broader shift as a large-scale reinvention, with one piece headlined Forbes Confirms It. Meanwhile, institutional demand for XRP has been bolstered by partnerships like Evernorth's $1 billion treasury initiative, which mirrors MicroStrategy's Bitcoin strategy.

Ripple's expansion into prime brokerage services reflects broader industry trends. As crypto matures, firms are seeking infrastructure that mirrors traditional finance, enabling seamless integration of digital assets into institutional portfolios. Coverage at Ripple Swell 2025 highlighted RLUSD's potential to redefine global payments. An analyst also estimated that a $10 XRP price could translate to trillions in market value for Ripple, underscoring how token economics and company strategy remain tightly linked.