XRP News Today: Ripple Bridges Crypto-Traditional Divide with U.S. Prime Brokerage Launch

Ripple has launched a spot prime brokerage in the United States, marking a significant expansion of its institutional offerings and enabling U.S. firms to trade XRP and its stablecoin RLUSD through over-the-counter (OTC) transactions. The service, operated under Ripple Prime—the rebranded entity following Ripple's acquisition of multi-asset prime brokerage Hidden Road—provides institutions with tools to execute OTC spot trades across major digital assets and stablecoins, integrating them with traditional financial instruments like swaps, CME futures, and fixed income.

The rollout follows Ripple's $1.25 billion acquisition of Hidden Road, finalized in October 2025, which has been restructured to offer full brokerage, clearing, and financing services for digital assets in the U.S. market. By leveraging Hidden Road's existing infrastructure and licenses, Ripple Prime now supports cross-margining, allowing clients to manage OTC spot positions alongside derivatives and other holdings in a unified system. Michael Higgins, International CEO of Ripple Prime, emphasized that the expansion equips U.S. institutions with a broader suite of tools to optimize trading strategies across asset classes.

A key component of the launch is the integration of XRP and RLUSD, Ripple's dollar-pegged stablecoin, into institutional trading workflows. RLUSD recently reached $1 billion market cap, driven by its dual deployment on Ethereum and the XRP Ledger. The stablecoin's growth underscores its role in institutional portfolios, where its stability and regulatory compliance make it a viable alternative for hedging and cross-border payments. Ripple has also minted an additional 50 million RLUSD tokens, further solidifying its utility as collateral for derivatives and cross-margining.

The move aligns with broader institutional adoption of XRP, as evidenced by Virtu Financial's SEC filing disclosing $63 million in XRP holdings as part of its $346.7 million digital asset portfolio. Ripple's OTC trading platform addresses pain points like fragmented liquidity and settlement delays, offering institutions direct access to deep liquidity pools and faster execution compared to retail exchanges. Analysts note that the integration of XRP and RLUSD into traditional risk management frameworks could accelerate mainstream adoption, particularly as regulatory clarity in the U.S. evolves; some observers have highlighted that Ripple has effectively made XRP and RLUSD tradeable in ways that resemble traditional securities trading infrastructure.

Ripple's strategy extends beyond trading, with plans to migrate post-trade operations to the XRP Ledger to capitalize on its near-instant settlement capabilities. This shift enhances operational efficiency and transparency, critical for institutions managing large-volume trades. Additionally, Ripple's acquisition of Standard Custody & Trust Company and Rail, a stablecoin payments firm, highlights its ambition to build an end-to-end financial infrastructure bridging crypto and traditional markets. Industry voices have also weighed in positively; for example, an SBI CEO praised Ripple for the move toward greater utility for XRP and RLUSD.

The launch of Ripple Prime comes as global regulators and markets increasingly recognize digital assets' role in finance. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently praised Singapore's leadership in crypto innovation, reflecting a growing acknowledgment of digital assets' economic potential. Meanwhile, Ripple's partnerships with academic institutions and its advisory council, featuring XRP Ledger co-creator David Schwartz, underscore its focus on long-term research and development. Related industry news includes that Liexs unveiled a next-gen trading interface, signaling continued investment in trading technology across the sector.