XRP News Today: Ripple Bridges Traditional and Digital Finance with New Prime Brokerage

Ripple has expanded its U.S. institutional offerings with the launch of a digital asset spot prime brokerage, marking a significant step in its strategy to integrate traditional finance with blockchain-based solutions. The new platform, Ripple Prime, enables over-the-counter (OTC) spot trading for major cryptocurrencies, including XRP and Ripple's RLUSD stablecoin, alongside derivatives, swaps, fixed income, and foreign exchange products, according to Coinpedia. This move follows Ripple's acquisition of Hidden Road, a multi-asset prime broker, in October 2025, which it rebranded as Ripple Prime. The platform allows U.S. institutions to cross-margin their spot, swaps, and futures positions, offering greater flexibility in managing digital asset portfolios, Coinpedia reported.

The expansion underscores Ripple's broader push into institutional services, which now encompass payments, custody, and trading. Ripple Payments, its blockchain-based cross-border payment solution, and Ripple Custody, a secure storage platform, are now complemented by Ripple Prime, Coinpedia noted. The integration of XRP and RLUSD across these services aims to enhance liquidity and streamline settlement for institutional participants. RLUSD, Ripple's USD-backed stablecoin, has seen significant growth, with a market cap of $789 million as of Q3 2025, including $88.8 million on the XRP Ledger, according to a Morningstar report.

Institutional adoption of XRP has also gained momentum, with global firms holding approximately $11 billion in XRP reserves. Companies like Japan's SBI Holdings, which holds over $10 billion in XRP, and U.S.-based entities such as Trident Digital Tech Holdings and Webus International, have added XRP to their balance sheets under the Digital Asset Treasury (DAT) model, Morningstar reported. This trend reflects growing confidence in XRP as a major institutional asset, alongside Bitcoin and Ethereum.

The launch of Ripple Prime comes amid renewed optimism for XRP, which has seen price fluctuations tied to regulatory developments and market sentiment. On October 31, XRP rose 2% to $2.51, driven by ETF-related speculation and on-chain accumulation, Coindesk reported. Analysts note that a breakout above $2.72 could target the $3.25 resistance level, aligning with Fibonacci retracement and trendline analyses; however, XRP's price remains within a descending triangle pattern, testing the 20-day EMA at $2.54, Coindesk added.

Ripple's strategic moves are also influencing the XRP ecosystem. The XRP Ledger's compliance features, such as Clawback and Deep Freeze, have attracted stablecoin issuers like Circle (USDC) and StraitsX (XSGD), enhancing institutional trust in the network, Morningstar observed. Additionally, tokenized real-world assets on the XRP Ledger, including Treasury bills and real estate, have grown 215% in value this quarter to $364 million, Morningstar reported.

While Ripple's expansion highlights its ambition to bridge traditional and digital finance, challenges remain. XRP's price volatility and regulatory scrutiny, coupled with broader crypto market uncertainties, could impact adoption. Nonetheless, Ripple's CEO of Ripple Prime, Michael Higgins, emphasized the platform's role in addressing institutional trading needs: "The launch of OTC spot execution capabilities complements our existing suite of OTC and cleared derivatives services in digital assets and positions us to provide U.S. institutions with a comprehensive offering to suit their trading strategies and needs", Coinpedia reported.

As Ripple solidifies its presence in institutional markets, the integration of XRP and RLUSD across its services may further drive liquidity and adoption. With global firms increasingly viewing XRP as a strategic asset and RLUSD gaining traction as a stablecoin, Ripple's ecosystem appears poised for continued growth.