XRP News Today: Ripple's Privacy Push Clashes with SEC as ETF Fate Looms

XRP Whale Accumulation Builds - Price Prediction for $5 Ripple Gains Strength Ahead of ETF Decision

XRP's institutional adoption is accelerating as Ripple Labs prioritizes privacy enhancements to address the final barrier to mainstream adoption. The XRP Ledger (XRPL) has introduced decentralized identifiers (DIDs), on-chain credentials, and multipurpose tokens (MPTs), while a native decentralized exchange (DEX) combines automated market maker (AMM) liquidity with order-book functionality. Institutional interest is now focused on privacy solutions, including zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs), to enable confidential transactions while maintaining regulatory complianceRipple CEO Confirms Next Stage for XRP’s Institutional Adoption, Heres Key Detail^[1]. Ripple's Senior Director of Engineering, Ayo Akinyele, emphasized that trillions in institutional assets could migrate to the XRPL over the next decade, with privacy tools set to launch in early 2026Ripple Plans Privacy Upgrades for XRP to Drive Institutional Use in 2026^[2].

The roadmap for institutional DeFi on XRPL includes a native lending protocol (XLS-65/66) to facilitate pooled lending and underwritten credit at the protocol level. This development, combined with smart escrows (XLS-100) and smart contracts (XLS-101), aims to streamline collateral management and secure compliance-driven transactionsThe Next Phase of Institutional DeFi on XRPL | Ripple^[3]. Confidential MPTs, expected in Q1 2026, will allow private collateral management at scale, addressing a critical need for institutions handling sensitive financial dataXRP Didn’t Replace SWIFT—But Here’s What It Did …^[4]. These upgrades position XRP as a bridge asset for tokenized real-world assets (RWAs), with $1 billion in monthly stablecoin volume and top-10 RWA activity already recorded on the ledgerRipple Advances Institutional DeFi with Lending and Privacy Tools^[5].

The anticipation of XRP ETF approvals has further fueled bullish sentiment. Six spot XRP ETF proposals, including those from Grayscale, 21Shares, and WisdomTree, are pending SEC decisions between October 18 and October 24, 2025XRP ETFs Tracker: The Complete List of Issuers and Products^[6]. Rex-Osprey's XRPR ETF, approved in September 2025, demonstrated the feasibility of a U.S. spot XRP product under updated regulatory frameworksXRP ETFs Tracker: The Complete List of Issuers and Products^[7]. Analysts project that a cluster of approvals could drive $5–$7 billion in inflows, mirroring the Bitcoin ETF surge earlier in 2025. This optimism is compounded by Ripple's recent $1.25 billion acquisition of Hidden Road, a prime broker clearing $3 trillion in FX and crypto trades, signaling deeper integration into traditional finance (TradFi) infrastructureXRP Didn’t Replace SWIFT—But Here’s What It Did …^[8].

Despite progress, challenges remain. The SEC's ongoing litigation with Ripple, which concluded with a $125 million settlement in July 2025, has created regulatory uncertainty. While the court ruled that XRP is not a security for retail transactions, institutional sales remain classified as securities, complicating ETF approvalsXRP Didn’t Replace SWIFT—But Here’s What It Did …^[9]. Additionally, SWIFT's chief innovation officer criticized Ripple's governance model, arguing that public blockchains lack the neutral governance required for widespread institutional trustIs Ripple Replacing SWIFT? All You Need to Know About XRP^[10]. Ripple defends the XRPL's decentralized validator network as comparable to Bitcoin or Ethereum, emphasizing its resilience and neutralityIs Ripple Replacing SWIFT? All You Need to Know About XRP^[11].

Price forecasts for XRP have gained traction amid these developments. XRP reached an all-time high of $3.65 in July 2025, driven by renewed institutional interest and favorable regulatory shiftsXRP Didn’t Replace SWIFT—But Here’s What It Did …^[12]. With the October ETF deadlines approaching and privacy tools nearing deployment, analysts suggest that XRP could test the $5 level if multiple ETFs gain approval. This trajectory hinges on the SEC's willingness to align with updated commodity-based trust standards, as demonstrated by Rex-Osprey's successful listingXRP ETFs Tracker: The Complete List of Issuers and Products^[13].