XRP News Today: Ripple's Q1 2025: 50% XRP Rally, $1.25B Acquisition, SEC Victory

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has described the first quarter of 2025 as an “incredible” period for the company. This assessment comes on the heels of several significant developments, including a decisive legal victory against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and a surge in institutional interest in XRP-based investment products.

In a recent tweet, Garlinghouse highlighted three key achievements: the resolution of Ripple’s long-standing legal dispute with the SEC, the $1.25 billion acquisition of prime broker Hidden Road, and the growing global momentum of XRP exchange-traded products (ETPs).

Garlinghouse emphasized that the XRP Markets Report, which has been a cornerstone of Ripple’s transparency efforts since 2017, will undergo some changes. He assured that the company’s commitment to transparency remains unchanged, and it will continue to publish its XRP holdings and other transparency initiatives.

The latest XRP Markets Report, released on Monday, marked a significant shift in Ripple’s approach to communicating its financial position and market insights. The reports, while crucial for transparency, were often used against Ripple by the SEC during the enforcement action.

The SEC formally withdrew its appeal in the first quarter of 2025, agreeing to a significantly reduced settlement of $50 million, down from a proposed $125 million. This move closed one of the most closely watched legal battles in the crypto industry, affirming the legality of Ripple’s XRP distributions and sending a positive signal across the digital asset space. This development followed broader regulatory changes in Washington, including the repeal of SAB 121 and new leadership at the SEC under Chairman Paul Atkins, which has fostered optimism for future innovation.

Ripple’s acquisition of Hidden Road earlier last month is set to expand institutional use cases for RLUSD and the XRP Ledger (XRPL). Hidden Road plans to leverage RLUSD as collateral across various financial instruments and utilize XRPL to streamline post-trade operations. This acquisition, one of the largest in crypto history, aligns with Ripple’s strategy to bridge traditional and decentralized finance.

The report also confirmed a significant increase in institutional demand for XRP. XRP investment products saw $37.7 million in inflows during the first quarter, pushing year-to-date totals to $214 million, nearly surpassing Ethereum. Major financial players like Franklin Templeton filed for a spot XRP ETF in the U.S., while CME announced XRP futures, and Brazil approved a dedicated XRP ETF, solidifying XRP’s role in global capital markets.

Despite macroeconomic volatility and market challenges, XRP outperformed peers like Bitcoin and Ethereum, rallying nearly 50% at one point in early February. On-chain activity normalized, but DeFi metrics and RLUSD adoption on XRPL remained robust.