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Ripple Acquires Hidden Road and Relaunches It as Ripple Prime, Hints New XRP Utilities
- Ripple completed its US$1.25 billion acquisition of prime broker Hidden Road, which will be rebranded as Ripple Prime and offer multi-asset clearing, financing and brokerage services.
- Ripple executives view the deal as transformative for XRPL and XRP, with Ripple Prime set to use the ledger for settlements and unlock new utility cases for both XRP and stablecoin RLUSD.
- Some members of the XRP community remain sceptical, questioning whether the acquisition will genuinely deliver value to XRP holders or if Ripple is merely searching for use cases after the fact.
- XRP is currently trading at US$2.63 (up 1.2%), though analysts suggest approval of spot XRP ETFs could significantly boost the asset’s price alongside other cryptocurrencies like SOL and LTC.
Ripple has finalised its US$1.25 billion (AU$1.91 billion) acquisition of prime broker Hidden Road, a deal we first reported in April.
Hidden Road will now be rebranded as Ripple Prime, a move that significantly broadens Ripple’s business beyond crypto. The platform now offers multi-asset clearing, financing and brokerage services — and activity has already tripled since the deal was announced.
Ripple Execs Weigh in On Ripple Prime
Ripple CTO David Schwartz called the deal a “defining moment” for the XRPL — the decentralised ledger behind XRP. Cassie Craddock, Managing Director for Ripple UK and Europe, confirmed that Ripple Prime will use the XRPL for settlements.
CEO Brad Garlinghouse added that “XRP sits at the centre of everything Ripple does,” pointing to several major acquisitions over the past two years, including GTreasury, Rail, Standard Custody and Metaco.
Ripple President Monica Long said “the future ahead is mighty bright,” suggesting the deal could unlock new utility for both XRP and Ripple’s stablecoin, RLUSD. She noted that RLUSD is already being used as collateral in prime brokerage products, and that Ripple Prime is exploring further ways to use XRP.
Related: Over 40 % of Aussie Gen Z & Millennials Regret Skipping Crypto — See It as Big 10-Year Miss
Some in the XRP community, however, questioned how much real value this will bring to XRP. One user on Crypto Twitter joked about when this supposed utility will actually matter.
Another said it’s worrying that Ripple is still “looking for use cases” in the first place — with many holders simply hoping their bags will eventually pay off.
Holding XRP makes me feel like Oliver Twist from the 1968 movie Oliver! "please sir may I have some more" perhaps one day my big bag of XRP will be worth something.
— Jason (@AltcoinJason) October 24, 2025
XRP Up — But Can ETF Launches Push It Further?
At the time of writing, XRP is trading at US$2.63 (AU$4.02), up 1.2% in the past 24 hours — a modest move compared to coins like ETH and HYPE, which have seen stronger momentum.
Nate Geraci from NovaDius Wealth believes that if the U.S. government shutdown is resolved soon and spot crypto ETFs are approved — with several XRP ETFs in development — it could open the floodgates for assets like XRP, SOL and LTC.
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Related: 1.8 Trillion Asset Manager Gets Into Crypto Game, Following 2020 Entry In ETFs
Author
Aaron Feuerstein
Aaron Feuerstein is a freelance writer based in Melbourne. His focus is on decentralised finance and the regulatory space surrounding blockchain. He holds a Master's in Accounting. When he is not studying the latest legal case, he enjoys his time as a modest but eager hobby cook.
