Ripple Seals $1.25B Deal to Acquire Hidden Road — Big Move in Crypto

Ripple Advances Its Institutional Footprint with Major Prime Brokerage Acquisition

Ripple continues to expand its influence in the financial technology space, announcing the completion of its acquisition of non-bank prime broker Hidden Road. Rebranded as Ripple Prime, this strategic move marks one of its most substantial investments, positioning the company as a leader in multi-asset prime brokerage services that bridge traditional finance and the crypto sector.

Ripple has finalized its acquisition of Hidden Road, a non-bank prime broker, and rebranded it as Ripple Prime, underscoring its growing ambitions in institutional crypto services. This deal represents one of Ripple’s most significant strategic moves, allowing it to establish the first crypto company to operate a multi-asset prime brokerage platform. This platform offers comprehensive solutions spanning digital assets, derivatives, swaps, foreign exchange, and fixed-income products for institutional clients.

Since the announcement of its $1.25 billion acquisition in April, Ripple Prime’s business has already grown threefold, with expectations of further expansion driven by new and existing customers. The firm’s efforts reflect its broader aim to bridge traditional financial markets with blockchain technology, facilitating cross-border transactions and complex financial operations for banking institutions.

Ripple is also seeking to integrate advanced blockchain features into its new platform. Its lucrative Ripple USD (RLUSD) stablecoin, which is poised to enhance the platform’s utility, is already being used by derivatives clients as collateral and for trading purposes. Ripple highlights that their foundational digital asset infrastructure, including XRP, complements their stablecoin services, creating a more seamless experience for institutional users.

Looking ahead, Ripple plans to embed blockchain capabilities into Ripple Prime to optimize operational costs and streamline processes. The company’s ongoing expansion includes recent acquisitions of firms like GTreasury, a treasury management solutions provider, and Rail, a stablecoin-powered payment platform. These deals follow other strategic investments, including Standard Custody and Metaco, totaling six acquisitions over 28 months. This aggressive growth underscores Ripple’s commitment to providing comprehensive blockchain and crypto solutions tailored to institutional needs.

Overall, Ripple’s push into multi-asset prime brokerage and its ongoing acquisition strategy exemplify its broader mission to integrate blockchain technology into the traditional finance ecosystem, cementing its role as a key player in the evolving cryptocurrency landscape.