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Introduction
Ripple has finalized its $1.25 billion acquisition of prime brokerage Hidden Road, rebranding the platform as Ripple Prime in a landmark deal that positions the company as the first in the cryptocurrency industry to own and operate a global multi-asset prime broker. This strategic consolidation comes amid a significant 11.5% weekly surge in XRP’s price to $2.65, pushing the token back to fourth place in market capitalization rankings ahead of BNB, and represents the latest in Ripple’s aggressive expansion strategy that has seen five major acquisitions since 2023 totaling billions of dollars.
Key Points
- Ripple becomes first crypto firm to own global multi-asset prime broker through Hidden Road acquisition
- XRP surges 11.5% weekly to $2.65, reclaiming 4th largest crypto spot with $159B market cap
- Ripple's acquisition spree since 2023 includes Metaco, Standard Custody, Rail, GTreasury totaling billions
Ripple Prime: Building the New Wall Street
The completion of the Hidden Road acquisition, initially announced in April but finalized last Friday, represents a watershed moment for Ripple’s institutional ambitions. In a statement on X, the Brad Garlinghouse-led company revealed that the brokerage platform will now operate under the name Ripple Prime, creating what the company describes as the cryptocurrency industry’s first ‘owned and operated global, multi-asset prime broker.’ This move fundamentally transforms Ripple’s capacity to serve institutional clients at scale, bringing digital assets into mainstream financial infrastructure.
The strategic importance of this acquisition was underscored by commentary from industry leaders, with Teucrium’s CEO noting that Ripple is effectively ‘building the new Wall Street with XRP and Hidden Road.’ This perspective highlights how Ripple Prime positions the company to compete directly with traditional financial institutions while leveraging the advantages of blockchain technology. The $1.25 billion price tag reflects the premium Ripple places on establishing comprehensive institutional infrastructure rather than simply acquiring technology or customer bases.
Ripple's Acquisition Spree: From Custody to Treasury Management
Brad Garlinghouse took to social media platform X to highlight Ripple’s five major strategic moves since 2023, demonstrating a consistent expansion strategy despite ongoing pressure from the SEC lawsuit. The acquisition spree began in 2023 with the purchase of Metaco, a Swiss-based cryptocurrency custody provider, followed by Standard Custody & Trust Company, an enterprise-grade regulated platform for digital assets. These moves established Ripple’s foundation in secure asset storage and regulatory compliance.
2025 has proven even more transformative for Ripple’s corporate development. Beyond the Hidden Road acquisition, the company announced deals to acquire Rail for $200 million and GTreasury for $1 billion, significantly expanding its capabilities in payment infrastructure and treasury management solutions. Additionally, the formation of Evennorth Holdings and its business combination agreement with Armada Acquisition Corp II creates new pathways for institutional adoption of Ripple’s XRP token, demonstrating a multi-pronged approach to market penetration.
XRP Price Surge and Market Dynamics
Coinciding with Ripple’s corporate announcements, XRP has experienced substantial price appreciation, recording an 11.5% weekly surge that drove its price to a multi-week peak of $2.65. This momentum pushed XRP’s market capitalization to approximately $159 billion, allowing it to surpass BNB and reclaim its position as the fourth-largest cryptocurrency by market value. The timing suggests strong market confidence in Ripple’s strategic direction and the potential institutional adoption facilitated by these acquisitions.
Despite the bullish momentum, on-chain data indicates that whales have been taking profits through significant sell-offs, creating a complex market dynamic where institutional accumulation appears to be counterbalanced by large holder distribution. However, this selling pressure has been offset by notable new entrants to the XRP ecosystem, including prominent futures trader James Wynn, who publicly announced joining the ‘XRP Army’ with a substantial investment after concluding that XRP could ‘revolutionize the banking systems.’
Technical analysis from popular analyst Ali Martinez identifies key levels that will determine XRP’s near-term trajectory. Martinez outlines $2.15 as critical support and $2.80 as the next significant resistance level on the path toward the psychologically important $3.00 milestone. These technical parameters provide traders with clear benchmarks for assessing whether the current rally represents sustainable momentum or another temporary price spike in XRP’s volatile history.
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