TL;DR
- Ripple closed its historic lawsuit with the SEC after nearly five years, cutting the fine down to $50 million and benefiting from a more favorable regulatory environment.
- The company acquired Hidden Road for $1.25 billion, paving the way to combine traditional financial services with blockchain technology.
- XRP gained momentum in the markets, standing out for its strong performance and rising institutional interest.
The first quarter of 2025 marked a turning point for Ripple and its XRP token, driven by regulatory and strategic moves that reinforced its position in the global financial market.
In March, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) withdrew its appeal in the case against Ripple, bringing an end to a lawsuit that had dragged on since 2020. The settlement reduced the proposed fine from $125 million to $50 million and lifted the pending injunction, subject to final approval from the commission. The resolution coincided with a shift in regulatory policy under the new U.S. administration, which adopted a more crypto-friendly stance.
Ripple is the Future of Financial Integration
At the same time, Ripple announced the acquisition of multi-asset broker Hidden Road for $1.25 billion. The deal will allow the firm to integrate traditional financial services with its blockchain infrastructure, using its stablecoin RLUSD as collateral for cross-margin operations between digital and traditional assets. Hidden Road also plans to implement XRP Ledger technology to streamline post-trade processes in FX, swaps, and repo markets.
Institutional demand for the token was clearly reflected in the market. Franklin Templeton filed an S-1 application with the SEC to launch a spot XRP ETF in the U.S., joining other asset managers like Grayscale and WisdomTree in the race to offer financial products tied to the token. Meanwhile, CME announced the launch of XRP futures, scheduled to debut on May 19.
Globally, XRP-based exchange-traded products maintained their momentum with new listings and growing capital inflows. During the quarter, they recorded $37.7 million in net inflows, pushing the year-to-date total to $214 million — just $1 million shy of overtaking Ethereum-based funds.
First Spot XRP ETF in Brazil
Internationally, Brazil became the first country to approve a spot XRP ETF, managed by Hashdex and listed on the B3 exchange under the symbol XRPH11. The product tracks the Nasdaq XRP Reference Price index and represents a major milestone for institutional adoption in Latin America.
In the markets, the token delivered outstanding performance during the quarter, outperforming other major cryptocurrencies. The average daily trading volume reached $3.2 billion, with peaks above $16 billion during periods of heightened activity. At the time of writing, XRP is trading at $2.10 per unit after a daily drop of 1.3%.
On-Chain Activity Slowdown
On-chain activity on the XRP Ledger saw a 37% drop in transactions and a 40% decline in new wallet creations compared to the previous quarter. However, volume on decentralized exchanges (DEX) fell by just 17%, showing stronger resilience within the DeFi space. The RLUSD stablecoin surpassed $90 million in market capitalization and recorded more than $300 million in cumulative volume on DEX platforms.
These developments show how Ripple has solidified its position in the industry, driven by regulatory progress, institutional adoption, and advanced strategies integrating traditional and digital finance
