TL;DR
- Ripple aims to integrate traditional financial services on blockchain infrastructure, leveraging the growing institutional adoption of digital assets in the United States.
- The firm invested nearly $4 billion in 2025, acquiring Hidden Road and GTreasury, launching Ripple Prime, and raising $500 million in new funding.
- Ripple plans to expand the use of the XRP Ledger across financial institutions for fast payments and settlements.
Brad Garlinghouse announced at the Ripple Swell 2025 conference in New York that the firm intends to integrate traditional financial services on blockchain infrastructure, taking advantage of the current acceleration in institutional adoption of digital assets in the United States.
The company has executed an expansion plan totaling nearly $4 billion in acquisitions during 2025. In April, it acquired brokerage firm Hidden Road for approximately $1.3 billion, and in the fall, it purchased financial software platform GTreasury for over $1 billion. Additionally, it launched Ripple Prime, a new brokerage service that enables U.S.-based institutions to trade in OTC spot markets across multiple tokens. The company also secured $500 million in fresh funding, raising its valuation to around $40 billion.
Banks Enter the Blockchain Industry
Regulatory changes under the Donald Trump administration have created a more favorable environment for the sector. The SEC and CFTC have relaxed rules governing cryptocurrencies and other digital assets, encouraging major banks to enter the market.
Citigroup plans to launch a crypto custody service in 2026, Bank of America is exploring the use of stablecoins, and JPMorgan intends to issue a “deposit token” on Coinbase’s Base blockchain. Meanwhile, spot Bitcoin ETFs have attracted billions since their U.S. debut in 2024, lending significant institutional legitimacy to the sector.
Ripple and XRP Need Greater Regulatory Clarity
Ripple now seeks to extend the use of its XRP Ledger to financial institutions interested in operating blockchain-based infrastructure for fast payments and settlements. Garlinghouse explained that the goal is to build XRP-based solutions that provide real utility and adoption, strengthening the token’s ecosystem. However, he acknowledged that the lack of clear federal legislation on digital assets, such as the Clarity Act, remains a barrier for banks to fully adopt these services.
While Bitcoin and Ethereum reached new highs this year, XRP has remained relatively stable, although its integration into deals with major institutions could trigger a new growth cycle. Ripple aims to demonstrate that blockchain can serve as the foundation for the financial system of the future: programmable, efficient, and connected to the real economy
