Ripple 
$2.54While known as a stablecoin issuer and cross-border payment platform, it is now taking a new step in the financial world. By purchasing the global credit network Hidden Road, the company officially launched the first multi-asset prime broker owned by a crypto company, called “Ripple Prime”. The acquisition process, which started in April, was completed in October and Hidden Road is now part of the Ripple ecosystem. With this move, Ripple aims to become a strong player not only in the payment field but also in corporate brokerage and clearing services.
RLUSD Usage Increases, Ripple Continues to Grow
According to the company, Ripple Prime’s operations have tripled since the deal was announced. Ripple’s payment network, crypto custody infrastructure, and RLUSD stablecoin will now be integrated into Ripple Prime services. This integration aims to speed up processes, increase transparency and reduce costs for corporate customers.
On the other hand, Ripple’s stablecoin RLUSD has now begun to be used as collateral in many derivative products in the Ripple Prime ecosystem. The company predicts that RLUSD will be preferred by a wider user base in the coming months. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse said in a statement when the deal was announced, “We are entering a new phase of digital asset adoption. This is the first time the US market has been this open, with the shadow of the old SEC administration lifted.”
Marc Asch, founder of Hidden Road, will manage the integration process together with the Ripple management team. This collaboration will take Ripple’s corporate lending and investment services one step further in the digital asset world.
Ripple’s Aggressive Growth Moves Continue
The Hidden Road deal is Ripple’s fifth major acquisition in the last two years. The company acquired digital asset custody firm Metaco in 2023 and Standard Custody in 2024. While stablecoin-based payment platform Rail was acquired in August, it was announced last week that treasury management system provider GTreasury would be acquired. GTreasury CEO Renaat Ver Eecke said, “By joining forces with Ripple, we are moving from managing capital to actively using it.”
In addition, Ripple’s stablecoin RLUSD was awarded an ‘A’ rating by the analysis firm Bluechip in July, receiving the highest score in the “stability, governance and asset assurance” categories. The company selected BNY Mellon as the primary custodian of RLUSD reserves.
Additionally, another important development in the Ripple ecosystem was the IPO plan of the XRP-related company Evernorth. Evernorth aims to generate revenues of more than $1 billion by merging with Armada Acquisition Corp II. Japanese financial giant SBI Holdings invested $200 million in this deal. Ripple Labs was also among the investors who supported the process.
Following these developments, XRP started the week with a 5.2 percent increase and reached $2.56. Ripple’s expansion moves are also positively reflected in the token’s performance.
Ultimately, Ripple’s Hidden Road acquisition shows that the company is shifting from its payment infrastructure to a much broader financial ecosystem. The Ripple Prime brand aims to create a service network that rivals the corporate intermediaries of traditional finance. At the same time, the increasing use of RLUSD is a signal that the company will remain permanent in stable financial solutions.
