- With Ripple Labs acquiring Hidden Road, a new shift for crypto and TradFi has opened.
- The bridge between crypto and the traditional financial market is closing up.
American blockchain payments firm Ripple Labs has made headlines after acquiring prime brokerage firm Hidden Road, setting its ecosystem up for a utility upgrade. Per the update, crypto researcher SMQKE pointed to the deal as a major step for Ripple’s XRP Ledger. The acquisition, pending regulatory approval, could be one of Ripple’s biggest moves.
Hidden Road Deal Boosts XRP Ledger
As described in our earlier post, the Ripple Labs acquisition of Hidden Road was valued at $1.25 billion. According to the update, the deal is seen as a major step in the crypto firm’s plan to expand the use of the XRP Ledger in global finance.
It is worth noting that Hidden Road, which already clears over $3 trillion in trades yearly and serves more than 300 institutional clients, is preparing to migrate its post-trade clearing operations onto the XRPL.
The report also shows that this migration or update will highlight the ledger’s ability to handle heavy institutional traffic, further proving its scalability and efficiency.
In a recent post on X, Researcher SMQKE described the development as one that would supercharge XRP’s utility. He explained that integrating Hidden Road’s systems into the XRPL infrastructure will show the blockchain’s strength in meeting the high demands of international financial operations.
It is essential to add that the Ripple strategy is more than an expansion project. It marks a key moment where digital asset infrastructure blends traditional financial services. France’s BLM Business channel and crypto influencer Amelie on X also gave further attention to the story, underlining the global interest in Ripple’s new direction.
Based on its current development outlook, Ripple aims to expand beyond its current role in cross-border payments and liquidity services. Interestingly, with the acquisition of Hidden Road, the firm now has access to essential services such as trading, custody, financing, and clearing.
This move makes Ripple the first crypto-native company to own and operate a global prime brokerage.
Ripple’s Stablecoin Set to Play New Role
According to reports, Hidden Road plans to adopt Ripple’s stablecoin, RLUSD, as collateral for its prime brokerage services. By introducing RLUSD into the clearing and financing systems, Ripple aims to build deeper credibility among traditional finance institutions.
In a previous article, we discussed Ripple managing director Cassie Craddock’s confirmation that the XRP Ledger (XRPL) would be used as a post-trade for Hidden Road’s prime brokerage services.
If regulatory approvals move forward as expected, a major shift for crypto and TradFi could begin. The outcome of this integration could also set the tone for future collaborations between crypto firms and traditional financial giants.
As of this writing, Ripple Labs-linked cryptocurrency XRP was trading at $2.19, down 1.51% in the past 24 hours.
