XRP News Today: "Ripple Connects Conventional Finance and Cryptocurrency Through Prime Launch"

Ripple has introduced a spot prime brokerage service for digital assets in the U.S., allowing institutional investors to carry out over-the-counter (OTC) crypto trades in assets such as

and its stablecoin RLUSD. This new offering, named Ripple Prime, represents a significant step forward for the company as it incorporates Hidden Road—a multi-asset prime brokerage acquired for $1.25 billion in October 2025—into its platform. Ripple Prime now delivers a consolidated solution for OTC spot trading, derivatives, swaps, and cross-margining, aiming to connect traditional finance with the digital asset sector, as reported by .

The debut of Ripple Prime follows extensive integration efforts, during which Ripple expanded Hidden Road’s operations threefold and injected billions in funding. The service now enables institutions to oversee portfolios spanning digital assets, FX, and fixed income, with XRP and RLUSD as central products. Michael Higgins, International CEO of Ripple Prime, highlighted that the platform enhances existing derivatives and OTC services, equipping U.S. clients with risk management and liquidity optimization tools, according to

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One standout capability of Ripple Prime is cross-margining, which lets institutions use OTC spot holdings as collateral alongside derivatives and futures. This feature, previously unavailable in the crypto sector, strengthens risk controls and brings digital assets closer to traditional financial practices. Ripple has also shifted post-trade processes to the XRP Ledger, utilizing its rapid settlement speeds to boost transparency and efficiency, according to a report by Coinotag (

).

Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin has seen increasing adoption, recently exceeding $1 billion in market value across

and the XRP Ledger. This achievement highlights rising institutional interest, with 50 million new RLUSD tokens issued ahead of Ripple’s Swell 2025 event. RLUSD’s value is pegged to the U.S. dollar and supported by cash equivalents and U.S. Treasuries, with audits from firms like Withum helping to address concerns about stability and regulatory compliance, as reported by TradingView ( ).

Ripple’s growth strategy goes beyond prime brokerage. Since 2024, the company has acquired Standard Custody & Trust Company, a U.S.-based crypto custodian, and Rail, a stablecoin payments provider. Ripple has also agreed to buy GTreasury, a treasury management software firm, to expand into corporate finance. These acquisitions demonstrate Ripple’s goal to lead in institutional crypto infrastructure, with XRP and RLUSD as its core assets—as previously covered by The Crypto Basic

.

The introduction of Ripple Prime comes at a crucial time for the crypto industry, as clearer regulations and new technologies encourage institutional involvement. By providing OTC trading for XRP—a token recognized for efficient cross-border settlements—and RLUSD, a stablecoin focused on reliability, Ripple is addressing major hurdles to broader adoption. Experts suggest that platforms like Ripple Prime could speed up the integration of digital assets into mainstream investment portfolios, with global crypto custody assets expected to reach $10 trillion by 2030, according to Coinotag

.