• Ripple’s $1.25 billion acquisition of Hidden Highway means that you can handle your world multi-asset prime dealer platform.
• Hidden Highway has launched an OTC swap for its US shoppers. RLUSD might be used as a bridge asset for collateral and XRP.
• Ripple has positioned XRP inside the capital flows of its services, shifting past retail transactions to a deeper monetary infrastructure.

The $1.25 billion acquisition of Ripple’s Prime Brakerage Hidden Highway and the following launch of economic (OTC) Crypto Swaps within the US sparked debate about Ripple’s market place and its potential impression on the efficiency of its native token XRP.

Following the acquisition, Hidden Highway launched cash-setting OTC Crypto Swaps for US-based institutional prospects. These swaps offered by way of Hidden Highway Companions Civ UK Ltd. present entry to a wide range of well-known digital property, together with providers equivalent to cross-merging and financing.

Institutional enlargement and regulatory approval

The rising demand for the system was highlighted in December 2024 when Michael Higgins, CEO of Hidden Roads, stated appetites have been rising from giant establishments.

“Serving them (institutional traders) throughout the already converging conventional monetary and digital property ecosystem affords really distinctive alternatives for us out there.”

The OTC swap rollout of Hidden Highway within the US is likely one of the first product launches because the acquisition of Ripple. Shortly after the transaction, Hidden Highway obtained a broker-dealer license from the Monetary Trade Regulatory Authority (FINRA), which oversees the US brokerage and alternate markets.

In parallel, Hidden Highway grew to become one of many first firms in Europe to accumulate the market below a crypto asset (MICA) license. The Dutch monetary market confirmed its license on January 30, 2025, shortly after the regulatory framework got here into impact on December 30, 2024.

Associated: RLUSD is listed in BITGET. Ripple’s Stablecoin has XRP ledger, Ethereum interoperability

Influence of XRP and Ripple’s market place

The launch of OTC Swap will increase Ripple’s institutional providing, however the direct impression on XRP costs is modest. XRP fell 3% after an acquisition announcement affected by a wider vary of market elements.

4-hour value chart with XRP/USDT RSI and 50 EMA. sauce: tradingView.com

Nonetheless, integration of Hidden Highway operations and Ripple’s infrastructure, together with the potential use of Ripple’s Stablecoin RLUSD and the XRP ledger for post-trade settlement, may improve the usefulness of XRP in the long run.

Market outlook: The position of XRP inside institutional shifts

Ripple’s focus is presently leaning in the direction of institutional liquidation and liquidity. It is a sector that handles capital volumes far exceed retail transactions. In line with @Wkahneman’s commentary, XRP’s visibility might seem like diminished, however its performance stays embedded in these bigger monetary programs. Though RLUSD suits in with institutional collateral wants, the motion, bridging and liquidity mechanisms behind it nonetheless depend on XRP.

Constructed to help such infrastructure, XRPL permits use instances equivalent to tokenization and AMM-based liquidity. As regulated stubcoins like RLUSD flow into trade, the position of XRP in transferring worth throughout asset lessons, jurisdictions, and networks turns into extra defensible for institutional gamers.

actual property: vivopower (VVPR) Particulars Saudi Arabia’s Royal Backing and $121M XRP TREASURY

This shift reveals Ripple’s deeper integration into the capital market. If these instruments work as meant, XRP can acquire utilities past guesswork. That is an infrastructure degree operation. Nonetheless, the end result depends upon recruitment, regulation, and Ripple’s means to function this transition.