Ripple announced the launch of its digital asset spot prime brokerage services tailored specifically for the US market. This move, unveiled on November 3, 2025, marks a major milestone in Ripple’s strategy to broaden its institutional offerings and solidify its presence as a one-stop platform for digital asset trading and financial services.

Image Source: Ripple

Hidden Road Integration

The new service builds on Ripple’s strategic acquisition of multi-asset prime brokerage firm Hidden Road, completed in October 2025 for $1.25 billion. This acquisition has enabled Ripple to combine its existing regulatory licenses with Hidden Road’s sophisticated prime brokerage infrastructure, now rebranded as Ripple Prime. This integration allows Ripple to offer U.S.-based institutional clients seamless access to a wide range of financial instruments, including foreign exchange, digital assets, derivatives, swaps, and fixed income products. Ripple Prime enables institutional traders in the US to execute over-the-counter (OTC) spot trades on dozens of leading cryptocurrencies, including Ripple’s native XRP and its stablecoin RLUSD.

Expanding Institutional Flexibility

One of the standout features of Ripple Prime’s new offering is the ability for clients to cross-margin OTC spot transactions alongside OTC swaps and CME-listed futures and options. This cross-margining capability consolidates diverse asset positions and margin requirements under a single operational framework, providing unprecedented flexibility for institutional portfolio management. This integration effectively bridges traditional finance markets with the growing digital asset ecosystem. The platform’s multi-asset prime brokerage model caters to quantitative traders, market makers, hedge funds, and other institutional players, allowing them to manage and optimize leverage, collateral, and risk across various asset classes more efficiently. The move also supports broader adoption of RLUSD as collateral, boosting liquidity and operational efficiency in trading strategies.

Ripple’s Blockchain Ecosystem

This launch of spot prime brokerage zooms out to complement Ripple’s expanding ecosystem of blockchain-based institutional services. Ripple’s core offerings include Ripple Payments and Ripple Custody, a digital asset custody solution offering enhanced security for institutional holdings. Ripple Prime now enhances this suite by incorporating a comprehensive trading and financing desk that services digital assets alongside traditional financial instruments. The XRP token and RLUSD stablecoin are leveraged throughout these interconnected services to streamline settlements, increase liquidity, and reduce friction in digital and fiat currency exchanges.

Regulatory Context

The launch occurs amid an evolving and improving regulatory climate in the US. Ripple has cultivated close relationships with policymakers and regulatory bodies, positioning itself as a key stakeholder and advocate in shaping crypto regulations. The Prime brokerage expansion aligns with a strategic vision to operate within a clearer regulatory framework while expanding market share among institutional clients. Industry observers note that Ripple’s regulatory positioning and acquisitions, including recent purchases in custody and treasury management sectors, create a competitive edge in institutional crypto finance.

Future Outlook

Following the announcement, XRP’s market price saw a modest dip, trading around $2.425, reflecting typical short-term volatility associated with major corporate news. However, industry experts regard the launch as a long-term positive catalyst for both Ripple and the broader institutional adoption of cryptocurrencies. By providing comprehensive OTC spot trading capabilities integrated with derivatives and cross-asset margining, Ripple Prime positions itself as a pivotal player in enabling greater institutional participation in crypto markets.