Ripple Acquires Hidden Road for $1.25 Billion: A New Bridge to TradFi and DeFi

Bittime - Ripple Labs, the company behind the cryptocurrency XRP, has just announced the strategic acquisition of Hidden Road with a fantastic value of $1.25 billion. This move is one of the largest acquisitions in the history of the crypto industry, as well as marking a new chapter for Ripple, which is now the first crypto company to own and control an international multi-asset brokerage company.

Hidden Road is known as one of the fastest growing prime brokerages in the world, offering complete services to financial institutions. Starting from clearing, prime brokerage, to financing for various assets such as crypto, debt securities, derivatives, swaps and foreign exchange. This acquisition is believed to accelerate institutional adoption of digital assets globally.

Encouraging Crypto Adoption by Institutions

Prime brokerages like Hidden Road are key infrastructure in driving institutional trust in digital assets. With a strong track record of serving more than 300 institutional clients, including hedge funds, market makers, OTC desks, and quantitative traders, Hidden Road transacts up to $3 trillion annually across multiple markets.

Interestingly, Ripple itself has been a Hidden Road client for the last few years. With this acquisition, Ripple not only strengthens its position in the institutional market, but also opens a wider path for financial institutions to explore the potential of crypto through more professional and trusted services.

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Paving the Way Connecting TradFi and DeFi

One of the main strengths of this collaboration is the use of XRP Ledger technology which is known for its low costs, high speed and scalability as an alternative to traditional transaction settlement systems such as SWIFT. Where SWIFT takes more than 24 hours to complete cross-border transactions, Ripple's system allows instant settlement at much lower fees.

In addition, Ripple USD (RLUSD), Ripple's stablecoin, will also play a large role in Hidden Road's operations. RLUSD will be used as collateral for Hidden Road's prime brokerage product, making it the first stablecoin capable of facilitating efficient cross-margining between traditional markets and crypto assets.

With strong financial support from Ripple, Hidden Road is projected to grow into the largest non-bank prime brokerage in the world. This strategic collaboration is also a revolutionary step in bridging the gap between traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi).

Also read: BANXA Buys Pi Coin for 30.5 Million, What Does It Mean?

Conclusion

Ripple's acquisition of Hidden Road is not just a matter of business expansion, but also a long-term strategy to strengthen XRP's position in the global market. With the combination of world-class prime brokerage services and the power of Ripple's blockchain, the future of institutional adoption of crypto is brighter than ever. Ripple and Hidden Road are together leading a major transformation in the global financial ecosystem, ushering in a new era that seamlessly connects TradFi and DeFi.

FAQ

1. What is Hidden Road and why was it acquired by Ripple?

Hidden Road is a global prime broker offering clearing and financing services for a variety of assets. Ripple acquired this company to strengthen the connection between traditional finance and crypto assets.

2. What are the main benefits of this acquisition for Ripple?

With Hidden Road, Ripple accelerates adoption of the XRP Ledger among institutions and expands the use of its RLUSD stablecoin for cross-market transactions.

3. How will this impact the crypto market as a whole?

This acquisition increases institutional trust in crypto, opening up wider access for financial institutions to use Ripple's blockchain services.

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Reference

Blockchain Reporter,  Ripple Buys Hidden Road’s Crypto Prime Brokerage Business, accessed April 9, 2025.

Author: MF