- Ripple’s $1.25B acquisition of Hidden Road brings prime brokerage into the XRP ecosystem, aligning crypto with traditional finance.
- Hidden Road clears $3T annually and now enables RLUSD as collateral, fast-tracking settlements and reducing fiat dependency.
- XRP dominance retests key levels near 4.1%–4.6% as Ripple’s institutional expansion sparks hopes of renewed bullish momentum.
One of the largest transactions in the history of cryptocurrency, Ripple has announced that it will acquire Hidden Road for $1.25 billion. More significantly, this deal will connect the XRP ecosystem with traditional finance. One of the top prime brokers, Hidden Road, clears more than $3 trillion for more than 300 financial institutions every year. Through this agreement, Ripple’s position is strengthened and the XRP Ledger’s contribution to scalable and effective financial transactions is increased.
Hidden Road’s Role in Institutional Finance
Hidden Road has established itself as a trusted intermediary for hedge funds, market makers, and institutional traders. Prime brokers like Hidden Road facilitate cross-asset trading, including both crypto and traditional instruments. Moreover, with this acquisition, Ripple will introduce RLUSD as collateral across prime brokerage services. By speeding up settlement times, this will lessen the need for antiquated fiat rails.
The CEO of Ripple, Brad Garlinghouse, emphasized that this action opens up a huge window for cryptocurrency to smoothly mesh with established financial markets. Furthermore, Hidden Road’s robust infrastructure will allow Ripple to expand its influence among institutional players. Consequently, this positions Ripple as a leading force in the evolution of global financial systems.
XRP Market Dynamics and Dominance Trends
XRP dominance in the crypto market has seen fluctuations over the years according to analysis Cryptoes analysis. After peaking at 7% in 2019, it experienced a prolonged downtrend, reaching a low near 1% in mid-2022. However, a resurgence in late 2024 saw dominance surge from 1.2% to over 5.5% within weeks.
Currently, XRP dominance is retesting the 4.1%–4.6% range, a historically significant zone. Moreover, this area has acted as resistance multiple times, making it a crucial level for market direction. If it holds as support, XRP could maintain its recent gains. Conversely, a break below might lead to further corrections.
Additionally, the Parabolic SAR indicator suggests short-term bearish pressure. However, given the strong institutional backing from Ripple’s latest acquisition, bullish momentum may resume soon. The market is closely watching this consolidation phase to determine the next significant move.
