Ripple's Major Strategic Acquisitions in 2023-2025 and Their Impact on XRP

Ripple has experienced significant changes since the 2024 US presidential elections, notably marked by Donald Trump’s return to power in early 2025. His pro-crypto pledges, including the termination of SEC Chair Gary Gensler, have hinted at a more favorable environment for US-based cryptocurrency firms.

Leading this charge is Ripple, whose CEO, Brad Garlinghouse, pointed out multiple major acquisitions in a recent post on X (formerly Twitter). Under Garlinghouse’s guidance, the company has secured 5 significant purchases in just two years, despite the industry’s ongoing legal challenges.

“With today’s close of Hidden Road (now Ripple Prime), Ripple has announced 5 major acquisitions in ~2 years (GTreasury last week, Rail in August, Standard Custody in 2024, Metaco in 2023). As we continue to build solutions towards enabling an Internet of Value – I’m reminding you… link” — Brad Garlinghouse (@bgarlinghouse) October 24, 2025

Five Key Acquisitions

Ripple started its acquisition spree in May 2023 with a $250 million purchase of Metaco, a Swiss-based cryptocurrency custody service. This move enhanced Ripple’s enterprise services, allowing it to manage, issue, and settle tokenized assets.

Less than a year later, the company made headlines as President Monica Long announced the acquisition of Standard Custody & Trust Company, which provides a regulated platform for cryptocurrencies.

In 2025, Ripple executed three more significant deals, including the $200 million acquisition of Rail, a platform designed for efficient, transparent transactions using stablecoins and fiat together. Additionally, the company acquired GTreasury, a treasury software provider, for $1 billion, strengthening its corporate finance operations.

The most notable acquisition was Hidden Road, now rebranded as Ripple Prime. This deal was initially disclosed in April and officially completed recently.

“We’re pleased to share that our acquisition of Hidden Road is officially complete, making Ripple the first crypto company to own and operate a global, multi-asset prime broker – bringing the promise of digital assets to institutional customers at scale,” the company stated.

Implications for XRP

As these acquisitions have unfolded alongside the resolution of the SEC lawsuit, XRP supporters have expressed optimism. Nonetheless, some have raised concerns regarding how these acquisitions and structural changes affect XRP, particularly after it peaked in July but has since fallen by about 30%. Some community members have questioned XRP’s role within Ripple’s ecosystem as the company incorporates its new project, RLUSD, as a settling asset.

“Brad, many in the XRP community are trying to understand how the clearing and settlement process will work now that Ripple has integrated Hidden Road under Ripple Prime. We’ve heard RLUSD mentioned as the core settlement asset — but is that RLUSD operating on the XRP Ledger or…” — CryptoSensei (@Crypt0Senseii) October 24, 2025

Another user highlighted that XRP serves as a liquidity tool, suggesting that a higher USD valuation might facilitate quicker transactions by requiring less XRP. Despite being backed in a one-to-one ratio with the USD, RLUSD does not entirely resolve the liquidity challenges present.