Ripple Prime Clients Gain Access to Spot Crypto Trading

XRP-linked fintech Ripple began letting U.S. customers access spot trading for dozens of cryptocurrencies through its Ripple Prime service, the company said in a blog post on Monday.

The addition of digital asset spot prime brokerage capabilities follows Ripple’s acquisition of Hidden Road, a multi-asset prime brokerage earlier this year. Ripple said that it was purchasing the platform for $1.25 billion in April.

In Monday’s announcement, Ripple said that Prime clients could access “dozens of the most prominent digital assets,” including XRP and Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin, which debuted in December. The assets had market caps of $142 billion and $1 billion, respectively, on Monday, according to crypto data provider CoinGecko.

Although Ripple’s business has focused on XRP’s ecosystem for years, the move likely makes Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana accessible to the firm’s customers. In a statement, Ripple Prime International CEO Michael Higgins said the service dovetails with Prime’s other offerings.

“The launch of OTC spot execution capabilities complements our existing suite of OTC and cleared derivatives services in digital assets and positions us to provide U.S. institutions with a comprehensive offering to suit their trading strategies and needs,” he said.

Decrypt has reached out to Ripple for clarification and comment.

Through Ripple’s prime brokerage, institutions can access foreign-exchange trading, as well as precious metals, in addition to synthetic assets and over-the-counter swaps. Ripple’s prime brokerage also allows customers to borrow money to trade derivatives and crypto on margin.

In April, Ripple CEO Brand Garlinghouse said on X that prime brokers like Hidden Road “have proven themselves a the trusted intermediary for the largest hedge funds, market makers, OTC desks, quant traders,” noting that Ripple had been a customer for years.

Garlinghouse said that Hidden Road, under its new owners, would use XRP Ledger for clearing a portion of trades. However, he highlighted Hidden Road’s ability to promote RLUSD’s adoption as a form of collateral across different types of markets and trading strategies.

As Ripple adapts to a more supportive regulatory environment, the company has gone on a spending spree. Last month, Garlinghouse noted that Ripple has unveiled “5 major acquisitions” in around two years, covering areas like custody and corporate treasury management.