XRP Aims for $2.8 Breakout as Ripple’s Secret $1.25B TradFi Play Shakes Up the Market

Ripple just hit a regulatory jackpot. Its newly acquired arm, Hidden Road, has secured a broker-dealer license from FINRA, giving Ripple a serious edge in institutional crypto services. While the XRP price hovers near $2, analysts believe the coin’s subdued action is an intentional part of a broader game plan to dominate traditional finance. Could this be Ripple’s stealthiest power play yet?

Ripple Bolsters TradFi Game With FINRA Approval

Ripple’s $1.25 billion acquisition of Hidden Road is paying off, literally. The company announced that Hidden Road Partners CIV US LLC has officially been granted a broker-dealer license by FINRA. This regulatory green light now allows Ripple to expand into traditional financial markets with a compliant prime brokerage offering.

Hidden Road’s president, Noel Kimmel, called the license a “pivotal development,” giving the firm tools to service institutional clients in fixed-income markets. Analysts see this move as part of Ripple’s long-term strategy to build financial infrastructure quietly,  while the Ripple lawsuit with the SEC still casts a shadow.

On social media, analysts didn’t hold back. “XRP isn’t playing checkers, it’s playing regulatory chess,” one said. Another claimed Ripple is deliberately keeping the XRP price low to operate under the radar, awaiting the right moment for a revaluation. At the time of writing, XRP trades at $2, down 1% over 24 hours. Experts say this latest development is less about price and more about positioning. With infrastructure now secured, Ripple could be gearing up for a much larger market move, whether Wall Street sees it coming or not.

XRP Price Actions on April 18

Following this XRP news, the trading day of April 17th started with bearish sentiment for XRP, as shown in the 5-minute chart. But things shifted quickly when a golden cross appeared around 03:50 UTC, triggering a mild rally. This upward movement gained strength around 05:40 UTC as the RSI signaled an overbought zone. By 12:25 UTC, XRP reached resistance at $2.1146 before momentum slowed. Later in the day, signs of fatigue emerged. A death cross on the MACD at 14:35 UTC, coupled with an oversold RSI, pushed the price downward. Another death cross at 19:20 UTC added pressure, sending the price lower as selling intensified. 

XRP/USDT Chart, analyzed by ShwetaCW, published on TradingView, April 18, 2025

By early April 18th, XRP dropped further, reaching a support level at $2.0434 around 01:00 UTC during another oversold RSI signal. Since then, the price has moved within a tighter range, suggesting indecision in the market. According to XRP price prediction, if bulls regain control and volume picks up, XRP could break above $2.1146 and retest the $2.20 level. On the flip side, if selling resumes and support fails at $2.0434, the next major target could lie near $1.90.

Final Take: XRP Moves Quietly, But Strategically

Ripple’s latest regulatory win shows that the company is playing the long game, regardless of the XRP price today. While headlines focus on the Ripple lawsuit, the real story might be unfolding behind the scenes with institutional moves like Hidden Road. According to XRP price prediction, if the bullish momentum continues, it could break the $2.11 resistance and aim for $2.20. If not, support may fall to $1.90. Either way, XRP news this week confirms that Ripple is quietly building the rails for a global financial system, and XRP could be the engine running it.

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