Ripple CEO is Making Up for Lost Time in XRP-SEC Lawsuit, Says Lawyer on $1.2 Billion Deal

The cryptocurrency industry experienced a significant surge in acquisitions and public listings during the first four months of 2025. According to Chamath Palihapitiya, crypto-related transactions in the United States reached $8.2 billion across 88 deals.

This figure already triples the entire volume recorded throughout 2024, signaling strong momentum and institutional interest in the sector.

Distinct Deal Patterns Shape Crypto M&A Activity

Chamath outlined five key patterns emerging from the latest wave of transactions. The first trend involves Bitcoin treasury acquisitions.

Firms such as Twenty-One Capital are pivoting their corporate strategies to accumulate Bitcoin, transforming their treasuries into cryptocurrency investment vehicles, similar to Strategy’s model.

Next, mergers between traditional financial players and crypto infrastructure companies are increasing. An example is DTCC’s acquisition of blockchain firm Securrency, which allows traditional institutions to offer digital assets alongside conventional investments.

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The third pattern is the acquisition of institutional service providers. Ripple’s purchase of Metaco is an example. Metaco helps institutional investors manage digital assets securely while ensuring regulatory compliance.

Additionally, crypto exchange consolidation is intensifying. Kraken’s $1.5 billion acquisition of futures broker NinjaTrader reflects the industry’s goal of creating platforms supporting traditional and digital asset trading.

Finally, Chamath noted the rise of on-chain mergers among token projects. Integrating Fetch.ai, Ocean Protocol, and SingularityNET aims to combine user bases and strengthen network effects, supporting broader ecosystem growth.

Chamath emphasized that these developments could bridge traditional finance with decentralized finance, potentially encouraging greater institutional adoption of cryptocurrencies.

Ripple’s $1.2 Billion Hidden Road Acquisition Marks Major DeFi Push

Building on this trend, attorney John E Deaton pointed to Ripple’s $1.25 billion acquisition of prime brokerage firm Hidden Road as a significant milestone. Hidden Road processes over $3 trillion annually across 300 institutional clients, providing considerable market reach.

Ripple’s integration of the XRP Ledger (XRPL) into Hidden Road’s settlement processes has cut settlement times dramatically, from 24 hours to 3–5 seconds. Additionally, Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin now acts as collateral in these transactions, directly linking digital assets and traditional finance systems.

Deaton emphasized the crucial importance of Ripple’s decision to enter the custody services business sector. Following its Metaco and Standard Custody purchases, Ripple launched “Ripple Custody” to become a standardized provider of blockchain adoption solutions.

Ripple’s aggressive market expansion focuses on digital asset custody because analysts at Boston Consulting Group predict this sector will surpass $16 trillion by 2030. The custody infrastructure aids Ripple’s goal to provide tokenization services for conventional assets through the XRP Ledger.

Ripple’s CEO Accelerates Expansion After SEC Setback

Deaton stated that Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse appears determined to make up for lost time after years of delays caused by the SEC lawsuit. Ripple’s latest acquisitions and product expansions demonstrate a renewed focus on institutional markets, positioning the firm at the forefront of the evolving DeFi landscape.

Ripple aims to establish itself as a key force in blockchain financial system integration using its combined payment platform with custody and tokenization features. Crypto enterprises modify their operations to fulfill institutional requirements while providing fast, secure services on a large scale to a quickly changing financial system.

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