Ripple Grows Beyond Crypto—But Can XRP Keep Up?

Core Insights - Ripple's recent high-profile acquisitions indicate a strategic move to strengthen its position in traditional finance and enhance its financial infrastructure [1][2] - Despite these acquisitions, concerns remain regarding the utility and relevance of XRP, as the new services primarily cater to institutional clients using conventional financial instruments [3] - Ripple's financial model heavily relies on XRP sales, which conflicts with its vision of XRP as a functional bridge currency [4][5] Group 1: Acquisitions and Market Position - Ripple's acquisitions, including Hidden Road and GTreasury, highlight its aggressive expansion into traditional finance [2] - The focus on institutional clients raises questions about XRP's role in these new services, as they do not integrate XRP into their core operations [3] Group 2: Financial Dependence and Token Utility - Ripple's ongoing reliance on XRP sales for liquidity and operational funding is a significant aspect of its financial reality [4] - The narrative of XRP as a bridge currency is challenged by the fact that a large portion of the newly introduced RLUSD stablecoin operates on Ethereum, limiting XRP's utility [5][6] - As of early October, RLUSD's market cap reached nearly $789 million, but 88% of its supply is on Ethereum, which diminishes the expected demand for XRP [6]