Ripple has secured a $500 million strategic investment at a $40 billion valuation, led by funds managed by affiliates of Fortress Investment Group, Citadel Securities, Pantera Capital, Galaxy Digital, Brevan Howard and Marshall Wace. The deal follows Ripple’s $1 billion tender offer earlier this year, underscoring institutional confidence in its expansion beyond payments into custody, stablecoins, prime brokerage and treasury management. Chief executive officer Brad Garlinghouse said the move marks “furt ...

Ripple has announced a $500 million strategic investment round at a $40 billion valuation, led by funds managed by affiliates of Fortress Investment Group and Citadel Securities, alongside participation from Pantera Capital, Galaxy Digital, Brevan Howard, and Marshall Wace. The new round marks further progress in Ripple’s strongest year to date, reinforcing investor confidence in the company’s growth trajectory and long-term strategy. Institutional Confidence and Record Valuation Ripple’s latest raise fo ...

Group 1 - Ripple has raised $500 million in a strategic investment, valuing the company at $40 billion, led by Fortress Investment Group and Citadel Securities [1] - This investment follows Ripple's earlier $1 billion tender offer at the same valuation [1] - The fresh capital will help Ripple deepen relationships with financial institutions and support its expanding product suite, which includes custody, stablecoins, prime brokerage, and corporate treasury services [3] Group 2 - The GENIUS Act has created a regulatory framework for stablecoins, leading to increased adoption of stablecoins like Ripple USD (RLUSD) for treasury payments and collateral management [2] - Fintechs and traditional financial firms are increasingly using stablecoins to streamline cross-border payments, speed up settlements, and broaden access to digital finance [2] - Ripple aims to expand institutional use of its XRP token and deepen its footprint in capital markets under a more crypto-friendly regulatory environment [3][4]

Ripple USD (RLUSD), the U.S. dollar stablecoin from the blockchain payments firm closely related to the XRP Ledger network, has surpassed $1 billion in market capitalization less than a year after launching in December 2024. The milestone makes RLUSD the 10th largest U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin by market cap, according to data from CoinGecko. Issued by Standard Custody & Trust Company, Ripple's New York state-regulated subsidiary, the token is backed by dollar reserves and short-term U.S. Treasuries, an ...

Core Insights - Evernorth Holdings Inc. has announced its public launch and a business combination agreement with Armada Acquisition Corp II, aiming to create the largest public XRP treasury company [1][8] - The transaction is expected to raise over $1 billion in gross proceeds, with significant investments from SBI, Ripple, and other leading digital asset investors [2][4] - Evernorth is designed to provide investors with liquid and transparent exposure to XRP, focusing on active treasury growth through institutional lending and DeFi yield opportunities [3][4] Financial Overview - The transaction will generate over $1 billion in gross proceeds, including $200 million from SBI and additional investments from Ripple and other notable investors [2] - Net proceeds will primarily fund open-market purchases of XRP, with allocations for working capital and transaction expenses [2] Business Model - Evernorth aims to grow XRP per share over time, differentiating itself from passive ETFs by engaging in institutional lending and DeFi yield strategies [3][4] - The company plans to accumulate XRP as a reserve asset while acting as a catalyst for the broader adoption of the XRP Ledger [9] Leadership and Governance - The leadership team includes CEO Asheesh Birla, who has extensive experience in digital assets and global payments, previously serving at Ripple [5][6] - Evernorth maintains independent governance, with Ripple as a strategic investor and Ripple executives expected to serve as advisors [7] Strategic Vision - Evernorth's strategy is aligned with Ripple's mission to enhance XRP's utility in global payments, aiming to increase participation and confidence in the XRP ecosystem [8] - The company plans to leverage existing traditional finance yield generation strategies while contributing to the growth of the DeFi ecosystem [5][18]

Group 1: XRP Price Movement - XRP has shown renewed strength, climbing over 4% in the past 24 hours to trade near $2.38, rebounding from a low of $2.25 on October 17, which was its weakest price level since early July [1] - The recovery of XRP coincides with a significant increase in mid- to large-sized holders, with the number of wallets holding at least 10,000 XRP reaching an all-time high of approximately 317,500, indicating accumulation rather than exit by investors [2] - Each price correction of XRP has historically been followed by renewed buying pressure, reflecting growing confidence in Ripple's ecosystem and long-term roadmap [3] Group 2: Market Dynamics - Open interest in XRP futures has sharply declined to $3.49 billion, the lowest level since June, indicating reduced speculative activity and a shift towards more defensive investor behavior [4] - The decline in open interest often coincides with market bottoms, suggesting that selling exhaustion may lead to recovery phases [5] Group 3: Ripple's Corporate Strategy - Ripple is reportedly preparing a $1 billion Digital Asset Treasury (DAT) company to manage and accumulate XRP as part of its long-term reserves, which may be fueling market optimism [7] - Over the past two years, Ripple has spent approximately $3 billion on acquisitions of major firms, including Metaco, Hidden Road, Rail, and GTreasury, aiming to build an integrated corporate finance stack for XRP and its Ripple USD (RLUSD) stablecoin [8]

Core Insights - Ripple has formed a strategic partnership with Absa Bank to provide digital asset custody services for institutional clients, marking its first major custody partnership in Africa [1][3][9] Group 1: Partnership Details - The agreement allows Absa to integrate Ripple's institutional-grade digital asset custody technology, enabling secure and scalable storage solutions for tokenized assets, including cryptocurrencies [4][9] - This partnership is in response to the rising demand for compliant digital asset infrastructure in emerging markets and the growing regulatory clarity around alternative investments in Africa [4][6] Group 2: Market Context - Africa is undergoing a significant transformation in value storage and exchange, highlighting the potential of digital assets on the continent [5] - Ripple's global custody network now includes regions such as Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Africa, supporting financial institutions in adopting tokenization and blockchain-based finance [5][6] Group 3: Regulatory and Compliance Standards - Ripple's custody infrastructure adheres to strict operational, security, and regulatory standards, enabling institutions like Absa to safely enter the digital asset space while ensuring compliance [6][7] - Ripple holds over 60 regulatory licenses and registrations worldwide, positioning itself as a key provider of compliant digital asset infrastructure for banks and payment firms globally [7]

Partnership & Expansion - Ripple partners with Bahrain FinTech Bay (BFB) to boost crypto adoption in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region [1] - The partnership aims to nurture local fintechs and accelerate blockchain adoption [1] - Collaboration includes training programs, accelerator initiatives, and proof-of-concept projects [2] - Ripple plans to offer its custody platform and Ripple USD (RLUSD) stablecoin to Bahrain's banks [2] Regulatory Landscape & Global Presence - The partnership follows Ripple's regulatory win in Dubai, expanding its Gulf presence [2] - Ripple holds over 60 approvals worldwide [3] Focus Areas - The partnership will develop pilot projects across payments, tokenization, and digital assets [1] - Ripple showcases use cases for cross-border payments, stablecoins, and institutional-grade infrastructure [3]

Partnership & Expansion - Ripple partners with Bahrain FinTech Bay to boost crypto adoption in the MENA region [1] - The partnership aims to nurture local fintechs and accelerate blockchain adoption [1] - Ripple plans to offer its custody platform and Ripple USD (RLUSD) stablecoin to Bahrain's banks [2] - The collaboration includes training programs and accelerator initiatives [2] Regulatory Landscape & Global Presence - Ripple's partnership follows its regulatory win in Dubai, expanding its Gulf presence [2] - Ripple now holds over 60 approvals worldwide [3] Focus Areas - The partnership will develop pilot projects across payments, tokenization, and digital assets [1] - Ripple continues to showcase use cases for cross-border payments, stablecoins, and institutional-grade infrastructure [3]

Core Insights - Ripple and Securitize have launched a smart contract allowing holders of BlackRock's BUIDL and VanEck's VBILL tokenized Treasury funds to redeem shares for Ripple USD (RLUSD), creating a regulated off-ramp for institutional investors [1][2] - The USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL) launched by BlackRock in March 2024 has exceeded $1 billion in assets within its first year, while VanEck's Treasury Fund (VBILL) is set to follow suit [2] - RLUSD is backed one-to-one by cash and Treasurys, with reserves held by BNY Mellon, and has achieved a market capitalization of over $700 million since its launch in late 2024 [5] Group 1 - The integration of RLUSD on Securitize's platform is framed as its first use, managing over $4 billion in tokenized assets under SEC oversight [4] - Jack McDonald from Ripple stated that the option to redeem shares for RLUSD is a natural progression in merging traditional finance with cryptocurrency [3] - Ripple's partnership with DBS and Franklin Templeton in Singapore aims to enhance asset management with RLUSD and expand access in Africa for remittances and payments [6] Group 2 - Ripple's redemptions for BUIDL are currently live, with VBILL expected to follow shortly [2] - The stablecoin RLUSD has been integrated into Ripple's cross-border payments network and is gaining traction in decentralized finance pools [5] - Ripple plans to launch RLUSD in Japan in 2026 in collaboration with SBI under Financial Services Agency regulations [6]