Ripple’s $1.25B Roller Coaster: Hidden Road, XRP Dip & Trump’s Tariff Madness!

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On April 8, Ripple decided to go big or go home by spending a cool $1.25B on Hidden Road—because who doesn’t love a little crypto extravaganza? 🎉

With that epic move, Ripple now boasts the title of the first crypto company to run a global, multi-asset prime brokerage. Hidden Road handles a jaw-dropping $3 trillion in annual transactions across 300+ institutional clients. Yes, that’s basically the financial equivalent of running a private yacht club.

Prime brokers are like the backstage wizards of high finance, juggling clearing, securities lending, and leveraged trade execution for hedge funds and other big shots. Think of them as the unsung heroes keeping the money circus in check.

“But the price tag isn’t what’s most important. This deal is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for crypto to cozy up with the very big kids in traditional markets,” quipped our fearless CEO, Brad Garlinghouse.

In other words, this isn’t just a flashy spending spree—it’s a makeover montage for crypto, giving it a VIP pass into the world of established finance. 💄

Thanks to this acquisition, transactions on the XRP Ledger will now move faster than a caffeinated squirrel. No more waiting 24 hours for fiat trades to settle—XRPL is taking a slice of the action, while RLUSD is put to work as collateral in a dazzling array of trades.

“With this deal and Ripple’s deep pockets, Hidden Road is on track to become the largest non-bank prime broker globally,” Brad assured us. It’s like watching the underdog become a blockbuster star, complete with an overenthusiastic balance sheet.

@bgarlinghouse on Twitter: “Deal announced. Price tag? Who cares when you’re bridging crypto with the big leagues!”

Garlinghouse also declared that we’re at an “inflection point” for crypto adoption—and with the SEC’s reign finally limping away, the US market is struttin’ its stuff like it’s the latest runway sensation. 👏

But, in a plot twist worthy of a prime-time drama, Ripple’s darling token XRP took a 10% dive over the last 12 hours. It turns out that even with a $1.25B party in progress, the broader crypto market is busy playing musical chairs with investors’ nerves, especially with Donald Trump’s tariff shenanigans in the mix. 🌶️

XRP slid from just under $2 to $1.73 during the Asian trading session—a real mood killer, even if it’s still one of the better-performing stars in this unpredictable crypto circus.

The entire crypto market was down over 7% on the day, as Trump’s tariffs—yes, a whopping 104% on China—made their grand entrance. Some call it an economic disaster, others a well-timed plot twist. 🤷‍♀️

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2025-04-09 11:00