Ripple sharpens Wall Street finance push

Ripple has filed new United States trademark applications covering prime brokerage, securities lending, clearing, treasury operations and investment services, marking a deeper push into institutional finance after its $1.25 billion purchase of Hidden Road.

The applications, covering Ripple’s word mark and Triskelion design, point to a broader strategy that goes beyond cross-border payments and blockchain settlement. They list services linked to asset management, investment advisory, hedge fund management, brokerage across major asset classes, financial clearinghouse functions, cash management, risk management, bank reconciliation and stablecoin-related infrastructure. While trademark filings do not confirm immediate product launches, the scope of the applications shows Ripple is seeking legal protection across functions normally associated with banks, prime brokers and large trading houses.

The move follows Ripple’s completion of the Hidden Road acquisition in October 2025, after announcing the transaction in April that year. Hidden Road, now operating as Ripple Prime, gives the San Francisco-based fintech a multi-asset prime brokerage platform serving institutional clients across foreign exchange, digital assets, derivatives, swaps, fixed income and financing. The business has handled more than $3 trillion in annual clearing activity and has served more than 300 institutional customers, making it a significant bridge between digital asset markets and established capital-market infrastructure.

Ripple’s expansion comes at a time when large financial institutions are reassessing crypto-linked services under clearer regulatory conditions in the United States. The company ended its long-running legal fight with the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2025 after both sides dismissed appeals. A final judgment left in place a $125 million civil penalty and an injunction tied to institutional XRP sales, while the earlier court distinction between exchange sales and institutional sales became central to how market participants viewed the token’s regulatory status.

The trademark filings suggest Ripple is positioning itself not merely as a payments company but as a financial infrastructure provider for institutions seeking access to digital assets within familiar market structures. Prime brokerage is a particularly strategic area because it combines financing, custody, execution, settlement, margining and risk management for hedge funds, proprietary trading firms and asset managers. By owning Ripple Prime, the company can offer services that resemble those provided by established Wall Street intermediaries while linking them to blockchain settlement and stablecoin liquidity.

Ripple has already moved to expand Ripple Prime’s offering in the United States. Its digital asset spot prime brokerage service allows institutional clients to manage over-the-counter spot transactions alongside swaps, futures and options within a broader collateral framework. That capability is important for professional investors because it reduces operational fragmentation and allows trading positions to be managed across asset classes under a single relationship.

The role of RLUSD, Ripple’s dollar-backed stablecoin, is also central to the company’s institutional ambitions. Launched in December 2024, the stablecoin was designed for enterprise use, with compliance and reserve transparency as selling points. Ripple has promoted RLUSD for payments, collateral management and treasury functions, areas that align closely with the new trademark categories. The integration of stablecoin liquidity with prime brokerage services could allow clients to move collateral and settle obligations more efficiently across traditional and digital markets.

Ripple’s balance sheet has also strengthened. The company raised $500 million in a strategic funding round in November 2025, giving it a valuation of about $40 billion. The investment drew participation from major financial-sector investors and followed a $1 billion tender offer at the same valuation. That capital gives Ripple room to absorb acquisition costs, support institutional product development and pursue additional licences or partnerships.

Competition is intensifying. Coinbase, Kraken, Circle, Fireblocks, Anchorage Digital and other firms are targeting institutional clients through custody, trading, stablecoin, settlement and tokenisation services. Major banks are also developing digital asset platforms while remaining cautious about balance-sheet exposure, regulatory capital treatment and anti-money-laundering obligations. Ripple’s advantage lies in combining payments infrastructure, stablecoin issuance, custody, brokerage and blockchain settlement into one institutional stack, though execution risk remains considerable.

Regulatory scrutiny will remain a key constraint. Services such as securities lending, clearing and broker-dealer activity are heavily supervised and may require specific approvals depending on structure, jurisdiction and product design. Trademark protection can support brand expansion, but it does not itself authorise regulated activity. Ripple will need to demonstrate that any new institutional finance offerings meet capital, custody, reporting, market conduct and client protection requirements.