Key Highlights
- Ripple is reportedly planning to buy back up to $750 million in shares from employees and investors.
- The reported tender implies a $50 billion valuation, up from Ripple’s $40 billion private funding round in late 2025.
- Ripple leadership has repeatedly said the company has no IPO plan or timeline despite growing market speculation.
Ripple has reportedly kicked off a new $750 million share buyback that would value the company at about $50 billion. The offer could give liquidity to long-time holders while suggesting that private investors are assigning a higher value to Ripple’s broader infrastructure business rather than just its XRP ties.
The company has not made an official statement on the buyback program. However, a Bloomberg report has alleged Ripple plans to repurchase shares from employees and existing investors through a tender offer expected to remain open through April.
The move marks a notable jump in valuation for the company, which raised $500 million at a $40 billion valuation in November. That round included backing from investors such as Citadel Securities and Fortress Investment Group.
Buyback signals confidence despite market pressure
The buyback comes at a time when crypto markets remain under pressure. Bitcoin has fallen more than 40% from its earlier peak in October, while XRP has dropped by more than 50%.
Despite this, Ripple appears to be leaning into expansion. The company spent heavily on acquisitions last year to broaden its footprint beyond payments, including its $1.25 billion acquisition of Hidden Road, a prime brokerage firm.
Ripple had reportedly attempted an earlier buyback of around $700 million in shares at a $40 billion valuation, but participation was limited as employees were reluctant to sell. The company had also run a large buyback in January 2024. Ripple was buying back $285 million of shares at an $11.3 billion valuation, with CEO Brad Garlinghouse saying the firm expected to do more buybacks regularly to provide liquidity for investors.
Why buyback instead of going public?
Garlinghouse has repeatedly stated the company has no near-term plans for an IPO. The buyback gives early shareholders and employees a liquidity event without the regulatory and disclosure demands of a public listing.
The buyback can easily trigger IPO speculation. But based on Ripple’s own recent statements, this tender looks less like a pre-listing signal and more like a controlled liquidity event for employees and investors while the firm stays private.
What it means for XRP
It is important to note that Ripple’s share buyback is a corporate equity transaction; it does not directly affect XRP’s circulating supply or price. However, there are indirect implications worth watching.
First, the buyback could reduce potential selling pressure. Investors who hold both Ripple equity and XRP may choose to liquidate shares back to the company rather than selling tokens on the open market. Second, a $50 billion corporate valuation strengthens the institutional narrative around the XRP Ledger ecosystem, which Ripple continues to develop for cross-border payments, tokenization, and stablecoin infrastructure via RLUSD.
XRP is currently the fifth-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization at approximately $84.7 billion. Trading volume surged 35% on March 11, and spot XRP ETFs have attracted $1.26 billion in cumulative inflows. Goldman Sachs was recently identified as the largest institutional holder of XRP ETFs.
Also Read: Ripple Eyes Australian AFSL to Expand Regulated Payments
