Key Highlights
- Ripple Prime launches a Delta One business for institutions to trade total return swaps linked to U.S. stocks, indexes and digital assets.
- The service targets institutional investors such as hedge funds, market makers and ETF issuers, allowing them to gain market exposure without directly holding the assets.
- XRP gains 5.06% to $1.45, while XRP futures open interest rises 3.63% to $3.55 billion as institutional interest remains strong.
Ripple Prime, the brokerage unit of crypto infrastructure company Ripple, has reportedly entered the stock market with a new Delta One business for institutional investors.
According to the press release, this new feature was launched on Thursday, August 27, 2026, and it allows clients to trade total return swaps linked to U.S.-listed stocks, indexes and digital assets, giving professional investors a new way to gain market exposure.
Ripple prime targets big market players
The new business reportedly aimed at market participants such as hedge funds, market makers and ETF issuers, according to Noel Kimmel, president of Ripple Prime.
“Clients can now access equities, FX, derivatives, fixed income, and digital asset prime brokerage, clearing, and financing all through a single counterparty that is built for the future of finance: cross-asset, structurally aligned, 24/7.“ he said in the release.
In short, instead of buying and holding a stock directly, these investors can use total return swaps to follow the performance of an asset without owning the asset itself. In simple terms, the deal gives investors exposure to price movements without requiring them to hold the underlying shares.
Ripple prime expands beyond crypto
The launch marks a new step for Ripple Prime as it moves beyond its earlier focus on crypto, foreign exchange, derivatives and fixed-income markets. It also gives the brokerage a way to offer both traditional and digital assets to institutional clients through the same platform.
The move comes as Ripple continues to build Ripple Prime into a wider financial services business. The brokerage was formed after Ripple acquired Hidden Road, a non-bank prime broker, in a deal that closed in October 2025. Hidden Road already served more than 300 institutional clients and handled large volumes across currencies, derivatives, swaps and fixed-income markets.
$275 million funding supports expansion
Ripple Prime has also recently raised fresh money to support that expansion. On August 18, the company closed an upsized $275 million private placement of senior unsecured notes. The notes received a BBB investment-grade rating from KBRA, while Piper Sandler acted as the lead placement agent.
Kimmel said the funding gives Ripple Prime “an additional source of capital to invest in our team and technology” as the company works to expand its business. Ripple said the money will support working capital and the growth of its U.S. clearing, prime brokerage and financing operations.
Ripple pushes traditional finance and crypto together
Moreover, the stock-trading launch fits into Ripple’s wider effort to bring traditional finance and digital assets closer together. Rather than keeping crypto services separate from traditional markets, the company is building a platform where institutions can access different types of financial products.
Ripple has also moved toward banking services through Ripple National Trust Bank, adding another part of traditional finance to its growing business.
XRP price climbs as institutional interest grows
This launch also comes as interest in institutional XRP products is coming to expand. At the time of reporting, XRP is trading for $1.45, representing a 5.06% surge over the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap as of August 27 (3:38 PM UTC)
Its trading volume is slightly down 3.13% to around $3.85 billion but the surge has pushed its market capitalization to about $91.79 billion in value.
At the same time, its futures open interest also went up by about 3.63% to $3.55 billion over the same period, while open interest on CME and Binance increased by more than 0.22% and 0.32%, respectively, according to data from Coinglass.
Institutional demand has also been visible in spot XRP exchange-traded funds. Data from SosoValue shows that the funds recorded about $28.14 million in inflows on Wednesday. Bitwise, Franklin and Canary products led the inflows, marking their strongest combined single-day performance in more than seven months.
These new developments place Ripple Prime in a growing part of financial markets where institutions are increasingly looking for ways to trade traditional assets and digital assets through fewer platforms.
Also Read: Bitcoin, XRP and Solana Slip Ahead of PCE Data, Fed Chair Warsh Speech
