Why can't i buy Ripple anywhere?

I'm curious, why exactly is it that I'm having trouble finding a platform to purchase Ripple cryptocurrency? I've been hearing a lot about its potential and I'm eager to get in on the action, but it seems like every exchange I check either doesn't list it or has some sort of restriction in place. Is there a particular reason behind this lack of availability, or is it just a matter of waiting for more exchanges to add support for Ripple? Any insight you can provide would be greatly appreciated.