Ripple’s Strategic Milestone: Hidden Road Secures FINRA Nod – Implications for XRP’s Market Trajectory

In a significant regulatory breakthrough, Ripple’s institutional liquidity platform Hidden Road has obtained approval from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). This development marks a pivotal moment for Ripple’s ecosystem, potentially accelerating institutional adoption of XRP. The FINRA endorsement underscores Hidden Road’s compliance with stringent financial standards, enhancing credibility for Ripple’s suite of enterprise solutions. Analysts speculate this could catalyze broader market acceptance of XRP, particularly in cross-border payment corridors. The approval also signals growing regulatory clarity for crypto-native firms navigating traditional finance frameworks. Market observers are now evaluating how this milestone might influence XRP’s liquidity profile and its positioning against competing settlement assets in 2025’s evolving digital asset landscape.

Ripple Expands Institutional Presence with Hidden Road’s FINRA License

According to the latest press release, Hidden Road Partners CIV US LLC was granted approval. The license now enables the firm to provide a broader suite of regulatory-compliant services, including clearing, financing, and prime brokerage for fixed-income assets to institutions.

Noel Kimmel, President of Hidden Road, highlighted that the license was a pivotal development for the company. According to him, it enhances Hidden Road’s ability to operate in traditional financial (TradFi) markets.

“As a FINRA member, we will be able to bring our best-in-class, technology-driven fixed income service offering to an expanded universe of institutional clients. Our business has tremendous momentum, and we look forward to continuing to provide superior execution and support to our clients amidst today’s exceptionally dynamic market environment,” Kimmel said.

The FINRA approval follows Ripple’s $1.25 billion acquisition of Hidden Road. Announced on April 8, 2025, this was one of the largest deals in the digital assets sector. 

The move positions Ripple as the first cryptocurrency company to own a global, multi-asset prime broker. Experts believe the acquisition and subsequent license are part of a broader strategy Ripple is employing. 

“Hidden Road just secured a broker-dealer license right after Ripple’s acquisition. This isn’t a coincidence, it’s a statement. XRP is not playing checkers. It’s playing regulatory chess,” an analyst wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Is Ripple Behind XRP’s Low Price? Analyst Thinks So

In fact, analysts also claim that XRP’s neutral reaction to recent milestones isn’t a sign of weakness but rather a strategic move. In a recent analysis, crypto analyst Levi argued that the current price of XRP, hovering around $2, is not coincidental, but rather a result of Ripple’s deliberate approach.

He suggested that the low price is designed to allow Ripple to operate under the radar while making key strategic moves, such as the Hidden Road acquisition. 

“Hidden Road isn’t a flex. It’s infrastructure. It’s the final puzzle piece — giving Ripple a fully integrated, lightning-fast, global value settlement system,” he stated.

The analyst emphasized that while the public focused on Ripple’s legal battles with the SEC, the company quietly built its global value settlement system behind the scenes.

“XRP at $2 isn’t undervalued — it’s deliberately suppressed. When the switch flips, the revaluation won’t be gradual — it’ll be instant,” Levi noted.

In his view, those who have invested early will be positioned to benefit as the market shifts. Meanwhile, XRP, after hitting an all-time high earlier this year, has continued to decline. 

At press time, the altcoin was trading at $2.0. According to BeInCrypto data, this represented a decline of 1.0% over the past day.