Ripple's Strategic Expansion Accelerates After XRP SEC Lawsuit Pressure Eases

According to pro-XRP attorney John E. Deaton, Ripple's recent $1.25 billion acquisition of Hidden Road, a leading institutional

The XRP lawsuit, which has long been a source of uncertainty over Ripple’s ambitions, appears to be nearing its conclusion, opening the door for expansion, innovation, and potentially even an XRP spot ETF in the United States.

After years of regulatory headwinds, Ripple is returning to aggressive expansion, evident in recent acquisitions like Hidden Road, a leading institutional brokerage, and the launch of its custody service, according to pro-XRP attorney John E. Deaton.

This may be the best example of TradFi and DeFi convergence in crypto.

HR handles over $3 trillion annually for 300+ institutional clients, who will now use the XRP Ledger for post-trade settlements, reducing settlement times from 24 hrs to 3-5 secs.

Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/Q3X2Q7L1uB

— John E. Deaton (@JohnEDeaton) April 24, 2024

Hidden Road’s integration with XRPL will facilitate rapid and efficient post-trade settlements for a vast portion of the U.S. stock market, a move that has major implications for both DeFi and TradFi institutions.

“This signals a key moment in Ripple's recovery and broader crypto market trends,” Deaton noted, highlighting the potential for a U.S. XRP spot ETF if the lawsuit concludes favorably.

Earlier reports revealed that Brazil has already launched its first XRP spot ETF, catering to investors in the Latin American nation.

While the SEC has approved several XRP futures ETFs through ProShares, including UltraShort and leveraged versions, to meet the growing institutional demand, a spot ETF is still pending.

The approval of futures products is a significant development, but it doesn’t quite satisfy the market’s hunger. “The spot ETF is where the real demand lies,” analysts from Bitrue added. “It opens the gates to direct exposure and increased liquidity.”

Meanwhile, companies like Bitwise, WisdomTree, and 21Shares are reportedly lining up filings for U.S.-based XRP spot ETFs, while the CME Group plans to list XRP futures in May. This adds credibility to XRP as a maturing institutional asset and underscores growing optimism around XRP value recovery.

As the legal issues wind down and market sentiment turns bullish, analysts are revisiting long-term XRP price predictions. Currently trading around $2.27, XRP has already surged more than 480% over the past month.

Technical charts reveal strong resistance near $2.50, with the next hurdle at $2.72. If XRP can sustain a breakout above these levels, many traders believe a near-term climb toward $3 is plausible.

However, losing the current low at $1.98 would be a serious warning sign, as it could open the door for a deeper correction.

Further highlighting the optimism surrounding XRP, analysts like Ryan Lee from Bitget predict that the token could reach $10 by 2030.

This prediction factors in the ongoing ETF momentum, increasing adoption of the RLUSD stablecoin for broader DeFi use cases, and XRPL’s integration with TradFi institutions for tokenization services.

Despite speculation, Ripple has no immediate plans for a public offering, as confirmed by Ripple President Monica Long in a recent CNBC interview.

At present, Ripple is prioritizing acquisitions and development over an IPO.

“At this time, we have a lot of liquidity—billions of dollars of cash on the balance sheet,” Long stated.

She added that Ripple’s growth strategy will remain privately driven, leveraging its capital to expand through strategic investments.

This strategy complements Ripple’s broader effort to reshape the institutional crypto landscape, making it a powerful force in cross-border payments, asset tokenization, and digital custody.

The XRP lawsuit update signals a potential turning point for both Ripple and the broader crypto market.

As the SEC-Ripple case nears its resolution, Ripple is advancing on multiple fronts—from expanding its product suite to engaging with global financial infrastructure.

While an XRP spot ETF remains out of reach for now, institutional interest and regulatory progress are bringing that goal closer than ever.

XRP was trading at around $2.27 at press time.