XRP Futures Launch Signals Strategic Shift as Ripple Eyes $32B Stablecoin Giant Circle

Ripple is aiming higher than ever before. A new report from May 20, 2025, suggests Ripple is currently in advanced acquisition talks with Circle

If reports are to be believed, Ripple is rapidly expanding its horizons. A new report from May 20, 2025, suggests that the company is in advanced discussions to acquire Circle, the company behind USD Coin (USDC), in an all-stock deal.

This move would put Ripple in direct competition with Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN), which is already a stakeholder and partner of Circle.

Also, it would be a major strategic shift for Ripple, which has traditionally focused on cross-border payments using its XRP token.

However, owning Circle would provide access to over $32 billion in stablecoin assets and instantly position the company as a major contender in the expanding global digital payment infrastructure.

What Is Ripple’s Goal in Acquiring Circle?

As reported by U.Today, the goal is to control a stablecoin with deep integration into both decentralized finance (DeFi) and institutional markets. This would expand USDC’s relevance beyond the XRP ecosystem and into broader fintech and regulatory domains.

Coinbase and Circle have a complicated history. They used to jointly govern USDC via the Centre Consortium, which has since been dissolved.

Despite this, the two companies still have close ties. Coinbase helps manage liquidity and reserves for USDC and also owns a significant stake in Circle.

An acquisition by Ripple could challenge Coinbase’s influence over USDC and could put two of America’s crypto giants on a potential collision course.

Analysts add that this deal would go far beyond a stablecoin play. It would realign the power dynamics within U.S. crypto infrastructure, pitting Ripple’s growing institutional network against Coinbase’s regulatory influence and exchange dominance.

XRP Futures Launch on CMEXRP futures are set to launch on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) on May 12, marking a significant milestone for the token’s entry into the institutional derivatives landscape.

This development is poised to be a critical inflection point for XRP and signals the token’s formal inclusion in the regulated investment vehicles used by hedge funds, asset managers, and banks.

The launch of XRP futures on CME will open the door to deeper liquidity and broader market participation. Analysts compare this moment to XRP’s “ETF moment,” similar to Bitcoin’s (BTC) surge in 2021 as institutions flocked to the crypto market.

At the time of writing, XRP is trading at $2.36 and has seen a 2.22% price uptick over the past 24 hours. Volume has surpassed $3.16 billion. Community sentiment remains bullish, with 88% of voters on CoinMarketCap predicting further price gains.

What This Means for the Future of CryptoIf successful, this acquisition will bring to Ripple vast swathes of stablecoin liquidity used across DeFi protocols, centralized exchanges, and institutional clearinghouses.

Combined with the XRP Ledger infrastructure and expanding tokenization capabilities, it positions the company to build a vertically integrated financial network.

This places them in direct competition with traditional settlement systems and expands their competitive edge in the evolving digital asset landscape.

Coinbase will likely not stand idly by as this acquisition unfolds. Given its growing presence in Washington D.C., a robust regulatory framework, and plans to roll out its own L2 network, the exchange is a formidable force in the evolving Web3 economy.

Ultimately, the so-called "stablecoin wars" may just be beginning, and at the heart of it all are two of the most powerful entities in the crypto space.