XRP News Today: "Ripple's XRP and RLUSD Present New Obstacles to SWIFT's Traditional Role in International Finance"

Ripple has introduced an institutional over-the-counter (OTC) trading platform in the U.S. for

and its stablecoin RLUSD, representing a major move to connect traditional finance with digital assets. This platform, managed by Ripple Prime, enables eligible institutional clients to carry out OTC spot trades, cross-margin derivatives, and tap into substantial liquidity pools, closely resembling Wall Street trading operations, according to a . This launch coincides with RLUSD, Ripple’s regulated stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar, surpassing $1 billion in market value across both the XRP Ledger and , reflecting a rise in institutional trust in the network, as noted by a .

The OTC service brings together XRP and RLUSD with conventional financial instruments like swaps and CME futures, allowing institutions to manage crypto risk similarly to equity portfolios, Coinotag observed. Ripple Prime, which rebranded the acquired Hidden Road prime brokerage, now processes over $3 trillion in yearly transactions and provides cross-margining, enabling clients to use RLUSD as collateral for derivatives, according to a

. This growth fits Ripple’s broader plan to make XRP and RLUSD central to a “financial stack” that rivals legacy networks such as SWIFT, utilizing near-instant settlements on the XRP Ledger and RLUSD’s interoperability across two blockchains, as detailed in a .

RLUSD’s swift uptake is attributed to its New York Trust Company license, ensuring adherence to U.S. regulations, and its availability on both Ethereum and the XRP Ledger, according to a

. The stablecoin’s market cap—boosted by a recent minting of 50 million tokens—has grown faster than competitors like PayPal’s PYUSD and First Digital’s , placing it among the top five stablecoins by value, U.Today reported. Institutions are leveraging RLUSD for international payments, DeFi lending, and as a stable entry point for tokenized assets, with Ripple President Monica Long highlighting its impact on “reshaping global payments” in a .

At the same time, XRP’s price fluctuated between $2.30 and $2.68 in October, with analysts attributing the volatility to expectations around ETF approvals and institutional liquidity moves, as per a

. Ripple’s monthly escrow releases—unlocking 1 billion XRP and relocking 70–80%—have sparked debate over market cap calculations, though experts say this approach helps avoid sudden supply surges, the same BeInCrypto article stated. Institutional interest in XRP has increased, with corporate treasuries and ETF products amassing over $115 million in holdings, reminiscent of the 2017 bull run, according to a .

Clearer regulations have further strengthened Ripple’s institutional expansion. After a favorable court outcome with the SEC, both XRP and RLUSD now operate within a compliant structure, drawing auditors like Withum and expanding into regions such as Africa for climate-focused stablecoin pilots, according to a

. Messari analysts point out that XRP’s $170 billion market cap and RLUSD’s $1 billion achievement establish Ripple as a frontrunner in regulated blockchain infrastructure, with forecasts suggesting stablecoin adoption could reach $2 trillion by 2028, the post added.

Some critics question whether RLUSD’s strong presence on Ethereum could overshadow the XRP Ledger, but supporters emphasize the advantages of atomic swaps and dual-chain functionality, as reported by WebProNews. As Ripple Prime grows, the company plans to integrate XRP with corporate treasury platforms through GTreasury and Standard Custody acquisitions, aiming to serve Fortune 500 firms and reach $10 trillion in crypto custody assets by 2030, The Crypto Basic reported.

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