Ripple Emerges as Major Wall Street Threat

Market Disruption

Ripple's entry into the leveraged ETF financing space has significant implications for the traditional financial sector. The company's institutional brokerage arm, Ripple Prime, has expanded its offerings to include total return swap transactions, giving institutional clients the ability to carry out these complex financial instruments. This move has disrupted the status quo, with Ripple's increasing activity in the space threatening the dominance of Wall Street banks.

Partnerships and Acquisitions

Ripple's incursion into the traditional financial sector has been backed by significant partnerships and acquisitions. The company completed the $1.25 billion acquisition of Hidden Road in April 2025, rebranding it as Ripple Prime. This deal provided Ripple with a ready-made platform for its brokerage, clearing, and financing services for FX, derivatives, fixed income, and digital assets. In August 2026, Ripple Prime started its Delta One offering, which gives institutional clients the ability to carry out total return swap transactions for U.S.-listed equities, indexes, and digital assets.

Expansion and Growth

Ripple's expansion into the leveraged ETF space is just the latest example of the company's growing presence in the financial sector. In October 2026, Ripple announced the expansion of its partnership with alternative asset management firm Brevan Howard, which has around $35 billion in assets under management. This partnership highlights Ripple's ability to attract major institutions and its growing influence in the financial sector.