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Ripple Drops $1.25B Bombshell, Acquires Prime Broker Clearing $3T Annually

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  • Ripple acquires prime broker Hidden Road for $1.25B, aiming to bridge traditional and decentralized finance with institutional clients.
  • RLUSD will become the first stablecoin for cross-margining between crypto and traditional markets on Hidden Road.
  • Hidden Road will migrate post-trade to XRPL, and Ripple sees cost/liquidity benefits for its payment solutions.

Ripple announced the acquisition of prime broker Hidden Road for $1.25 billion, in what marks the largest deal in the crypto space. The deal is touted to bring institutional customers at scale, bridging traditional finance and decentralized finance.

According to the press release, the deal also positions RLUSD as an enterprise-grade collateral across Hidden Road’s prime brokerage products. With this, it is poised to become the first stablecoin to enable efficient cross-margining between the digital asset space and traditional markets.

Ripple
Source: Arthur

For Hidden Road, the next course of action involves migrating its post-trade activity to the XRPL to streamline operations and lower costs. Ripple also sees the potential to optimize costs and liquidity in its cross-border payments solution, Ripple Payments, and provide critical custody services to Hidden Road’s customers who need bank-grade digital asset custody.

The multi-asset broker offers a wide range of advanced services, including clearing, financing across foreign exchange (FX), digital assets, derivatives, swaps, and fixed income. Commenting on the acquisition, Brad Garlinghouse stated it is a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for crypto to access the largest and most trusted traditional markets, and vice versa.”

The Timing and Implications of Ripple’s Hidden Road Acquisition

Ripple has been a customer of Hidden Road for years, and we know their breadth of expertise firsthand, clearing $3 TRILLION annually for 300+ of the top financial institutions globally. This is the capital and activity that will tap into XRP and the XRP Ledger’s bread-and-butter – instant, efficient, scalable and low cost movement of value.

Furthermore, Ripple participated in Hidden Road’s Series B financial round, and the deal is expected to close in the coming months, subject to regulatory approvals.

Following the development, a few hawk-eyed market observers ponder over the timing of the announcement. Some crypto enthusiasts opined that the firm could have won the bid to acquire Hidden Road as early as in 2022/23 but couldn’t publicize it until its legal issues with the SEC were resolved. This was to protect Hidden Road’s business interests and reputation, providing an interesting insight into the significant deal.

Neptune Digital Assets Expands Crypto Portfolio with Bitcoin and Dogecoin Acquisitions

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  • Neptune acquires 20 BTC for $99,833 each, increasing holdings to 376 BTC worth $37.2M.
  • Neptune diversifies, adding 1M DOGE tokens at $0.37 each, valued at $270,000.
  • Neptune boosts credit line to $25M, supporting continued crypto acquisitions and growth.

Canadian blockchain company Neptune Digital Assets Corp. has increased its cryptocurrency assets by acquiring 20 Bitcoin (BTC) and 1 million tokens worth of Dogecoin (DOGE). Through this strategic approach, Neptune demonstrates its dedication to strengthening its cryptocurrency investments, focusing on Bitcoin as a core strategic asset while adding various digital currency options.

Bitcoin Acquisition Strengthens Neptune’s Treasury

Neptune Digital Assets made a Bitcoin acquisition of 20 Bitcoin at an average purchase price of USD $99,833 per Bitcoin. The move brings their current Bitcoin holding total to 376 BTC. The company continues to pursue Bitcoin dominance through strategic acquisitions. This makes Bitcoin a vital element of its investment portfolio. The value of Neptune Digital Assets’ Bitcoin holdings reached approximately USD $37.2 million after the acquisition, underscoring its long-term commitment to the leading digital asset.

Between January 26 and February 3, 2025, the company acquired 20 BTC with an investment of approximately USD $2 million. Cale Moodie, the CEO of Neptune, stressed that these acquisitions fit into a strategic blueprint for further cryptocurrency acquisitions. The company intends to utilize its Sygnum credit line to buy more assets, particularly Bitcoin, but will maintain close control of leverage risks and debt maintenance.

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Neptune Digital Assets Expands Crypto Portfolio with Bitcoin and Dogecoin Acquisitions 3

Neptune’s Bitcoin reserve strategy matches the growing involvement of public blockchain firms and institutional investors adding substantial Bitcoin holdings to their portfolios. For instance, MicroStrategy and Marathon Digital have adopted similar strategies through regular debt financing. The increasing confidence in Bitcoin has driven this market trend to view it as a long-term store of value.

Diversifying with Dogecoin: A Strategic Move into Altcoins

Neptune Digital Assets’ strategy included acquiring a substantial portion of Bitcoin alongside 1 million Dogecoin (DOGE) tokens. The company purchased the Dogecoin tokens through a strategic derivative financial plan on December 27, 2024, at an average price of USD $0.37 each. This acquisition was estimated to be worth USD $270,000 at the time of purchase.

With this acquisition, Neptune enters the altcoins market, demonstrating its business expansion strategy. The Dogecoin acquisition reflects the institutional interest in memecoins, while Bitcoin remains its main emphasis. The acquisition of Dogecoin by Neptune marks the second major purchase of this cryptocurrency since Spirit Blockchain Company invested in it in November.

The total value of Dogecoin has reached $40 billion while its user base continues expanding steadily. The rising enthusiasm among institutional investors led to proposals for launching spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tied to Dogecoin, strengthening its position as an investment option. The acquisition of Dogecoin by Neptune matches the growing institutional involvement in cryptocurrencies moving beyond Bitcoin thus showing signs of the widespread acceptance of digital currencies.

The company bolstered its cryptocurrency market expansion through a USD $25 million increase in its credit line with Sygnum Bank that surpassed its original USD $20 million limit. The extra capital enables the company to sustain its acquisition methods and expand the diversity of its portfolio investments.

Tether Goes Farming With $100M Stake: Details

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USDT issuer Tether takes a bite into the food industry. As per the latest sources, the stablecoin behemoth has acquired a 9.8% stake in Latin American agricultural giant Adecoagro for $100 million to diversify its farming and food sector investments. Adecoagro is one of Argentina’s largest major milk producers. This is Tether’s first venture into the agriculture and food sector, following previous investments in AI, Bitcoin mining, and digital education.

Interestingly, Tether’s investment in Adecoagro revealed that the two-member Board of Directors, consisting of Giancarlo and JL, has full control over USDT reserves, with CEO Paolo Ardoino being merely a figurehead. While this might seem like a positive step toward greater transparency and governance, it also raises concerns about centralization and potential risks, harming USDT’s reputation.

Tether
Tether Goes Farming With $100M Stake: Details 5

Nevertheless, the development highlights crypto’s expanding reach beyond traditional industries. Continuing its rapid strides, Tether recently launched U.S. dollar-pegged USDT on the Aptos Network.

The integration is part of the stablecoin issuer’s broader strategy to make digital currency more accessible around the globe while leveraging Aptos’ highly scalable and advanced blockchain technology. As reported earlier, the roll-out is seen as a catalyst that could drive increased activity and value for Aptos.

Tether’s Growing Appeal

Adding to this, the USDT network logged a 5-month high in new wallet creation. Over 31,300 new wallets were created in a single day, suggesting an influx of fresh capital into the cryptocurrency market.  However, this surge isn’t accompanied by a decline in Bitcoin [BTC] or Ethereum [ETH] wallet creation. This suggests that new money, rather than existing crypto holders shifting between assets, might be entering the market.

Overall, USDT’s strategic investment in Adecoagro demonstrates the growing potential for blockchain technology to disrupt and innovate in various sectors. The investment also underscores Tether’s commitment to expanding its reach and exploring new opportunities, while potentially benefiting from the stability and long-term value associated with agricultural assets.

Coupled with that, the news of the recent launch on Aptos and the surge in new USDT wallets further reinforces its position as a leading stablecoin and indicates a growing interest in digital currencies. These developments suggest that Tether is well-positioned to capitalize on the expanding cryptocurrency market and contribute to the broader adoption of blockchain technology.