A New Outlook for Crypto Regulation

XRP’s regulatory standing is once again in the spotlight following Donald Trump’s nomination of Michael Selig to chair the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Selig, known for his supportive stance on digital assets, has previously commented on XRP’s legal status, fueling speculation that his leadership could favor classifying cryptocurrencies as commodities rather than securities.

Ripple Solidifies XRP’s Central Role

While the regulatory landscape evolves, Ripple is actively cementing XRP’s position within its own ecosystem. In an October 24 statement, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse emphasized that XRP “sits at the center of everything Ripple does.” This strategy is backed by a series of major acquisitions over the past two years, including Metaco, Standard Custody, Rail, GTreasury, and the recently finalized deal for Hidden Road, which has been rebranded as Ripple Prime.

Ripple Prime is set to enhance institutional access to digital assets by offering multi-asset brokerage services. Ripple President Monica Long noted the significant opportunities this presents, highlighting plans to utilize both XRP and the company’s stablecoin, Ripple USD (RLUSD), as collateral for various prime brokerage products.

Growing Institutional Interest and Market Metrics

Recent market data underscores increasing institutional adoption of XRP. The Grayscale Coindesk Crypto 5 ETF now lists XRP among its top holdings, while REX-Osprey’s spot XRP ETF, known as XRPR, has surpassed $100 million in assets under management. Furthermore, CME XRP futures have seen notional volume reach $26.9 billion.

Looking ahead, the Ripple-backed company Evernorth is planning to list on Nasdaq in early 2026. This move is intended to support broader XRP adoption and signals growing market confidence in Ripple’s long-term strategy for the digital asset.