Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse signaled that while 2026 will primarily be a year of integration, the company could revisit mergers and acquisitions in the second half of the year as it continues expanding the XRP ecosystem.
Ripple Prioritizes Integration After $4 Billion Investment Push
Speaking during an online XRP Community Day event, Garlinghouse said Ripple is unlikely to announce major acquisitions in the near term. Instead, the company plans to focus on integrating businesses acquired during an aggressive expansion phase in 2025.
Last year, Ripple deployed approximately $4 billion across investments, mergers, and acquisitions. Two of the most notable transactions included the $1.25 billion purchase of Hidden Road and the $1 billion acquisition of GTreasury.
Hidden Road, a global credit network that previously cleared about $3 trillion annually for more than 300 institutional clients, has since been rebranded as Ripple Prime. Meanwhile, GTreasury — known for treasury management systems, foreign exchange tools, and compliance frameworks — now operates as Ripple Treasury.
XRP Positioned as Strategic Anchor
Garlinghouse emphasized that XRP remains central to Ripple’s long-term strategy. With a market capitalization of roughly $83 billion and a trading price near $1.37, XRP ranks as the third-largest cryptocurrency by market value.
According to the CEO, Ripple’s payments infrastructure, custody solutions, liquidity products, and RLUSD stablecoin initiatives are all designed to strengthen utility and liquidity across the XRP Ledger, reinforcing the token’s role as the company’s strategic “North Star.”
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