Ripple hits $40b valuation after $500m funding round

Ripple has raised US$500 million in new funding, bringing its valuation to US$40 billion.

The US-based company, known for its digital payments platform and close association with the cryptocurrency XRP, secured the round from investors including funds managed by affiliates of Fortress Investment Group and Citadel Securities, as well as Pantera Capital, Galaxy Digital, Brevan Howard, and Marshall Wace.

Ripple has recently expanded beyond payments, moving into areas such as cryptocurrency asset custody, prime brokerage, and corporate treasury management.

The company has also completed six acquisitions in the past two years and launched a US dollar-backed stablecoin last year.

Ripple’s president Monica Long said the company did not need to raise funds but saw demand from institutional investors looking to become strategic partners.

Long added that Ripple is not planning an IPO at this time.

🔗 Source: CNBC

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Ripple’s $40B valuation outpaces Circle with a far smaller stablecoin

Ripple carries a $40 billion valuation versus Circle at $26 billion 1. RLUSD has a $1 billion market cap while USDC sits at $76 billion 2. Investors likely value Ripple’s deals and payments infrastructure beyond stablecoin scale.
The company processed almost $100 billion in payment volume over the past year and doubled its customer base 2. That momentum can support a higher valuation than stablecoin rivals.
In 2025, the company bought three firms 1. Hidden Road handles prime brokerage (institutional trading and financing services). GTreasury covers corporate treasury technology. Rail focuses on payments. The plan spreads revenue across custody, payments, and institutional services, beyond stablecoin fees.

Payments firms can move first with RLUSD before enterprise demand grows

RLUSD runs 80 percent on Ethereum and 20 percent on the XRP Ledger (XRPL) 3. Start on Ethereum to tap deeper liquidity, then add XRPL as cross-chain tools mature.
Ripple holds over 75 regulatory licenses worldwide 2 and focuses on institutional clients 2. B2B payment platforms and corporate treasury tools can stand out by offering RLUSD settlement early, with a customer base that doubled last year.
RLUSD now serves as collateral in Ripple Prime, the company’s institutional brokerage suite, with GTreasury joining the effort 4. Fintech teams building treasury or derivatives interfaces should explore partnerships to embed RLUSD before broader enterprise use.