Ripple’s Leap From Crypto Into Traditional Finance Makes CNBC Headlines: “Conquering Crypto, Now Taking on Wall Street”

In a bold recognition from mainstream media, CNBC has declared, “Ripple Labs is conquering crypto. Now the XRP-linked firm wants to take on traditional finance.” This powerful endorsement underscores Ripple’s remarkable evolution from crypto disruptor to would-be financial sector titan, setting the mood for its latest wave of strategic partnerships, record investments, and ambitious acquisitions.

Ripple’s shift from the boundaries of crypto to the heart of global finance is now drawing attention from some of the world’s most respected business news outlets—most notably CNBC (CNBC: After conquering crypto, Ripple Labs wants to take on traditional finance). This endorsement reflects a historic pivot for the company: Ripple is no longer just a blockchain innovator—it’s gearing up to challenge banking titans and shape the next era of financial infrastructure.

Speaking with CNBC at Ripple Swell 2025 in New York, CEO Brad Garlinghouse laid out Ripple’s strategy to bridge the gap between Web3 and Wall Street. In his words, Ripple is “investing in the future and getting ahead of where that market’s going.” The company is integrating crypto-enabled solutions with traditional financial systems, aiming to make blockchain the backbone of institutional banking.

• In 2025 alone, Ripple executed nearly $4 billion in acquisitions, notably buying prime brokerage Hidden Road for nearly $1.3 billion and treasury software leader GTreasury for over $1 billion.
• Last week, Ripple launched Ripple Prime—a first-of-its-kind brokerage giving U.S. institutions access to spot market digital assets—and secured a $500 million investment round that boosted its valuation to $40 billion (Ripple raises $500M, $40B valuation).
• Financial giants like Bank of America and Citi are now piloting crypto custody and stablecoin services, further validating Ripple’s role at the intersection of traditional and decentralized finance.

Critically, CNBC’s analysis highlights the importance of institutional integration for Ripple’s future: the company is leveraging its XRP Ledger to offer fast, low-cost blockchain settlement for major banks and payment networks. Recent partnerships with Mastercard, WebBank, and Gemini showcase how Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin and XRP technology are being woven directly into the fabric of fiat payments (Ripple partnership announcement).

Ripple Swell 2025 Context:
The last several weeks—especially at the Ripple Swell conference—were crucial:

• Ripple Swell 2025 drew top financial executives, institutional investors, and crypto leaders to New York, where Ripple demonstrated its vision for institutional-grade crypto infrastructure (Ripple Swell details).
• The event set a bullish tone, with Ripple showcasing its new acquisitions and partnerships, highlighting the growing adoption of its RLUSD stablecoin, and reaffirming confidence around the regulatory clarity for XRP in key markets.

XRP/Ripple Analysis:

• XRP Price Potential: The utility-driven approach—focused on real-world transactions and bank adoption—is expected to drive upward price movement. Analysts see ETF access and brokered spot trading creating new sources of demand (What Will Drive XRP’s Next Major Price Move?).
• Business Operations: Ripple’s multi-billion-dollar acquisition spree puts it on the path to becoming a leading software and service provider for traditional banks seeking to modernize with blockchain.
• Legal Standing: Garlinghouse highlighted that while Ripple is seeing regulatory progress, legal certainty remains critical for mass adoption. The company is working closely with large banks to ensure compliance as regulations shift in the U.S. (CNBC: Ripple Labs wants to take on traditional finance).
• Partnerships & Adoption Prospects: The Mastercard, WebBank, and Gemini collaborations demonstrate that Ripple is now partnering at the very highest level of finance, giving XRP and XRPL mainstream credibility and distribution.

Conclusion:
With CNBC’s headline providing mainstream validation, Ripple’s ambition extends well beyond the crypto sector. Its strategy, major investments, and expanding partnerships create a powerful case for XRP as a backbone of future financial infrastructure. While regulatory clarity is still needed, Ripple’s momentum—bolstered by recognition from the likes of CNBC—makes it one of the most closely watched companies in both crypto and traditional finance.

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