Ripple has secured a fresh $500 million investment in a new funding round led by Fortress Investment Group and Citadel Securities, valuing the crypto company at $40 billion.
The announcement, made on Wednesday, marks one of the largest private funding rounds in the cryptocurrency sector this year, and a significant vote of confidence in Ripple’s strategy to become a bridge between traditional finance and blockchain technology.
The deal comes just months after Ripple concluded a $1 billion tender offer at the same valuation, a move that had already drawn attention from major institutional investors. The company said the new capital will help deepen relationships with financial institutions, expand its growing suite of blockchain-based financial products, and further entrench its position as a leading provider of digital payment solutions for global markets.
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“This investment reflects both Ripple’s incredible momentum, and further validation of the market opportunity we’re aggressively pursuing,” said Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, emphasizing that the latest funding round strengthens the company’s ability to scale its infrastructure and support a broader institutional client base.
Institutional Adoption on the Rise
Ripple’s announcement comes amid a surge of institutional adoption of stablecoins and digital payment rails, following the passage of the GENIUS Act, a U.S. law that established a clear regulatory framework for the issuance and use of stablecoins. The law, aimed at bringing more transparency and security to the digital asset space, has paved the way for greater participation by financial firms, banks, and payment providers.
In this new regulatory environment, companies have begun integrating blockchain-based payment systems for treasury management, collateral settlement, and cross-border transactions. Ripple’s own stablecoin, Ripple USD (RLUSD), has quickly gained traction in these sectors, particularly among corporations looking to reduce transaction costs and speed up settlements.
More institutions are adopting stablecoins such as RLUSD for treasury payments and collateral management, a development attributed to the GENIUS Act, which has effectively opened the door for mainstream financial adoption of blockchain-backed digital currencies.
Ripple’s Expanding Product Suite
Ripple’s business has evolved well beyond its initial focus on cross-border remittances. The company’s expanding product lineup now includes custody solutions, prime brokerage services, corporate treasury management tools, and stablecoin infrastructure — all aimed at integrating blockchain into the existing financial system.
The firm also plans to use the new funding to scale its enterprise-grade liquidity network, expand partnerships with banks and asset managers, and strengthen its capital markets presence, particularly as it positions XRP, its native token, for broader institutional use.
Under the more crypto-friendly Trump administration, Ripple is also exploring deeper engagement with regulators and policymakers, who have signaled openness toward fostering innovation in digital finance. The company said it intends to take advantage of this more favorable policy climate to advance its long-term goal of making blockchain technology “a core part of institutional finance.”
The participation of Fortress Investment Group and Citadel Securities highlights how traditional financial heavyweights are increasingly investing in digital asset infrastructure. Citadel Securities, one of the largest market makers globally, has been expanding its involvement in tokenized assets and decentralized trading mechanisms, while Fortress has been an early backer of blockchain ventures focused on bridging traditional markets and digital ecosystems.
Their involvement in Ripple’s latest funding round underscores a broader shift in sentiment among traditional investors, who are viewing blockchain technology less as a speculative frontier and more as a structural pillar of modern finance.
Ripple’s latest valuation — which places it among the top-tier fintech companies globally — is seen as evidence that institutional investors see the company’s blockchain-based payment rails and regulatory positioning as key long-term advantages.
Founded in 2012, Ripple has long tried to distinguish itself from other crypto firms by focusing on regulated, enterprise-level use cases for digital assets rather than retail speculation. Its flagship product, RippleNet, enables banks and payment providers to process international transfers instantly and at lower costs, leveraging blockchain technology to replace slow and expensive correspondent banking systems.
Over the years, Ripple has cultivated partnerships with several major financial institutions across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Despite previous legal challenges with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over whether XRP constituted a security, Ripple emerged from that case with partial victories that have allowed it to maintain operations and even expand in multiple jurisdictions.
The company’s growing focus on stablecoins — which maintain a fixed value relative to fiat currencies — aligns with its broader ambition to become a trusted player in digital finance infrastructure. Analysts note that the GENIUS Act has made it easier for firms like Ripple to issue and operate stablecoins under clearer regulatory oversight, reducing uncertainty for institutional clients.