Ripple Charts Its Own Course: Why Going Public Isn’t the Only Path to Crypto Dominance

Forget the traditional playbook. While Wall Street obsesses over IPOs and quarterly earnings, Ripple is quietly building a different kind of financial empire—one that doesn't require ringing the opening bell on Wall Street.

The Unconventional Blueprint

Ripple's leadership isn't just avoiding an IPO; they're actively rejecting the premise. The argument? Public markets come with baggage—short-term shareholder pressure, regulatory theater for the gallery, and a myopic focus on stock price over technological substance. In the fast-moving crypto arena, that's a recipe for stagnation.

Funding the Future, On Its Own Terms

How do you scale without public cash? Strategic partnerships, institutional adoption, and leveraging its existing treasury. Ripple's growth is fueled by proving utility in cross-border payments, not by promising future profits to retail investors on a earnings call. It's a build-first, explain-later model that leaves traditional VCs scratching their heads.

The Bottom Line for XRP

This path creates a unique dynamic for XRP. Its value is increasingly tied to network utility and adoption metrics rather than speculative bets on a public listing event. It decouples the company's operational strategy from the token's market performance—a concept that gives traditional finance purists heartburn. After all, what's a growth story without a ticker symbol to pump?

Ripple's gamble is a stark reminder: in the new world of digital assets, the most powerful moves often happen off the traditional board. They're not just building a company; they're testing whether the entire venture capital-to-IPO pipeline is becoming obsolete. And if they succeed, the biggest winner won't be a hedge fund—it'll be the protocol itself.

Private Growth Strategy Instead of IPO

The Ripple management acknowledges that IPOs are typically preferred for capital access and market liquidity. However, Monica Long expressed that they currently see no such necessity, stating that the company already has resources to fund its operations. According to management, maintaining private company status allows for greater flexibility and swifter decision-making processes.

The $500 million investment round completed in November 2025 elevated Ripple’s valuation to $40 billion. This round involved participation from major financial entities such as Fortress Investment Group and Citadel Securities, alongside crypto-focused funds. Long described the investment structure as “extremely favorable” for Ripple, abstaining from detailing buyback options or preferential rights granted to investors.

Ripple believes that growing without the pressure of an IPO enables product portfolio expansion and more controlled market entry. This strategy signifies a roadmap focused on long-term infrastructure development rather than short-term market expectations.

Expanding Product Ecosystem with Acquisitions

Throughout 2025, Ripple executed an aggressive expansion process, encompassing four major acquisitions reaching an approximate value of $4 billion. This included the incorporation of global multi-asset prime broker Hidden Road, stablecoin payments platform Rail, treasury management system provider GTreasury, and the crypto wallet and custody services firm Palisade. These strategic moves aim to position Ripple as a full-spectrum solution provider in the corporate cryptocurrency infrastructure.

Ripple Payments reached a total transaction volume surpassing $95 billion by November. Ripple Prime, established through the Hidden Road acquisition, expanded its offerings with secured lending products and corporate XRP solutions. At the Core of these operations is the dollar-pegged stablecoin RLUSD, serving as a fundamental link in payment and financing processes.

Long defines the essence of the company strategy as “producing products,” with an ambition to bridge traditional finance with blockchain-based assets. Ripple’s goal is to establish an infrastructure that enhances the real-world usability of tokenized assets and stablecoins.