Ripple's CEO, Brad Garlinghouse, indicated that the company is unlikely to pursue any major new acquisitions in the first half of 2026, but a stronger acquisition strategy may be reconsidered in the second half of the year.
At the XRP Community Day online event, Garlinghouse stated: “This year will be a year focused on integration. You should not expect any major acquisitions in the near future. However, one should not say ‘never’; we may start to consider acquisitions more actively in the second half of the year.”
Garlinghouse's cautious tone indicates that Ripple's repetition of a strong acquisition campaign like in 2025 is not expected to happen in the short term. Last year, the company pumped about 4 billion dollars into the cryptocurrency ecosystem through investments, mergers, and acquisitions.
In this context, Ripple acquired Hidden Road, a global credit network, for 1.25 billion dollars, and GTreasury, a treasury management system company, for 1 billion dollars.
Before being acquired, Hidden Road processed 3 trillion dollars in foreign exchange transactions annually and served over 300 institutional clients. On the other hand, GTreasury stands out as a platform providing risk management, foreign exchange (FX) tools, regulatory compliance, and auditing frameworks.
After the acquisitions, Ripple renamed Hidden Road to 'Ripple Prime' and GTreasury to 'Ripple Treasury'. According to Garlinghouse, all these units are now positioned to serve the XRP ecosystem.
Garlinghouse asserts that the company's strategic focus is very clear, stating, 'XRP is Ripple's North Star. That is our purpose.'
Garlinghouse claims that all products, including Ripple Payments, Ripple Prime, Ripple Treasury, custody services, and RLUSD, are aimed at creating utility, trust, and liquidity around XRP and the XRP Ledger, and the company's growth plans are shaped in that direction.
