Crypto YouTuber and XRP-focused commentator “Spicy Sensei” dissected a new Bloomberg Crypto interview with Ripple president Monica Long, zeroing in on a half‑billion dollar raise, aggressive M&A, and Ripple’s push into tightly-regulated banking territory.
The headline detail: Ripple sold $500 million in shares at a $40 billion valuation in late 2025, bringing Citadel and Fortress onto its cap table. Long framed the deal as “very favorable for Ripple” and said the new investors were drawn to the firm’s digital asset infrastructure strategy and the inflection point in stablecoin payments.
Wall Street Money, Special Protection &No-Rush IPO
Bloomberg pressed Long about reported downside protections for investors in the raise — including rights to sell shares back to Ripple at a guaranteed return and preferential treatment in a major event like a sale or bankruptcy. Long declined to detail the structure, repeating that investors were “excited” to join and that Ripple was pleased with the terms.
Sponsored
On going public, Ripple is still in wait‑mode. Long reiterated that the company has “no plan, no timeline” for an IPO and stressed that Ripple’s balance sheet and strategic investors give it enough capital to grow privately.
Spicy Sensei floated a more speculative angle: whether Ripple might ultimately prefer to remain private indefinitely, potentially buying out shareholders later rather than using public markets for liquidity.
Stablecoins, OCC Charter & The Global License Land-Grab
Ripple’s strategy, as Long described it, is to be the “connective tissue” between traditional finance and tokenized assets: custody, compliant on/off-ramps, and payments infrastructure.
Key to that is regulation. Long said Ripple now holds 70+ licenses globally, and is:
- Running its USD stablecoin, RLUSD, under a New York DFS trust license
- Seeking a limited-purpose national bank charter from the U.S. OCC following passage of the “Genius Act” (a stablecoin-focused law referenced in the interview)
- Using that charter to manage RLUSD under what she called the “highest regulatory standards”
Spicy Sensei underscored how this licensing strategy lets Ripple operate across major regions: an OCC charter for all 50 U.S. states, Luxembourg approvals for EU coverage, plus licenses in Japan, Australia, and elsewhere. He expects Ripple to eventually cross 80–100 licenses as it scales.
M&A, Hedge Funds & XRP Ledger’s Crucial Institutional Play
Ripple acquired four companies in 2025, which Ripple’s President Monica Long listed as follows:
- G-Treasury – corporate treasury software with ~1,000 clients, now being plugged into Ripple’s stablecoin-based cross‑border payments
- Hidden Road (rebranded Ripple Prime) – prime brokerage-style platform serving hundreds of hedge funds
- Rail – infrastructure providing 10% of global B2B stablecoin payment rails, according to Long
- Palisade – MPC-based digital asset custody
Monica Long said 2026 deal activity could be “bigger” and framed M&A in two buckets: buying critical infrastructure (custody, stablecoin rails) and acquiring businesses that will use that infrastructure (treasury platforms, hedge fund prime services).
On whether Ripple might buy an exchange, Long was clear: no plans. She called exchanges “key partners” but highlighted a different bet — decentralized exchanges and vertical integration: from blockchain to stablecoin, custody, and on/off-ramps. That aligns with what Coinbase is doing with its Base chain, but Ripple is anchoring this stack on the XRP Ledger.
Why This Matters
For investors watching XRP’s recent price recovery to its highest level since mid‑November, the interview reinforces a few points: Ripple is doubling down on institutional infrastructure, not retail trading; it’s leaning into heavy regulation rather than skirting it; and it’s using Wall Street capital to accelerate a global licensing and M&A strategy.
Spicy Sensei’s takeaway is blunt: Ripple doesn’t want to be Binance or Coinbase. It wants to be the regulated backbone that corporates, hedge funds, and banks use when stablecoins and tokenized assets become standard plumbing.
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People Also Ask
Based on Ripple President Monica Long’s comments, Ripple does not currently plan an IPO and believes it can fund growth privately.
No. Long said Ripple has no plans to acquire an exchange and is instead focused on infrastructure, institutional clients, and leveraging DEX liquidity on the XRP Ledger.
Bloomberg highlighted that much of Ripple’s perceived value is tied to XRP, but Long emphasized a broader infrastructure stack: custody, stablecoins, payments rails, and regulated access for institutions.
