XRP Rises to $1.40 as Goldman Sachs Tops ETF Holdings
Ripple (XRP) inched higher by 2% to $1.40 in the last 1 hour as reports circulated that Goldman Sachs invests $154 million in an XRP-linked exchange-traded fund (ETF).
XRP’s trading volume increased by about 10% to $3 billion, according to data obtained from a cryptocurrency exchange on Wednesday. Fresh buying interest has increased XRP’s market capitalisation to $86 billion, with the altcoin playing a major role in blockchain-based payment systems.
Goldman Sachs emerged as the largest institutional holder of spot XRP ETFs, holding nearly $154 million in shares as of the end of 2025, according to Bloomberg Intelligence data.
This position represents a significant portion of the roughly $211 million held by the top 30 investors in these newly launched products.
The bank’s position demonstrates strong confidence in the evolving Crypto ETF market. Financial institutions prefer ETFs because they provide exposure to digital assets without direct custody risks.
Many large investors hesitate to hold cryptocurrencies directly. ETFs allow them to participate in price movements through familiar stock market structures.
Many investors view it as a key infrastructure asset for future global payments, amidst a planned upgrade scheduled for March. The XRP Ledger upgrade focuses on privacy, with features such as encrypted balances and selective disclosure keys, targeting institutional use.
Crypto analysts said enhanced settlement speed and transparency of the XRP ledger facilitate institutional tokenisation of private credit, bridging the gap between traditional and blockchain
Ripple recently published an institutional DeFi roadmap for XRP Ledger that includes a permissioned DEX aimed at banks and corporates rather than retail DeFi users.
Ripple shared an institutional DeFi roadmap for XRPL that lists live components such as Multi-Purpose Tokens, on-chain credentials, and permissioned domains, as well as upcoming features including a Permissioned DEX, a lending protocol, confidential transfers, and smart escrows in Q2 and beyond.
