Ripple's institutional expansion is gaining momentum as Hidden Road, the prime brokerage platform acquired last year, was added to the National Securities Clearing Corporation's Market Participant Identifiers directory. This integration signals deeper connections between Ripple's infrastructure and traditional financial institutions. The development has reignited discussions about XRP's potential price trajectory, particularly as an eight-year-old prediction from former Ripple CTO David Schwartz resurfaces.

Schwartz's comments from years ago outlined how broader adoption of Ripple's technology could increase XRP's value, even if banks initially use the company's payment software without holding the cryptocurrency. He argued that XRP could become a bridge asset for international payments, connecting different fiat markets. If XRP offered meaningful cost advantages over existing methods, institutions might begin holding it as working capital for global transactions.

The timing is notable as Ripple completed its $1.25 billion acquisition of Hidden Road in 2025, rebranding it as Ripple Prime and positioning it as a global multi-asset prime brokerage. The platform's post-trade activity is expected to connect with the XRP Ledger, potentially creating new use cases for the cryptocurrency. While analysts remain divided on whether XRP will revisit the $3 level, the combination of institutional integration and renewed interest in Schwartz's prediction has created fresh optimism among XRP supporters.