Ripple’s aggressive expansion of acquisitions and changes in the regulatory environment are rapidly changing how the company is perceived within the XRP community. The community no longer views Ripple as merely a blockchain-based payments company. It is beginning to see it as a financial infrastructure company competing head-on with traditional banks in treasury services, cross-border payments and custody. The Crypto Basic highlighted the change on Jan. 21 local time.

Ripple aggressively expanded its business portfolio through large-scale acquisitions throughout 2025. In April, it acquired global prime brokerage Hidden Road for about $1.25 billion and rebranded it as Ripple Prime. That broadened Ripple’s reach into liquidity provision and trading infrastructure for institutional investors. In August, it acquired Canada-based stablecoin payments platform Rail for $200 million, and two months later bought GTreasury, which provides corporate treasury management solutions, for $1 billion. In November, it also acquired digital asset custody firm Palisade in a string of deals, building a structure spanning treasury, payments and safekeeping.

The move that drew particular market attention was obtaining a U.S. bank charter in December. That means Ripple secured legal status to provide financial services within a regulatory framework, prompting assessments that it has moved beyond a simple blockchain company and entered the regulated financial sector as a player. The steps have also led to analysis that Ripple could directly threaten key profit sources for banks, including remittance fees, treasury operations and asset custody.

Figures in the XRP community are also assessing Ripple’s strategic shift positively. Within the community, the view is gaining ground that Ripple could erode the huge revenue banks earn in cross-border payments, corporate treasury operations and digital asset custody. Some have even raised claims that traditional finance has begun lobbying to check Ripple’s acquisition of a bank charter. That is seen as showing Ripple is being perceived as a real threat to the existing financial order.

These structural changes are also influencing the outlook for XRP prices. Google artificial intelligence (AI) model Gemini presented several scenarios, assuming Ripple plays a meaningful role in the global financial system. It said that with mid-level adoption, XRP could rise to $12.50 to $18.00, which matches Standard Chartered’s forecast of $12.50 for XRP in 2028.

In a more optimistic scenario, Gemini said $25 to $50 could be possible if Ripple significantly expands its share of the global payments market. It also suggested that, in an extreme case where it becomes a key asset of international payments infrastructure, a scenario above $100 cannot be ruled out.

Gemini also emphasised the importance of liquidity. It said higher XRP prices would reduce volatility when processing large-scale transactions.

Still, some caution that the growth path for Ripple and XRP will not be smooth. Intensifying competition in the stablecoin market, pushback from central banks and regulators in each country, and regulatory variables such as the U.S. GENIUS bill are cited as risks that could affect Ripple’s business expansion and XRP’s value. The market says a key variable for XRP’s medium- and long-term direction will be how far Ripple can penetrate the regulated financial sector while maintaining both cooperation and competition with traditional finance.