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Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse said the company might pursue acquisitions in the second half of 2026 after spending $4 billion on M&A last year, even as XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) remains 60% below its peak.
Garlinghouse told an online XRP Community Day event that 2026 will focus on integration rather than new deals according to The Block.
“I don’t think you should expect any other big acquisitions,” he said. “But you never know, the second half of the year we’ll start maybe looking to be more acquisitive again,” he added.
Last year, Ripple invested approximately $4 billion into the crypto ecosystem through investments, mergers, and acquisitions.
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Major deals included Hidden Road for $1.25 billion and GTreasury for $1 billion.
Hidden Road cleared $3 trillion annually while serving over 300 institutional customers before Ripple rebranded it as Ripple Prime.
GTreasury, now Ripple Treasury, provides risk management and FX tools alongside compliance and audit frameworks.
“XRP is the North Star for Ripple. It’s our purpose,” Garlinghouse said. All products—Ripple Payments, Ripple Prime, Ripple Treasury, custody, and RLUSD stablecoin—focus on driving utility, trust, velocity, and liquidity around XRP and the XRP Ledger.
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XRP is bouncing after plunging to $1.15-$1.20 in a severe capitulation move.
The Parabolic SAR flipped to $1.1515 below price for the first time during the decline, suggesting momentum may shift temporarily.
However, the Supertrend at $1.7418 remains well above price in bearish mode, confirming the downtrend stays intact.
Critical support held at $1.15-$1.20. Breaking below triggers selling toward the psychological $1 level or lower.
The bounce brought price to $1.37-$1.40, but significant resistance lies overhead.
Immediate resistance for XRP appears at $1.45-$1.50, followed by $1.70-$1.80 including the Supertrend level. For meaningful recovery, XRP needs to hold above $1.30 on pullbacks and continue making higher lows.
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The $4 billion spending spree last year positions Ripple as one of crypto’s most active acquirers outside Tether.
For XRP, the question is whether M&A and product expansion translate to token demand.
Garlinghouse framed everything around driving XRP utility, but the 60% crash suggests investors remain skeptical.
Image: Shutterstock
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This article ‘XRP Is The North Star,’ Says Ripple CEO After $4B In Acquisitions In 2025 originally appeared on Benzinga.com