- Ripple reportedly made a US$5B bid for Circle, later rumored to reach US$20B, aiming to integrate USDC’s US$61B liquidity with RippleNet to elevate XRP’s role in global payments.
- Analysts say the move would allow Ripple to dominate compliant stablecoin rails, cut transaction costs, and shift XRP’s use case from speculation to institutional payment infrastructure.
- While the deal remains unconfirmed, Ripple is expected to increase pressure if Circle stalls, with experts viewing the acquisition as part of a broader strategy to reshape financial settlement.
Ripple’s pursuit of Circle is not a price catalyst but a pivot that could reforge XRP’s function in global finance. That’s according to All Things XRP, a popular XRP analyst with over 30k followers.
Ripple’s opening bid for USDC issuer Circle stood at US$5B (AU$7.73B), but was deemed too low and rebuffed. However, rumors quickly surfaced of a US$20B (AU$30.9B) counteroffer, a sum that experts insist eclipses Circle’s private valuation by a wide margin.
This gambit follows Ripple’s acquisition of brokerage Hidden Road, a renowned platform that provides execution and prime brokerage, adding another institutional rail to Ripple’s stack.
However, with Ripple’s recent stunt with Circle, the analyst argues the real prize lies in Circle’s US$61B (AU$93B) USDC float. Folding that liquidity into RippleNet alongside the pilot RLUSD stablecoin would position XRP as the connective tissue between two regulated rails.
Legacy banks would face sub‑second blockchain transfers backed by compliant stablecoins (an infrastructure they assume they can no longer afford to ignore). According to the analyst, inheriting Circle’s banking partnerships and regulatory trust injects the credential Wall Street has withheld from pure‑play crypto networks.
RippleNet + USDC = Payment Domination. RippleNet already uses XRP to power fast, global transactions. But add USDC’s $61B in liquidity? That’s a payment network legacy banks can’t ignore.

Ripple is Ready to Intensify Pressure, Says Expert
Integrating USDC into RippleNet, the commentator notes, cuts transaction costs, boosts throughput, and cements XRP’s role in cross‑border, cross‑industry, and cross‑asset settlement. XRP’s demand profile shifts away from cyclical speculation toward institutional payment flows.
While the acquisition remains unconfirmed, All Things XRP warns that Circle can stall negotiations by demanding a higher multiple. Should Circle hold out, Ripple is prepared to ratchet up its offer and intensify pressure.
Either outcome, the analyst concludes, fits Ripple’s playbook:
Ripple’s vision remains to dominate payments, own stablecoin rails, and make XRP the default bridge. Circle was step two. Expect more moves if it doesn’t land this one.


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