Ripple Secures $200M Credit Facility to Expand Prime Brokerage

Joerg Hiller May 11, 2026 20:55

Ripple lands $200M credit line from Neuberger Berman to boost institutional crypto lending via Ripple Prime, aiming to meet growing demand.

Ripple has secured a $200 million credit facility from asset management giant Neuberger Berman to bolster its Ripple Prime institutional brokerage unit. The move signals Ripple's intensified push into institutional crypto financing, a sector where demand appears to be growing rapidly.

The credit line will enable Ripple Prime to expand its lending capacity, offering more margin loans and financing products to hedge funds, trading firms, and other institutional entities. According to Ripple Prime president Noel Kimmel, the capital injection is aimed at serving a broader range of clients active in both crypto and traditional financial markets.

Neuberger Berman, which manages over $560 billion in assets, is one of the most significant traditional finance players to collaborate with Ripple to date. While Ripple did not disclose specific terms, such as how much of the $200 million has been drawn or whether the division is currently profitable, the partnership highlights the increasing overlap between crypto-native firms and traditional financial stalwarts.

Ripple’s Institutional Expansion via Hidden Road

This development follows Ripple's 2025 acquisition of Hidden Road, a global prime brokerage platform. The $1.25 billion deal—completed six months after its announcement—marked a major milestone as the first known acquisition of a global prime broker by a crypto-native company.

Hidden Road, rebranded as Ripple Prime, had been a significant player in institutional finance with $3 trillion in annual trading volume and over 300 institutional clients. Ripple leveraged this acquisition to triple the unit's revenue within a year, though specific profitability metrics remain undisclosed.

The acquisition has also opened new market opportunities. For example, crypto exchange Bullish recently expanded its integration with Ripple Prime, granting institutional clients direct access to regulated Bitcoin options trading. Stablecoins, including Ripple's RLUSD, are accepted as collateral, further solidifying Ripple’s presence in the institutional crypto ecosystem. Notably, RLUSD boasts a market cap exceeding $1.5 billion, underpinning its role in Ripple's broader strategy.

The $200 million credit facility underscores Ripple’s ambitions to dominate the institutional crypto finance space by scaling its infrastructure and product offerings. As traditional finance increasingly intersects with digital assets, Ripple is positioning itself as a key player in bridging the two worlds.

Looking ahead, Ripple's success in scaling Ripple Prime could influence how other crypto firms approach institutional markets, especially as regulatory clarity evolves globally. For now, Ripple’s partnership with Neuberger Berman adds significant credibility to its efforts.

• ripple
• crypto lending
• prime brokerage