Ripple is positioning itself to become the largest investment company in the cryptocurrency sector, a vision that could eventually challenge traditional financial giants like Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, according to a prominent analyst. Eliézer Ndinga, global head of research and venture partner for 21Shares, told DL News that "Ripple is positioning itself as the next Berkshire Hathaway."
Ndinga highlighted Ripple's strategic shift from its origins as a cross-border payments protocol to a diversified financial services firm. He noted the company possesses a "treasury war chest to buy companies" and has entered the stablecoin arena to compete against major players like Circle. This marks a dramatic evolution for the firm, which is deliberately distancing itself from its native token, XRP, as it builds a portfolio of crypto businesses.
The scale of the ambition is vast. Berkshire Hathaway is a $1 trillion holding company and the 11th largest in the world. In contrast, Ripple's latest valuation was $40 billion in 2025. To reach Buffett's level, Ripple would need to grow by approximately 2,500%. The company's transformation is being fueled by significant capital. In November, it raised $500 million from a consortium of high-profile investors including Citadel Securities, Fortress, Pantera Capital, and Galaxy Digital—a round that tripled its valuation.
Ripple has been on a billion-dollar acquisition spree to assemble its empire. Key purchases include Swiss custody platform Metaco for $250 million; multi-asset prime brokerage Hidden Road (now Ripple Prime) for $1.25 billion; stablecoin payments infrastructure firm Rail for $200 million; and corporate treasury management software developer GTreasury for $1 billion. Furthermore, the company launched its own stablecoin, RLUSD, in 2024, which now boasts a market value of just over $1.4 billion, ranking it as the world's 10th-largest stablecoin according to DefiLlama.
This aggressive corporate strategy is creating tension with the XRP community. Ndinga explained that Ripple wants to be valued as a diversified financial services firm, not a "single-asset bet." "Ripple wants to separate itself from XRP as it prepares for public markets," he said. "They don't want to create confusion among investors." Looking ahead, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has indicated the company's acquisition pace will slow in 2026.
