In a significant move for institutional cryptocurrency adoption, Bank of America has disclosed its investment in an XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF). According to a recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing, the banking giant holds approximately 13,000 shares of the Volatility Shares XRP ETF, representing a total value of about $224,640.
While this investment is modest relative to the bank's overall portfolio, its symbolic importance is substantial. It signals a major U.S. financial institution gaining exposure to XRP through a regulated investment vehicle. This disclosure follows Bank of America's strategic shift on January 5, 2026, when it began allowing its wealth advisors to recommend crypto ETFs to clients for the first time, supporting limited crypto exposure of 1–4% in client portfolios.
The investment also underscores Bank of America's deepening partnership with Ripple. The bank has participated in Ripple-related pilots for cross-border payments since at least 2019 and is reportedly exploring collaboration on blockchain-based settlement infrastructure, cross-border payments, and Ripple's RLUSD stablecoin.
This institutional activity coincides with strong demand for U.S. spot XRP ETFs. These products have seen consistent inflows from pension funds, asset managers, and advisory firms, with one XRP ETF recording a single-day inflow of $19.46 million on February 3. The collective assets under management (AUM) for XRP ETFs are on track to approach $1.20 billion in a short period.
Separately, Ripple has achieved a major regulatory milestone in its global expansion. On February 2, 2026, it received full approval for an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license from Luxembourg's Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier. This license allows Ripple to offer regulated payment services across all 27 European Union member states under a single framework. Furthermore, Ripple Prime announced support for the Hyperliquid decentralized derivatives protocol, enabling institutional clients to access on-chain derivatives liquidity.
Despite this institutional bullishness, the XRP price has remained under pressure. Trading around $1.59, it reflects a drop of about 1%, aligning with a broader crypto market sell-off. Technical indicators like the Relative Strength Index (RSI) in the low-30s and a negative MACD suggest persistent bearish momentum, though some on-chain data indicates potential accumulation, with the XRP supply on exchanges like Binance shrinking as holders move tokens to private wallets.
