Jake Claver floats BlackRock XRP ETF as XRPL gains ground

Expanding adoption of the XRP Ledger among major financial firms has fueled speculation from Jake Claver that BlackRock may one day launch an XRP ETF.

According to comments made by Claver during a recent interview, XRP is likely to see increased adoption across the XRP Ledger ecosystem in the coming months as more institutions explore the network’s payment and settlement capabilities.

Claver argued that stronger usage of the blockchain could support higher XRP prices and create conditions for additional institutional products tied to the asset.

His remarks come as BlackRock prepares to expand its cryptocurrency ETF lineup. The asset manager’s iShares Bitcoin Premium Income ETF (BITA) is scheduled to begin trading on Nasdaq on June 16 after receiving approval from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The fund is designed to generate income through a covered-call strategy linked to BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF, IBIT, while targeting annual yields between 15% and 25%.

Speaking about XRP’s prospects, Claver said he believes BlackRock could eventually file for an XRP ETF. He also linked the possibility to growing institutional activity around the XRP Ledger and ongoing efforts to modernize financial settlement systems.

“We could see a BlackRock ETF,” Claver said, adding that XRP may need to reach “a significantly higher price” before being used more extensively in settlement-related applications.

Institutional interest in XRPL continues to expand

Claver’s comments follow several developments that have increased attention on the XRP Ledger among traditional financial firms.

Earlier this year, XRPL Commons director Odelia Torteman said some of the largest companies in finance were exploring the XRP Ledger ecosystem.

According to Torteman, firms including BlackRock, Mastercard, and Franklin Templeton had expressed interest in the network due to its ability to support cross-asset payments and infrastructure designed for regulated institutions.

Torteman also pointed to growing interest in XRPL-native tools such as its decentralized exchange and automated market maker, which are increasingly being evaluated by institutional participants.

Additional partnerships have strengthened Ripple’s position in the enterprise payments sector. As reported by crypto.news in September, Ripple announced a tokenized lending initiative alongside Franklin Templeton and DBS that incorporated the RLUSD stablecoin. Around the same period, Securitize enabled conversions between shares of BlackRock’s tokenized BUIDL fund and RLUSD.

Ripple adds payment and AI functionality to XRPL

Recent activity on the network has extended beyond traditional payments. Ripple recently expanded its relationship with Latin American fintech company Bitso by bringing the Mexican peso-backed stablecoin MXNB to the XRP Ledger.

The company said MXNB would also be integrated into its Payments on Decentralized Exchange infrastructure, adding another regulated settlement asset to its cross-border payments network.

At the same time, Ripple has introduced new artificial intelligence tools tied to XRPL. Last week, the company launched an AI Starter Kit intended to help developers build agent-based payment applications on the network. Ripple also announced support for the X402 protocol, allowing AI agents to transact using XRP and RLUSD.

Taken together, these developments have fueled speculation from market participants such as Claver that institutional use of the XRP Ledger could continue to grow, potentially opening the door to additional investment products linked to XRP.