This week, whispers in the financial world have turned into roars as speculation mounts that BlackRock, the globe’s largest asset manager with over $11 trillion in assets, is actively buying XRP. As of April 2, 2025, the crypto community is abuzz with rumors, fueled by tantalizing hints and market chatter, suggesting BlackRock could be poised to make a seismic move into Ripple’s native token. Here’s what’s driving the buzz and what it could mean for XRP’s future.
The Spark: Rumors and Reports
The rumor mill kicked into high gear this week with posts on X claiming BlackRock is already purchasing XRP in significant quantities. While no official confirmation has come from BlackRock’s headquarters in New York, the speculation isn’t baseless. On March 28, FX Empire reported Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse hinting at a potential collaboration with BlackRock for a U.S.-based XRP-spot ETF, with betting odds for approval soaring to 87%. Analysts like Nate Geraci, president of The ETF Store, have doubled down, predicting on March 26 via CryptoSlate that BlackRock and Fidelity are all but certain to join the XRP ETF race once Ripple’s legal saga with the SEC wraps up.
Adding fuel to the fire, posts on X from March 24 claimed an internal BlackRock risk report flagged XRP for a “multi-asset bridge strategy,” with potential settlement flows scaling into the trillions. Though unverified, this aligns with Ripple’s long-touted vision of XRP as a cross-border payment powerhouse—a narrative that could appeal to BlackRock’s infrastructure-focused ambitions.
Why XRP? Why Now?
BlackRock’s move to buy XRP isn’t out of left field. The firm has already staked its claim in the crypto space, leading the charge with its iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), which has raked in billions since its 2024 launch. CEO Larry Fink, once a crypto skeptic, has turned bullish, warning in a March 17 Forbes piece that bitcoin could erode the U.S. dollar’s dominance—a sentiment that might extend to XRP’s utility in global finance. With the SEC vs. Ripple lawsuit nearing its end (potentially by April 2025, per CoinGape), the regulatory clarity XRP craves could be the green light BlackRock’s been waiting for.XRP’s appeal lies in its speed and cost-efficiency—attributes Ripple has leveraged to partner with over 11,000 banks via SWIFT, according to a March 31 FX Empire report. If BlackRock is indeed buying XRP as a bridge for institutional cash flows, as some X posts suggest, it could catapult the token from its current $2.13 price (down 3.3% on March 29) to loftier heights.
The ETF Angle
The XRP ETF chatter amplifies the stakes. Franklin Templeton’s recent S-1 filing for an XRP ETF has set the stage, but BlackRock’s rumored purchases suggest it’s not content to let smaller players like Franklin Templeton (with $1.5 trillion in assets) steal the spotlight. Geraci’s March 14 Bitcoinist analysis posits that BlackRock, dominant in bitcoin and ether ETFs, won’t sit idly by as a top-five crypto like XRP gains traction. A BlackRock-backed ETF, potentially fueled by its current XRP buys, could unleash billions in institutional money, with FX Empire projecting $8 billion in inflows if approved.
Skeptics and Hurdles
Not everyone’s convinced the buying spree is real—or sustainable. The SEC’s silence on its appeal strategy—despite a closed meeting slated for April 3—keeps uncertainty alive. A fake BlackRock XRP trust filing on March 12, reported by Blockworks, briefly spiked prices before crashing, reminding us of the market’s volatility and susceptibility to misinformation. And with XRP’s massive 58 billion token supply, skeptics like CoinGape argue a $100 price tag is a decade away, even with BlackRock’s muscle.
What’s Next?
If BlackRock is truly buying XRP, the implications are staggering. A March 23 X post warned that even a fraction of BlackRock’s $9 trillion could exhaust XRP’s supply, driving prices skyward. Beyond price, it’s about validation: BlackRock’s investment could cement XRP’s role in mainstream finance, echoing its bitcoin ETF success that pushed BTC to $109,312.
For now, it’s a waiting game. Will BlackRock confirm its XRP purchases? Will the SEC’s next move clear the path? As the crypto world holds its breath, one thing’s clear: XRP’s quiet week might be the calm before a BlackRock-sized storm.
