Jake Claver said in a recent interview that BlackRock could eventually file for an XRP ETF if institutional use of the XRP Ledger keeps expanding. He tied that view to growing interest in XRPL’s payment and settlement functions, arguing that stronger network usage could support XRP and make room for more investment products linked to the token.
His comments arrived as BlackRock moves to widen its crypto ETF lineup. The asset manager’s iShares Bitcoin Premium Income ETF (BITA) is set to begin trading on Nasdaq on June 16 after receiving approval from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund is built around a covered-call strategy connected to BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF, IBIT, and targets annual yields of 15% to 25%.
Claver ties ETF speculation to settlement use cases on XRPL
Discussing XRP’s outlook, Claver said he believes BlackRock may at some point submit an XRP ETF filing. He linked that possibility to rising institutional activity around XRPL and to broader efforts to modernize how financial settlement is handled.
“We could see a BlackRock ETF,” Claver said. He also added that XRP may need to reach “a significantly higher price” before it is used more heavily in settlement-related applications. He did not give a target level, but his point was direct: if XRPL adoption rises, institutional products tied to XRP become easier to imagine.
XRPL Commons points to interest from major financial firms
Claver’s remarks follow a series of developments that have drawn more attention to XRPL from traditional finance. Earlier this year, XRPL Commons director Odelia Torteman said some of the largest firms in finance were exploring the ecosystem.
According to Torteman, BlackRock, Mastercard, and Franklin Templeton have shown interest in the network because it supports cross-asset payments and includes infrastructure designed for regulated institutions. She also said institutional participants have been evaluating XRPL-native tools, including its decentralized exchange and automated market maker.
Ripple’s enterprise payments work has added to that momentum. As previously reported, Ripple announced a tokenized lending initiative with Franklin Templeton and DBS that incorporated the RLUSD stablecoin. Around the same time, Securitize enabled conversions between shares of BlackRock’s tokenized BUIDL fund and RLUSD.
Ripple expands payments and AI-related tools on the network
Recent XRPL activity has gone beyond standard payment rails. Ripple expanded its relationship with Latin American fintech firm Bitso by bringing MXNB, a Mexican peso-backed stablecoin, to XRPL. 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.
Ripple has also introduced new AI-focused tools connected to XRPL. Last week, it launched an AI Starter Kit aimed at helping 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.
Those developments have helped fuel market speculation that institutional use of XRPL may keep broadening. For now, though, the idea of a BlackRock XRP ETF remains Claver’s view rather than a filed product plan.