Jake Claver: BlackRock XRP ETF could follow XRPL’s institutional momentum

Published: 2026-06-15 23:44:16 |

Jake Claver, chairman of Digital Ascension Group, said a potential BlackRock XRP ETF could emerge as institutional interest in the XRP Ledger (XRPL) grows. In a recent interview, he argued that stronger XRP usage for payments and settlement across the XRPL ecosystem could support higher XRP prices and eventually make an XRP ETF more feasible. Claver also tied the timeline to BlackRock’s expanding crypto ETF lineup. He noted BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Premium Income ETF (BITA) is set to begin trading on Nasdaq on June 16 after U.S. SEC approval. BITA targets annual yields of roughly 15%–25% via a covered-call strategy linked to BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF, IBIT. XRPL’s broader adoption is a key catalyst in Claver’s view. XRPL Commons director Odelia Torteman said large financial firms—including BlackRock, Mastercard, and Franklin Templeton—are exploring XRPL for regulated cross-asset payment infrastructure. Ripple’s recent network upgrades add to the narrative: MXNB (a Mexican peso-backed stablecoin) was brought to XRPL for integration into its Payments on Decentralized Exchange; Ripple also launched an AI Starter Kit for agent-based payment applications and added X402 protocol support so AI agents can transact using XRP and RLUSD. Overall, market participants are increasingly positioning for a possible XRP ETF path—an angle that directly links “XRP ETF” expectations to near-term XRPL adoption headlines and longer-term institutional product expansion.

Bullish

This news is bullish because it strengthens the probability narrative around an “XRP ETF” at the same time XRPL adoption signals improve. Claver’s comments connect XRP ETF expectations to institutional engagement (BlackRock, Mastercard, Franklin Templeton) and to concrete Ripple ecosystem updates (MXNB on XRPL, RLUSD/X402 for AI agent payments). In crypto history, ETF-related speculation often triggers short-term demand and volatility in the underlying asset before any formal filing. Similar dynamics were seen with major altcoin ETF rumors where price action reflected positioning ahead of regulatory milestones. Short term: traders may front-run sentiment, leading to sharper moves in XRP as headlines circulate about “XRP ETF” and as XRPL adoption updates trend. The mention of BlackRock’s BITA launch also reinforces a broader “more crypto ETFs from BlackRock” theme, which can buoy risk appetite. Long term: if XRPL continues adding regulated payment rails and institutional tooling, sustained utility improvements could support higher valuation multiples for XRP. However, the catalyst here is still not a confirmed filing—so downside risk remains if expectations outpace verifiable regulatory progress. Net effect: modest-to-strong positive sentiment, with elevated volatility risk around ETF headline cycles.