In an interview on June 16, Jake Claver said he believes that as institutions increase their exploration of the XRP Ledger, BlackRock may eventually file to launch an XRP ETF; Claver also said that XRP may need to reach a “higher price” to gain broader adoption in settlement-related applications.
BlackRock BITA ETF: SEC Approved, Starts Trading on Nasdaq on June 16
Based on confirmed SEC approval documents and reports, BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Premium Income ETF (BITA) confirmed that it will begin trading on Nasdaq on June 16, 2026. The BITA fund generates income through a covered call strategy tied to BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF IBIT, with a target annual yield of 15% to 25%.
Jake Claver’s personal speculation: confirmed interview remarks
According to a Crypto.news report, in the interview Claver confirmed said: “We may see BlackRock launch an XRP ETF.” He linked this speculation to increased XRPL institutional activity and the progress of modernizing financial settlement systems, but did not provide any specific timeline or confirmation information from BlackRock. BlackRock has not made any official statements regarding an XRP ETF.
Institutional XRPL exploration statements confirmed by Torteman
XRPL Commons’ Executive Director Odelia Torteman said that companies including BlackRock, Mastercard, and Franklin Templeton are exploring the XRP Ledger ecosystem, citing reasons such as its ability to support cross-asset payments, as well as its suitability as infrastructure designed for regulated entities.
Torteman also pointed out that institutional participants’ interest in evaluating XRPL native tools—including its decentralized exchange and automated market makers—is growing. The above statements are Torteman’s personal remarks, not an official confirmation by the relevant financial companies.
Ripple’s three XRPL expansions
Based on recent developments confirmed by Crypto.news and Ripple’s official reporting:
MXNB integration: Ripple expands its partnership with Latin American fintech company Bitso, bringing the Mexico peso-backed stablecoin MXNB to the XRP Ledger, and integrating it into its decentralized exchange payment infrastructure
AI starter kit: Ripple releases an AI starter kit to help developers build agent-based payment applications on XRPL
X402 protocol support: Ripple announced support for the X402 protocol, allowing AI agents to trade using XRP and RLUSD
Previously, Ripple, along with Franklin Templeton and DBS (DBS Bank), jointly launched a tokenized lending program (using the RLUSD stablecoin); Securitize has enabled conversions between shares of BlackRock’s tokenized fund BUIDL and RLUSD.
FAQ
What is the basis for Jake Claver’s speculation about a BlackRock XRP ETF?
According to a Crypto.news report, Claver listed the basis for his speculation as: increased institutional exploration of XRPL (including the exploration by BlackRock, Mastercard, and Franklin Templeton mentioned by Torteman), as well as Ripple’s continued expansion of XRPL’s payment and AI capabilities. Claver also said that XRP may need to reach a higher price to be more widely adopted in settlement applications.
Has BlackRock made any official statements regarding an XRP ETF?
As of the time of the Crypto.news report, BlackRock has not made any official filing or statement regarding an XRP ETF. Claver’s remarks are personal speculation and differ in nature from information about BITA (a Bitcoin covered call ETF) that BlackRock confirmed will launch on June 16.
What is Ripple’s X402 protocol support, and what does it mean?
Based on Ripple’s official confirmation, the X402 protocol allows AI agents to execute autonomous payment trading using XRP and RLUSD, aiming to support agent-based payment application scenarios. Ripple also released an AI starter kit to help developers build related applications on XRPL.
