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Transaction fundamentals: Who’s engaged, and what’s being constructed?
Evernorth is a recently established “digital asset treasury” whose central notion is straightforward: Accumulate a substantial fund and utilize the majority of it to acquire and oversee XRP.
Instead of compelling firms to retain the token outright, Evernorth seeks to present a publicly listed stock that grants XRP (XRP) exposure via a corporate financial statement.
To expedite its public launch, Evernorth is combining with Armada Acquisition Corp. II, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) — a public shell that aids private corporations in becoming publicly traded. Should investors and authorities consent, the merged entity aspires to be listed on Nasdaq in Q1 2026 under the ticker XRPN.
The fundraising goal exceeds $1 billion. The majority will be allocated for open-market XRP acquisitions, while a smaller fraction is intended for operational and transaction expenses. The primary investor, SBI Holdings, has pledged $200 million, with further support anticipated from Ripple, Rippleworks, Pantera Capital, Kraken, GSR, and others — funding aimed at enabling Evernorth to establish one of the most substantial XRP treasuries in public markets.
Evernorth’s leadership is spearheaded by Asheesh Birla, a long-time Ripple executive who is resigning from Ripple’s board to assume the role of CEO. This transition indicates that the firm will function autonomously, even as Ripple continues to lend its support.
If the transaction finalizes and the funding unfolds as envisioned, Evernorth aims to emerge as the greatest publicly traded holder of XRP. The company’s model provides treasurers and investors a straightforward means to gain XRP exposure by acquiring a stock instead of managing wallets, custody and compliance independently.
Framework vs. ETF: How the wrapper operates
Evernorth is not initiating a spot ETF. It is a public company that intends to maintain a substantial XRP stake on its corporate financial statement.
Investors would acquire shares of Evernorth, and the firm would utilize the net proceeds to directly purchase and manage XRP.
The significant distinction from an exchange-traded fund (ETF) is that an ETF passively monitors the asset. Conversely, Evernorth plans to actively enhance “XRP per share” over time through conventional treasury operations. The firm also intends to employ strategies such as institutional lending, liquidity provision, and select decentralized finance (DeFi) yield, all managed within explicitly stated risk parameters.
This is significant for corporations as shares provide market-hours liquidity and public company transparency. They also come with audited clarity. Furthermore, they eliminate the necessity to establish in-house custody and wallet operations.
Because this is equity, returns can vary from spot XRP due to strategic decisions, expenses, and equity market valuations. The firm presents this variation as a potential source of additional value.
Did you know? Ripple agreed to acquire prime broker Hidden Road in 2025, utilizing RLUSD as collateral within its brokerage offerings. This initiative is part of a broader strategy into institutional market infrastructure.
Reasons to select shares over direct XRP ownership
For finance departments, the attraction lies in ease and safety.
Owning a crypto token directly necessitates creating wallets, choosing a custodian, formulating trading and compliance regulations, and training personnel. With Evernorth, treasurers can instead purchase listed shares designed to replicate XRP exposure while providing public company reporting, audits, and board oversight.
Evernorth also asserts it will not be a passive holder. The company plans to disclose its XRP holdings and strive to enhance “XRP per share” over time. It aims to achieve this primarily by acquiring on the open market and, when suitable, utilizing institutional lending, liquidity provisioning, and chosen DeFi tools to generate supplementary yield.
In essence, it provides XRP exposure through an equity shell that is traded during market hours and fits within existing controls.
This is pertinent for companies that desire exposure to the Ripple/XRP ecosystem without developing crypto infrastructure themselves.
Did you know? Corporate “crypto treasuries” already exist, but they are predominantly concentrated in Bitcoin (BTC). Approximately 130-160 public companies collectively retain tens of billions of dollars’ worth of BTC, primarily led by Strategy.
The mechanics: Policy, yield, custody, and transparency
Here’s how Evernorth states the intricacies will function if the SPAC transaction finalizes.
How the purchasing functions
The majority of the funds raised are designated for open-market XRP acquisitions. Following the SPAC merger, the unified company anticipates listing on Nasdaq under the ticker XRPN. This indicates that its financial statement and treasury policy will be subjected to conventional reporting cycles established by the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
How it intends to augment yield
Unlike a spot ETF, Evernorth outlines a proactive strategy. The firm has also suggested plans to engage as a validator and to utilize Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin as a convenient entry point for XRP-denominated activities. All of this remains contingent upon market conditions and the successful conclusion of the transaction.
Who’s leading and how it remains autonomous
Birla will resign from Ripple’s board to take on the role of CEO at Evernorth. Ripple will continue as a strategic investor, while Brad Garlinghouse, Stuart Alderoty, and David Schwartz are anticipated to serve in advisory roles. The arrangement is intended to uphold ecosystem alignment while ensuring Evernorth’s daily operations are independent.
The major inquiry: Can over $1 billion in acquisitions influence XRP?
In absolute terms, $1 billion spread over several months is significant but not overwhelming for XRP.
Ripple’s Q1 2025 update indicates average daily spot volume for XRP at approximately $3.2 billion across leading platforms. This implies that Evernorth would likely time its acquisitions to reduce slippage. Nevertheless, a consistent purchaser can tighten spreads and add…
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depth as market facilitators position for foreseeable demand.
Liquidity has enhanced since previous years. In 2025, Kaiko documented a post-settlement peak for XRP on US exchanges, with approximately $116 million in bids and asks within 1% of the market price. Increased depth typically reduces execution expenses and assists the market in accommodating block flows. It does not eradicate price volatility, as substantial clustered orders can still influence the market, but it makes staggered accumulation significantly more manageable.
There are also ancillary effects. If Evernorth successfully launches, its stock could serve as an “XRP proxy” for investors unable to acquire the token directly. Should the market assign a premium to the stock, for instance, if XRP per share rises, Evernorth might be positioned to secure additional capital and procure more XRP, creating a self-reinforcing cycle. Conversely, in risk-averse markets, that cycle could unravel.
Ultimately, if institutional interest persists to rise through ETF and exchange-traded product (ETP) inflows or increasing index weights, the market structure surrounding XRP becomes more favorable. Kaiko’s analysis indicates that indexes beyond BTC and Ether (ETH) have thrived in markets where assets like XRP are included, which could enhance the effect of any significant, systematic buyer such as Evernorth.
Did you know? XRP’s overall supply was capped at 100 billion XRP upon the launch of the XRP Ledger in 2012, and the network operates independently of mining.
What to monitor between now and closing
From regulatory documents to funding structure and execution indicators, the upcoming phase will reveal how equipped Evernorth is to expand its XRP strategy into the public markets. Here’s what to monitor as the procedure unfolds.
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Regulatory processes: SPAC agreements adhere to a specified course. Anticipate an SEC Form S-4, the merger proxy and prospectus, followed by an Armada II shareholder vote and standard closing requirements. The companies aim for a closure in Q1 2026. Upon completion, the combined entity intends to list on Nasdaq under the ticker “XRPN.”
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Funding dynamics: Two elements dictate the amount of cash that reaches the balance sheet. One is private investment in public equity (PIPE) allocations linked to the merger. The other one is SPAC shareholder redemptions. The headline goal is over $1 billion in gross proceeds, including $200 million from SBI, with further engagement expected from Ripple, Pantera, Kraken, and GSR. The final composition at closing will influence Evernorth’s initial capability to acquire XRP.
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Playbook transparency: Keep an eye out for an official treasury policy detailing how frequently the company plans to make purchases, any blackout periods, and its hedging strategies. Anticipate specifics regarding designated custody providers and key performance metrics such as “XRP per share.” The company has also mentioned possible validator involvement and the use of Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin as an entry point into XRP-based DeFi. Filings should elucidate what is genuinely planned.
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Personnel and governance: Birla will resign from Ripple’s board to assume the role of Evernorth’s CEO. Ripple executives are anticipated to serve as advisers, reflecting alignment with the broader ecosystem while maintaining operational autonomy. Look for the final board composition and committee architecture, including audit and risk, in the Form S-4 submission.
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Execution indicators: After listing, the initial signs to observe will include PIPE closure details, the first publicly reported XRP acquisitions, and the cadence of quarterly reports.
Together, these signals will disclose whether Evernorth is effectively scaling into the large public XRP treasury it has articulated.
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