The
information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. These
securities may not be sold until the registration statement filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer
to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these
securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
The Franklin XRP Trust (the “Trust”) is
organized as a Delaware statutory trust. The Franklin XRP ETF series of the
Trust (the “Fund”) issues shares (“Shares”) representing fractional undivided
beneficial interests in its net assets. The assets of the Fund consist primarily
of XRP held by a custodian on behalf of the Fund. The Fund seeks to reflect
generally the performance of the price of XRP. The Fund seeks to reflect such
performance before payment of the Fund’s expenses and liabilities. Franklin
Holdings, LLC (the “Sponsor”) is the sponsor of the Trust and Fund; CSC Delaware
Trust Company, a subsidiary of Corporation Service Company (the “Trustee”), is
the sole trustee of the Trust; Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC (the “XRP
Custodian”) is the custodian for the Fund’s XRP holdings; and the Bank of New
York Mellon is the custodian for the Fund’s cash holdings (the “Cash Custodian”
and together with the XRP Custodian, the “Custodians”) and also serves as the
Fund’s administrator and transfer agent (the “Administrator” or “Transfer
Agent”). Franklin Distributors, LLC is the marketing agent of the Fund (the
“Marketing Agent”). The Trust is not an investment company registered under the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), and
is not required to register under such Act. The Sponsor is not registered with
the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as an investment adviser and is
not subject to regulation by the SEC as such in connection with its activities
with respect to the Trust and the Fund. The Fund is not a commodity pool for
purposes of the Commodity Exchange Act of 1936, as amended (the “Commodity
Exchange Act” or “CEA”), and the Sponsor is not subject to regulation by the
U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) as a commodity pool
operator or a commodity trading advisor with respect to the Fund.
The Fund intends to issue
Shares on a continuous basis and is registering an indeterminate number of
Shares with the SEC in accordance with Rules 456(d) and 457(u) under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). A block of 50,000
Shares is called a “Creation Unit.” The Fund issues and redeems Shares only in
Creation Units of 50,000 or multiples thereof, based on the quantity of XRP
attributable to each Share (net of accrued but unpaid renumeration due to the
Sponsor (the “Sponsor’s Fee”) and any accrued but unpaid expenses or
liabilities). These transactions take place in exchange for XRP and/or
cash.
The Fund will not acquire
and will disclaim any Incidental Right (as defined below) or Incidental Right
asset received, for example as a result of forks or airdrops, and such assets
will not be taken into account for purposes of determining NAV (as defined
below).
Creation Units will be
offered continuously at the net asset value per Share (“NAV”) for 50,000 Shares
on the day that an order to create or redeem a Creation Unit is accepted by the
Fund. Only institutional investors that become authorized participants by
entering into a contract with the Sponsor and the Administrator (“Authorized
Participants”) may purchase or redeem Creation Units. Shares will be offered to
the public from time to time at varying prices that will reflect the price of
XRP and the trading price of the Shares on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE” or the
“Exchange”) at the time of the offer.
Prior to this offering,
there has been no public market for the Shares. The Shares will be listed and
traded on the NYSE under the ticker symbol “XRPZ.” Market prices for the Shares
may be different from the NAV.
CME CF XRP-Dollar Reference Rate - New York
Variant for the XRP - U.S. Dollar trading pair (the “CF Benchmarks Index”),
produced by CF Benchmarks Ltd., on November 3, 2025 was $2.31.
Except when aggregated in
Creation Units, Shares are not redeemable securities. Creation Units are only
redeemable by Authorized Participants.
The Trust is an “emerging growth company,” as
that term is used in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (the “JOBS Act”),
subject to reduced public company reporting requirements under U.S. federal
securities laws.
Neither the SEC nor any
state securities commission has approved or disapproved of the securities
offered in this prospectus or determined if this prospectus is truthful or
complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The Shares are not interests in nor obligations
of any of the Sponsor, the Seed Capital Investor, the Trustee, the
Administrator, the Custodians, the Marketing Agent or their respective
affiliates. The Shares are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency.
On October 15, 2025, Franklin Resources Inc.
(the “Seed Capital Investor”), an affiliate of the Sponsor, subject to
conditions, purchased 4,000 Shares at a per-Share price equal to $25.00 (the
“Initial Seed Shares”). Delivery of the Initial Seed Shares were made on October
15, 2025. Total proceeds to the Fund from the sale of the Initial Seed Shares
was $100,000. The Seed Capital Investor is expected to purchase the initial seed
creation units, comprising 100,000 Shares at a per-Share price of $25.00 (the
“Seed Creation Units”), in exchange for XRP prior to the listing of the Shares
on the Exchange. The Initial Seed Shares will be redeemed for cash prior to the
purchase of the Seed Creation Units. The Seed Capital Investor will act as a
statutory underwriter with respect to the Seed Creation Units. See “Seed Capital Investor” and “Plan of
Distribution” for further information.
Creation Units will be sold at a per-Share
offering price that will vary depending on, among other things, the price of XRP
and the trading price of the Shares on the NYSE Arca, Inc. at the time of the
offer. Shares offered at different times may have different offering prices.
Prior to this offering, there was no public market for the Shares. This offering
of an indeterminate amount of the Shares is registered with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) in accordance with the Securities Act. The
offering of Shares pursuant to this prospectus is intended to be a continuous
offering and is not expected to terminate until three years from the date of the
original offering, unless extended as permitted by applicable rules under the
Securities Act.
The date of this prospectus is [ ].
This prospectus contains information you should
consider when making an investment decision about the Shares. You may rely on
the information contained in this prospectus. Neither the Trust, on behalf of
the Fund, nor the Sponsor has authorized any person to provide you with
different information and, if anyone provides you with different or inconsistent
information, you should not rely on it. You should assume that the information
appearing in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date on the front cover
of this prospectus. This prospectus is not an offer to sell the Shares in any
jurisdiction where the offer or sale of the Shares is not permitted.
Until [ ], 2025 (25 days after the date of
this prospectus), all dealers effecting transactions in the Shares, whether or
not participating in this distribution, may be required to deliver a prospectus.
This requirement is in addition to the obligations of dealers to deliver a
prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to unsold allotments or
subscriptions. The Sponsor first intends to use this prospectus on [ ],
2025.
Authorized Participants may be required to
deliver a prospectus when making transactions in the Shares. See “Plan of
Distribution.”
This prospectus includes
statements which relate to future events or future performance. In some cases,
you can identify such forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,”
“should,” “could,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,”
“predict,” “potential” or the negative of these terms or other comparable
terminology. All statements (other than statements of historical fact) included
in this prospectus that address activities, events or developments that may
occur in the future, including such matters as changes in commodity prices and
market conditions (for XRP and the Shares), the Fund’s operations, the Sponsor’s
plans and references to the Fund’s future success and other similar matters are
forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions. Actual events
or results may differ materially. These statements are based upon certain
assumptions and analyses made by the Sponsor on the basis of its perception of
historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well
as other factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Whether or
not actual results and developments will conform to the Sponsor’s expectations
and predictions, however, is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties,
including the special considerations discussed in this prospectus, general
economic, market and business conditions, changes in laws or regulations,
including those concerning taxes, made by governmental authorities or regulatory
bodies, and other world economic and political developments. See “Risk Factors.”
Consequently, all the forward-looking statements made in this prospectus are
qualified by these cautionary statements, and there can be no assurance that the
actual results or developments the Sponsor anticipates will be realized or, even
if substantially realized, will result in the expected consequences to, or have
the expected effects on, the Fund’s operations or the value of the Shares. None
of the Trust, the Fund, the Sponsor, or the Trustee or their respective
affiliates is under a duty to update any of the forward-looking statements to
conform such statements to actual results or to a change in the Sponsor’s
expectations or predictions, other than as required by applicable laws.
PROSPECTUS
SUMMARY
Although the
Sponsor believes that this summary is materially complete, you should read the
entire prospectus, including “Risk
Factors” beginning on page 14, before
making an investment decision about the Shares.
Definitions of terms used
in this prospectus can be found in the Glossary on page 114.
Trust Structure
The Trust was formed as a
Delaware statutory trust on February 28, 2025. The Fund is the sole series of
the Trust. The purpose of the Fund is to own XRP. Each Share represents a
fractional undivided beneficial interest in the net assets of the Fund. The
assets of the Fund consist primarily of XRP held by the XRP Custodian on behalf
of the Fund and cash.
Key
Service Providers—The Sponsor, Trustee, Custodians, Administrator, Marketing
Agent and Trade Credit Lender
The Sponsor of the Trust and the Fund is
Franklin Holdings, LLC. The Sponsor is a Delaware limited liability company and
was formed on July 21, 2021. Under the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act
and the governing documents of the Sponsor, Franklin Advisers, Inc., the sole
member of the Sponsor, is not responsible for the debts, obligations and
liabilities of the Sponsor solely by reason of being the sole member of the
Sponsor. Franklin Resources, Inc. (“Franklin” or “FRI”), a corporation
registered under Delaware law, is the ultimate parent company of the
Sponsor.
The Trust is governed by the provisions of an
Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust (the “Declaration of
Trust”) executed as of October 1, 2025 by the Sponsor and the Trustee.
The Fund issues Shares only in Creation Units
of 50,000 or multiples thereof, based on the quantity of XRP attributable to
each Share (net of accrued but unpaid Sponsor’s Fee and any accrued but unpaid
expenses or liabilities). Creation Units are issued and redeemed in exchange for
XRP and/or cash. Individual Shares will not be redeemed by the Fund but will be
listed and traded on the NYSE under the ticker symbol “XRPZ.” The Fund seeks to
reflect generally the performance of the price of XRP before payment of the
Fund’s expenses and liabilities. The material terms of the Trust and the Shares
are discussed in greater detail under the section “Description of the Shares and
the Trust.” The Trust is not registered as an investment company under the
Investment Company Act and is not required to register under such Act. The
Sponsor is not registered with the SEC as an investment adviser and is not
subject to regulation by the SEC as such in connection with its activities with
respect to the Trust or the Fund. The Fund will not hold or trade in commodity
futures contracts regulated by the CEA, as administered by the CFTC. The Fund is
not a commodity pool for purposes of the CEA, and none of the Sponsor, the
Trustee or the Marketing Agent is subject to regulation as a commodity pool
operator or a commodity trading adviser in connection with the Shares.
The Fund intends to continuously offer Shares
but may suspend issuances of Shares at any time.
The Sponsor has arranged
for the creation of the Trust and the Fund, the registration of the Shares for
their public offering in the United States and the listing of the Shares on the
NYSE. In exchange for the Sponsor’s Fee, the Sponsor has agreed to assume the
ordinary fees and expenses incurred by the Fund, including but not limited to
the following: fees charged by the Administrator, the Marketing Agent, the
Custodians and the Trustee, NYSE listing fees, typical maintenance and
transaction fees of the DTC, SEC registration fees, printing and mailing costs,
tax reporting fees, audit fees, license fees and expenses, up to $500,000 per
annum in ordinary legal fees and expenses. The Sponsor bears expenses in
connection with the Trust’s and Fund’s organization and initial offering costs.
The Fund will sell XRP on an as-needed basis to pay the Sponsor’s Fee. The Fund
bears transaction costs, including any XRP Ledger fees or other similar
transaction fees, in connection with any sales of XRP necessary to pay the
Sponsor’s Fee, as well as other Fund expenses (if any) that are not assumed by
the Sponsor (expenses assumed by the Sponsor are specified above). Any XRP
Ledger fees and similar transaction fees incurred in connection with the
creation or redemption of Creation Units are borne by the Authorized
Participant.
The Sponsor’s Fee, which is compensation for
the Sponsor’s services rendered to the Fund, is calculated and accrued daily at
an annualized rate of 0.19% (i.e., 0.19%/365 days) of the net asset value
of the Fund and is payable at least quarterly in arrears in U.S. dollars. The
Sponsor may, at its sole discretion and from time to time, waive all or a
portion of the Sponsor’s Fee for stated periods of time. The Sponsor is under no
obligation to waive any portion of its fees and any such waiver shall create no
obligation to waive any such fees during any period not covered by the waiver.
The Fund will sell XRP as needed to pay the Sponsor’s Fee. The Fund bears
transaction costs, including any XRP Ledger fees or other similar transaction
fees, in connection with any sales of XRP necessary to pay the Sponsor’s Fee, as
well as other Fund expenses (if any) that are not assumed by the Sponsor
(expenses assumed by the Sponsor are specified above). Any XRP Ledger fees and
similar transaction fees incurred in connection with the creation or redemption
of
Creation Units are borne
by the Authorized Participant. For a period commencing on the day the Shares are
initially listed on the Exchange to May 31, 2026, the Sponsor will waive the
entire Sponsor’s Fee on the first $5.0 billion of the Fund’s assets. In
the future, if the Sponsor decides to waive all or a portion of the Sponsor’s
Fee, Shareholders will be notified in a prospectus supplement, in the Fund’s
periodic reports, and/or on the Fund’s website. The Administrator will calculate
the Sponsor’s Fee on a daily basis with respect to the NAV of the Fund, and the
Sponsor’s Fee will be paid directly by the Fund to the Sponsor.
The net asset value of the Fund will be equal
to the total assets of the Fund, which consist solely of XRP and cash, less
total liabilities of the Fund, each determined by the Administrator as described
herein. The methodology used to calculate an index (the “Index”) price to value
XRP in determining the net asset value of the Fund may not be deemed consistent
with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”).
The Sponsor has the exclusive authority to
determine the Fund’s net asset value. The Sponsor has delegated to the
Administrator the responsibility to calculate the net asset value of the Fund,
based on a pricing source selected by the Sponsor. In determining the Fund’s net
asset value, the Administrator values the XRP held by the Fund based on the
Index, unless the Sponsor in its sole discretion determines that the index is
unreliable. The CF Benchmarks Index shall constitute the Index, unless the CF
Benchmarks Index is not available or the Sponsor in its sole discretion
determines the CF Benchmarks Index is unreliable as the Index and therefore
determines not to use the CF Benchmarks Index as the Index. If the CF Benchmarks
Index is not available or the Sponsor determines, in its sole discretion, that
the CF Benchmarks Index is unreliable (referred to herein as a “Fair Value
Event”), the Fund’s holdings may be fair valued by the Sponsor. Additionally,
the Administrator will monitor for unusual prices and escalate to the Sponsor if
detected. Notification of a material change to the Index or CF Benchmarks Ltd.
(the “Index Administrator”) will be made via a prospectus supplement
and/or in the Fund’s periodic reports, will comport with applicable listing
exchange notice requirements and will occur in advance of any such change.
Shareholder approval is not required.
The Administrator
calculates the NAV of the Fund once each Business Day. The NAV for a normal
trading day will be released after 4:00 p.m. ET. Trading during the core trading
session on the Exchange typically closes at 4:00 p.m. ET. However, NAVs are not
officially released until after the completion of a comprehensive review of the
NAV and prices utilized to determine the NAV of the Fund by the Administrator.
Upon the completion of the end of day reviews by the Administrator, the NAV is
released to the public typically by 5:30 p.m. ET and generally no later than
8:00 p.m. ET. The period between 4:00 p.m. ET and the NAV release after 5:30
p.m. ET (or later) provides an opportunity for the Administrator and the Sponsor
to detect, flag, investigate, and correct unusual pricing should it occur and
implement a Fair Value Event, if necessary. Any such correction could adversely
affect the value of the Shares.
The Sponsor is not required to pay any
extraordinary or non-routine expenses. Extraordinary expenses are fees and
expenses which are unexpected or unusual in nature, such as legal claims and
liabilities and litigation costs or indemnification or other unanticipated
expenses. Extraordinary fees and expenses also include material expenses which
are not currently anticipated obligations of the Fund. The Fund will be
responsible for the payment of such expenses to the extent any such expenses are
incurred. Routine operational, administrative and other ordinary expenses are
not deemed extraordinary expenses.
In addition, the Fund may
incur certain other non-recurring expenses that are not assumed by the Sponsor
(expenses assumed by the Sponsor are described above), including but not limited
to: taxes and governmental charges; any applicable brokerage commissions; XRP
Ledger fees and similar transaction fees that qualify as extraordinary or
non-routine expenses as described above; financing fees; expenses and costs of
any extraordinary services performed by the Sponsor (or any other service
provider) on behalf of the Fund to protect the Fund or the owners of beneficial
interests in the Shares (“Shareholders”) (including, for example, in connection
with any fork of the XRP Ledger, any Incidental Rights (as defined below) and
any IR Virtual Currency (as defined below)), any indemnification of the Cash
Custodian, XRP Custodian, Prime Broker, Administrator or other agents, service
providers or counterparties of the Trust or the Fund, and extraordinary legal
fees and expenses, including any legal fees and expenses incurred in connection
with litigation, regulatory enforcement or investigation matters or legal
expenses in excess of $500,000 per year. The Sponsor may determine in its sole
discretion to assume legal fees and expenses of the Fund in excess of the
$500,000 per annum stipulated in the Sponsor Agreement. There are no set
circumstances in which the Sponsor has determined to assume legal fees and
expenses in excess of the amount stipulated in the Sponsor Agreement, but such
expenses may be assumed by the Sponsor, for example, to help the Fund achieve
scale (i.e., by ensuring that the Fund’s expenses remain competitive with
similar products offered by competitors to help the Fund to gain sufficient
assets such that the continued operation of the Fund by the Sponsor is
economically viable). To the extent that the Sponsor does not voluntarily assume
such fees and expenses, they will be the responsibility of the
Fund. Additionally, there is no cap on the aggregate amount of expenses
that could be assumed by the Sponsor each year, except as otherwise described
herein. The Trust’s and Fund’s organizational and initial offering costs are
borne by the Sponsor and, as such, are the sole responsibility of the Sponsor.
The Sponsor will not seek reimbursement or otherwise require the Fund, the
Trust, the Trustee or any Shareholder to assume any liability, duty or
obligation in connection with any such organizational and initial offering
costs.
The Sponsor will maintain a public website on
behalf of the Fund, containing information about the Fund and the Shares. The
Internet address of the Fund’s website will be
https://www.franklintempleton.com/investments/options/exchange-traded
funds/products/47318/SINGLCLASS/franklin-xrpz-etf/XRPZ.
This Internet address is only provided here as a convenience to you, and the
information contained on or connected to the Fund’s website is not considered
part of this prospectus.
The Sponsor is responsible
for establishing the Fund and for the registration of the Shares. The Sponsor
will generally oversee the performance of the Fund’s principal service
providers, but will not exercise day-to-day oversight over such service
providers.
CSC Delaware Trust Company, a subsidiary of the
Corporation Service Company, serves as Trustee of the Trust. The Trustee’s
principal offices are located at 251 Little Falls Drive, Wilmington, DE 19808.
The structure of the Trust and the number and/or identity of the Trustee may be
amended in the future via amendments to the Trust’s Certificate of Trust and the
Declaration of Trust. The material terms of the Trust’s Declaration of Trust are
discussed in greater detail under the section “The Description of the Shares and
the Trust.” The Sponsor may remove the Trustee at any time by giving at least 60
days advance written notice to the Trustee, provided that such removal will not
become effective until such time as a successor Trustee has accepted appointment
as Trustee of the Trust. Upon effective resignation or removal, the Trustee will
be discharged of its duties and obligations. The Sponsor also has the right to
select any new or additional custodian.
The Sponsor, the Marketing
Agent or any of their respective affiliates and associates currently engage in,
and may in the future engage in, the promotion, management or investment
management of other accounts, funds or trusts that invest primarily in XRP or
another digital asset, or may face other potential conflicts of interest.
Although officers and professional staff of the Sponsor’s management intend to
devote as much time to the Fund as is deemed appropriate to perform their
duties, the Sponsor’s management may allocate their time and services among the
Fund and the other accounts, funds or trusts. In addition, the Sponsor, in its
sole discretion, may determine to amend the Declaration of Trust, including to
increase the remuneration due to the Sponsor (the “Sponsor’s Fee”), without
Shareholder consent. See “Conflicts of Interest.”
The XRP Custodian is Coinbase Custody Trust
Company, LLC (“Coinbase Custody”), and the Cash Custodian and the Administrator
is the Bank of New York Mellon.
The XRP Custodian is
responsible for safekeeping the XRP owned by the Fund. The XRP Custodian is
appointed by the Sponsor on behalf of the Fund. The general role and
responsibilities of the XRP Custodian are further described in “The
Custodians—The XRP Custodian.”
The Administrator is
generally responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Fund, including
the calculation of the Fund’s NAV per Share. The Administrator’s fees are paid
by the Sponsor. The Administrator and any of its affiliates may from time to
time purchase or sell Shares for their own accounts, as agents for their
customers and for accounts over which they exercise investment discretion. The
Administrator and any successor administrator must be a participant in DTC or
such other securities depository as shall then be acting. The general role and
responsibilities of the Administrator are discussed in greater detail under the
section “The Administrator.”
The Fund may borrow XRP or
cash as trade credit (“Trade Credit”) from Coinbase Credit, Inc. (the “Trade
Credit Lender”) on a short-term basis pursuant to the Coinbase Credit Post-Trade
Financing Agreement (the “Trade Financing Agreement”). The Sponsor does not
intend to fund the XRP maintained in a trading account of the Fund (the “Trading
Balance”) at the Prime Broker with sufficient XRP to pay fees and expenses and
instead intends to utilize the Trade Financing Agreement for such fees and
expenses. To avoid having to pre-fund purchases or sales of XRP (e.g., sales of
XRP to pay the Sponsor’s Fee and any other Fund expenses not assumed by the
Sponsor, to the extent applicable, and purchases and sales in connection with
cash creations and redemptions), the Fund may borrow XRP or cash as Trade Credit
from the Trade Credit Lender on a short-term basis. The Trade Credit Lender has
established a maximum amount of Trade Credits that the Fund may have outstanding
at any one time. A Trade Credit may not be in an amount that would cause the US
dollar notional amount of all Trade Credits outstanding to exceed the maximum
authorized amount. The Fund is required to maintain its Trading Balance to be
equal to or greater than the US dollar notional value of all outstanding Trade
Credits at the time of execution of trades on the trading platform, by asset,
until such Trade Credits have been repaid. Interest rates on Trade Credits will
be an amount to be determined, on a daily basis, based on the Trade Credit
Lender’s sole discretion considering factors including, but not limited to,
availability of financing, market prices, and credit due diligence of the
Fund.
The Fund’s Objective
The Fund seeks to reflect generally the
performance of the price of XRP before payment of the Fund’s expenses and
liabilities. The Shares are intended to offer a convenient means of making an
investment similar to an investment in XRP relative to acquiring, holding and
trading XRP directly on a peer-to-peer or other basis or via a digital asset
platform. The Shares have been designed to remove obstacles associated with the
complexities and operational burdens involved in a direct investment in XRP by
providing an investment with a value that reflects the price of the XRP owned by
the Fund at such time, less the Fund’s expenses. The Fund is not a proxy for a
direct investment in XRP. Rather, the Shares are intended to provide a
cost-effective alternative means of obtaining investment exposure through the
securities markets that is similar to an investment in XRP.
The Fund is a passive
investment vehicle and is not a leveraged product. The Sponsor does not actively
manage the XRP held by the Fund. This means that the Sponsor does not sell XRP
at times when its price is high or acquire XRP at low prices with the
expectation of future price increases. The Fund will not utilize leverage,
derivatives or similar instruments or transactions in seeking to meet its
investment objective.
The Fund will not acquire and will disclaim any
Incidental Right or Incidental Right asset received, for example as a result of
“forks” or “airdrops,” and such assets will not be taken into account for
purposes of determining NAV.
An investment in Shares is:
Backed by XRP held by the
XRP Custodian on behalf of the Fund.
The Shares are backed by
the assets of the Fund. The XRP Custodian will keep custody of all of the Fund’s
XRP, other than that which is maintained in a trading account (the “Trading
Balance”) with Coinbase, Inc. (“Coinbase, Inc.” or the “Prime Broker”, which is
an affiliate of the XRP Custodian), in accounts that are required to be
segregated from the assets held by the XRP Custodian as principal and the assets
of its other customers (the “Vault Balance”). The XRP Custodian will keep all of
the private keys associated with the Fund’s XRP held by the XRP Custodian in the
Vault Balance in “cold storage”, which refers to a safeguarding method by which
the private keys corresponding to the Fund’s XRP are generated and stored in an
offline manner using computers or devices that are not connected to the
Internet, which is intended to make them more resistant to hacking. For more
information, see “The Custodians—The XRP Custodian” below. A portion of the
Fund’s XRP holdings and cash holdings from time to time may be temporarily held
with the Prime Broker in the Trading Balance, for certain limited purposes, in
connection with creations and redemptions of Creation Units and the sale of XRP
to pay the Sponsor’s Fee and Fund expenses not assumed by the Sponsor. Even
though XRP is only moved into the Trading Balance in connection with and to the
extent of purchases and sales of XRP by the Fund, and such XRP is swept from the
Fund’s Trading Balance to the Fund’s Vault Balance daily pursuant to a regular
end-of-day sweep process, there are no policies that would limit the amount of
XRP that can be held temporarily in the Trading Balance maintained by the Prime
Broker. This could create greater risk of loss of the Fund’s XRP, which would
cause Shareholders to suffer losses.
Within the Fund’s Trading
Balance, the Prime Broker Agreement provides that the Fund does not have an
identifiable claim to any particular XRP (and cash). Instead, the Fund’s Trading
Balance represents an entitlement to a pro rata share of the XRP (and cash) the
Prime Broker holds on behalf of customers who hold similar entitlements against
the Prime Broker. In this way, the Fund’s Trading Balance represents an omnibus
claim on the Prime Broker’s XRP (and cash) held on behalf of the Prime Broker’s
customers. The Prime Broker holds the XRP associated with customer entitlements
across a combination of omnibus cold wallets, omnibus “hot wallets” (meaning
wallets whose private keys are generated and stored online, in
Internet-connected computers or devices) or in omnibus accounts in the Prime
Broker’s name on a trading venue (including third-party venues and the Prime
Broker’s own execution venue) where the Prime Broker executes orders to buy and
sell XRP on behalf of its clients.
Within such omnibus hot and cold wallets and
accounts, the Prime Broker has represented to the Sponsor that it keeps the
majority of assets in cold wallets to promote security, while the balance of
assets are kept in hot wallets to facilitate rapid withdrawals. However, the
Sponsor has no control over, and for security reasons the Prime Broker does not
disclose to the Sponsor, the percentage of XRP that the Prime Broker holds for
customers holding similar entitlements as the Fund which are kept in omnibus
cold wallets, as compared to omnibus hot wallets or omnibus accounts in the
Prime Broker’s name on a trading venue. The Prime Broker has represented to the
Sponsor that the percentage of assets maintained in cold versus hot storage is
determined by ongoing risk analysis and market dynamics, in which the Prime
Broker attempts to balance anticipated liquidity needs for its customers as a
class against the anticipated greater security of cold storage.
As convenient and easy to
handle as any other investment in shares.
Investors may purchase and sell Shares through
traditional securities brokerage accounts and can avoid the complexities of
handling XRP directly (e.g., managing wallets and public and private keys
themselves, or interfacing with a trading platform), which some investors may
not prefer or may find unfamiliar.
Exchange listed.
Although there can be no
assurance that an actively traded market in the Shares will develop, the Shares
will be listed and traded on the NYSE under the ticker symbol “XRPZ.”
Summary Risk Factors
Risk
Factors Related to Digital Assets
|
• |
The trading prices of many digital assets, including XRP, have
experienced extreme volatility in recent periods and may continue to do
so. Extreme volatility in the future, including further declines in the
trading prices of XRP, could have a material adverse effect on the value
of the Shares and the Shares could lose all or substantially all of their
value. |
|
• |
The value of the Shares is subject to a number of factors relating to
the fundamental investment characteristics of XRP as a digital asset,
including the fact that digital assets are bearer instruments and loss,
theft, destruction, or compromise of the associated private keys could
result in permanent loss of the asset, and the capabilities and
development of blockchain technologies such as the XRP
blockchain. |
|
• |
Digital assets represent a new and rapidly evolving industry, and the
value of the Shares depends on the acceptance of
XRP. |
|
• |
Smart contracts, including those relating to decentralized finance
(“DeFi”) applications, are a new technology and their ongoing development
and operation may result in problems, which could reduce the demand for
XRP or cause a wider loss of confidence in the XRP Ledger, either of which
could have an adverse impact on the value of
XRP. |
|
• |
Changes in the governance of a digital asset network may not receive
sufficient support from users and validators, which may negatively affect
that digital asset network’s ability to grow and respond to
challenges. |
|
• |
A temporary or permanent “fork” could adversely affect the value of
the Shares. |
|
• |
Competition from the emergence or growth of alternative digital
assets and smart contracts platforms, such as Solana, Avalanche, or
Cardano, could have a negative impact on the demand for, and price of, XRP
and thereby adversely affect the value of the
Shares. |
Risk
Factors Related to the Digital Asset Markets
|
• |
The value of the Shares relates directly to the value of XRP, the
value of which may be highly volatile and subject to fluctuations due to a
number of factors. |
|
• |
The Fund’s timing in reaching the market and fee structure relative
to other competitor XRP products could have a detrimental effect on the
scale and sustainability of the Fund. |
|
• |
The Index (as defined below) has a limited performance history, and
could experience calculation or other errors, in which case the Index
price could fail to track the global XRP price, and a failure of the Index
price could adversely affect the value of the
Shares. |
|
• |
The Index price used to calculate the value of the Fund’s XRP may be
volatile, adversely affecting the value of the
Shares. |
Risk
Factors Related to the Fund and the Shares
|
• |
If the process of creation and redemption of Creation Units
encounters any unanticipated difficulties, the possibility for arbitrage
transactions by Authorized Participants intended to keep the price of the
Shares closely linked to the price of XRP may not exist and, as a result,
the price of the Shares may fall or otherwise diverge from
NAV. |
|
• |
The liquidity of the Shares may also be affected by the withdrawal
from participation of Authorized Participants and/or their designees or
XRP Trading Counterparties. |
|
• |
Security threats to the Fund’s account at the XRP Custodian could
disrupt or halt Fund operations and result in the loss of Fund assets or
damage to the reputation of the Fund, each of which could result in a
reduction in the value of the Shares. |
|
• |
XRP transactions are irrevocable and stolen or incorrectly
transferred XRP may be irretrievable. As a result, any incorrectly
executed XRP transactions could adversely affect the value of the
Shares. |
|
• |
If the Custodian Agreement, Prime Broker Agreement, an Authorized
Participant Agreement or XRP Trading Counterparty agreement (as defined
below) is terminated or the XRP Custodian, Prime Broker, an Authorized
Participant or an XRP Trading Counterparty fails to provide services as
required, the Sponsor may need to find and appoint a replacement
custodian, prime |
|
|
broker, authorized participant or XRP trading counterparty, which
could pose a challenge to the safekeeping of the Fund’s XRP, and the
Fund’s ability to create and redeem Shares and continue to operate may be
adversely affected. |
|
• |
Loss of a critical banking relationship for, or the failure of a bank
used by, the Prime Broker could adversely impact the Fund’s ability to
create or redeem Creation Units, or could cause losses to the
Fund. |
Risk
Factors Related to the Regulation of the Fund and the Shares
|
• |
Digital asset markets in the U.S. exist in a state of regulatory
uncertainty, and adverse legislative or regulatory developments could
significantly harm the value of XRP or the Shares, such as by banning,
restricting or imposing onerous conditions or prohibitions on the use of
XRP, validation activity, digital wallets, the provision of services
related to trading and custodying XRP, the operation of the XRP Ledger, or
the digital asset markets generally. |
|
• |
If regulators subject the Fund, or the Sponsor, to regulation as a
money services business (“MSB”) or money transmitter, this could result in
extraordinary expenses to the Fund or the Sponsor and also result in
decreased liquidity for the Shares. |
|
• |
Regulatory changes or interpretations could obligate an Authorized
Participant, the Fund, the Trust, the Sponsor or other Fund service
providers to register and comply with new regulations, resulting in
potentially extraordinary or nonrecurring expenses to the
Fund. |
|
• |
The treatment of digital currency for U.S. federal, state and local
income tax purposes is uncertain. |
Emerging Growth Company
Status
The Trust is an “emerging growth company,” as
defined in the JOBS Act. For as long as the Trust is an emerging growth company,
the Trust may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting
requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not
“emerging growth companies,” including, but not limited to, not being required
to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404(b) of the
Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), reduced disclosure
obligations regarding executive compensation in the Fund’s periodic reports and
audited financial statements in this prospectus, exemptions from the
requirements of holding advisory “say-on-pay” votes on executive compensation
and shareholder advisory votes on “golden parachute” compensation and exemption
from any rules requiring mandatory audit firm rotation and auditor discussion
and analysis and, unless otherwise determined by the SEC, any new audit rules
adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
Under the JOBS Act, the Trust will remain an
emerging growth company until the earliest of:
|
• |
the last day of the fiscal year during which the Trust has total
annual gross revenues of $1.235 billion or more; |
|
• |
the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of
the completion of this offering; |
|
• |
the date on which the Trust has, during the previous three-year
period, issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt;
or |
|
• |
the date on which the Trust is deemed to be a “large accelerated
filer” (i.e., an issuer that (1) has more than $700 million in
outstanding equity held by non-affiliates and (2) has been subject to the
reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the “Exchange Act”) for at least 12 calendar months and has filed at
least one annual report on Form 10-K.) |
The JOBS Act also provides that an emerging
growth company can utilize the extended transition period provided in Section
7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) for
complying with new or revised accounting standards. The Trust intends to take
advantage of the benefits of the extended transition period.
Principal
Offices
The Sponsor’s office is located at One Franklin
Parkway, San Mateo, CA 94403-1906 and its telephone number is (650) 312-2000.
The Trust’s office is c/o Franklin Holdings, LLC, One Franklin Parkway, San
Mateo, CA 94403-1906 and its telephone number is (650) 312-2000. The Trustee’s
office is located at 251 Little Falls Drive, Wilmington, DE 19808. The XRP
Custodian’s office is located at Suite 2400 & 2500 One Madison Avenue, New
York, New York, 10010. The Cash Custodian’s and the Administrator’s office is
located at 240 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10286.
THE OFFERING
| Offering |
The Shares represent units of fractional undivided beneficial
interest in the net assets of the Fund. |
| Use of
proceeds |
Proceeds received by the Fund from the issuance and sale of Creation
Units will consist of XRP deposits or an amount of cash equal to the
amount necessary to purchase the amount of XRP represented by the Creation
Unit being created. XRP deposits are held by the XRP Custodian or
Prime Broker on behalf of the Fund until (i) delivered to Authorized
Participants and/or their designee in connection with a redemption of
Creation Units or (ii) sold (1) to pay the fee due to the Sponsor and any
Fund expenses or liabilities not assumed by the Sponsor; or (2) to meet
redemption requests effected in cash. |
| NYSE
Arca ticker symbol |
XRPZ
|
| Creation
and redemption |
The Fund issues and redeems Creation Units on a continuous basis.
Creation Units are issued or redeemed in exchange for an amount of XRP
and/or cash as determined by the Administrator on each day that NYSE is
open for regular trading. |
For
creation transactions conducted in cash, the amount of cash required to be
delivered to the Fund will equal the amount of cash needed to purchase the
amount of XRP represented by the Creation Unit(s) being created, as calculated
by the Administrator, plus applicable fees, costs and adjustments. For
redemption transactions conducted in cash, the Sponsor will arrange for the XRP
represented by the Creation Unit(s) being redeemed to be sold and the cash
proceeds, after applicable fees, costs and adjustments, distributed. No Shares
are issued until the corresponding amount of XRP has been received in the Fund’s
Trading Balance. Creation Units may be created or redeemed only by Authorized
Participants, who pay (1) a transaction fee for each order to create or redeem
Creation Units; (2) transfer, processing and other transaction costs charged by
the XRP Custodian in connection with the issuance or redemption of Creation
Units for such order; and (3) any other expenses, taxes, charges or
adjustments.
See “Creations and
Redemptions” for more details.
| Net
Asset Value |
The net asset value of the Fund will be equal to the total assets of
the Fund, which consist solely of XRP and cash, less total liabilities of
the Fund, each determined by the Administrator as described herein. The
methodology used to calculate an index (the “Index”) price to value XRP in
determining the net asset value of the Fund may not be deemed consistent
with GAAP. |
The Sponsor has the
exclusive authority to determine the Fund’s net asset value. The Sponsor has
delegated to the Administrator the responsibility to calculate the net asset
value of the Fund, based on a pricing source selected by the Sponsor. In
determining the Fund’s net asset value, the Administrator values the XRP held by
the Fund based on the Index, unless the Sponsor in its sole discretion
determines that the index is unreliable. The CF Benchmarks Index shall
constitute the Index, unless the CF Benchmarks Index is not available or the
Sponsor in its sole discretion determines the CF Benchmarks Index is unreliable
as the Index and therefore determines not to use the CF Benchmarks Index as the
Index. If the CF Benchmarks Index is not available or the Sponsor determines, in
its sole discretion, that the CF Benchmarks Index is unreliable (referred to
herein as a “Fair Value Event”), the Fund’s holdings may be fair valued by the
Sponsor. Additionally, the Administrator will monitor for unusual prices and
escalate to the Sponsor if detected. Notification of a material change to the
Index or Index Administrator will be made via a prospectus supplement and/or in
the Fund’s periodic reports, will comport with applicable
listing exchange notice
requirements and will occur in advance of any such change. Shareholder approval
is not required.
The
Administrator calculates the NAV of the Fund once each Business Day. The NAV for
a normal trading day will be released after 4:00 p.m. ET. Trading during the
core trading session on the Exchange typically closes at 4:00 p.m. ET. However,
NAVs are not officially released until after the completion of a comprehensive
review of the NAV and prices utilized to determine the NAV of the Fund by the
Administrator. Upon the completion of the end of day reviews by the
Administrator, the NAV is released to the public typically by 5:30 p.m. ET and
generally no later than 8:00 p.m. ET. The period between 4:00 p.m. ET and the
NAV release after 5:30 p.m. ET (or later) provides an opportunity for the
Administrator and the Sponsor to detect, flag, investigate, and correct unusual
pricing should it occur and implement a Fair Value Event, if necessary. Any such
correction could adversely affect the value of the Shares.
The Fund’s periodic
financial statements may not utilize the net asset value of the Fund to the
extent the methodology used to calculate the Index is deemed not to be
consistent with GAAP. The Fund’s periodic financial statements will be prepared
in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards
Codification Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures” (“ASC Topic
820”) and utilize an exchange-traded price from the Fund’s principal market (or
in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market) for XRP as
of the Fund’s financial statement measurement date. The Sponsor will determine
in its sole discretion the valuation sources and policies used to prepare the
Fund’s financial statements in accordance with GAAP. The Fund intends to engage
a third-party vendor to obtain a price from a principal market for XRP, which
will be determined and designated by such third-party vendor based on its
consideration of several exchange characteristics, including oversight and the
volume and frequency of trades and those that the Fund can access at the
measurement date. Under GAAP, such a price is expected to be deemed a Level 1
input in accordance with the ASC Topic 820 because it is expected to be a quoted
price in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
| Net
Asset Value Calculation and Index |
On each Business Day, as soon as practicable after 4:00 p.m. Eastern
Time (“ET”), the Administrator evaluates the XRP held by the Fund as
reflected by the CF Benchmarks Index and determines the net asset value of
the Fund. For purposes of making these calculations, a Business Day means
any day other than a day when the NYSE is closed for regular trading.
|
The CF Benchmarks Index
employed by the Fund is calculated on each Business Day by aggregating the
notional value of XRP trading activity across major spot XRP platforms. The CF
Benchmarks Index is regulated under the UK Benchmarks Regulation (“UK BMR”). The
Index Administrator is a U.K. incorporated company, authorized and regulated by
the UK Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”) as a registered Benchmark
Administrator (FRN 847100) under the UK BMR. The CF Benchmarks Index serves as a
once-a-day benchmark rate of the U.S. dollar price of XRP (USD/XRP), calculated
as of 4:00 p.m. ET. The CF Benchmarks Index aggregates the trade flow of several
XRP exchange platforms, during an observation window between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00
p.m. ET into the U.S. dollar price of one XRP at 4:00 p.m. ET. Specifically, the
CF Benchmarks Index is calculated based on the “Relevant Transactions” (as
defined in “Business of the Fund—Valuation of XRP; the CF Benchmarks Index”) of
all of its constituent XRP platforms, which as of October 31, 2025, are
Bitstamp, Coinbase, Kraken, LMAX Digital, and Crypto.com (the “Constituent
Platforms”), and which may change from time to time.
The
Fund is intended to provide a way for Shareholders to obtain exposure to XRP by
investing in the Shares rather than by acquiring, holding and trading XRP
directly on a peer-to-peer or other basis or via a digital asset platform. An
investment in Shares of the Fund is not the same as, or a proxy for, a direct
investment in XRP on a peer-to-peer or other basis or via a digital asset
platform.
| Intraday
Indicative Value |
In order to provide updated information relating to the Fund for use
by Shareholders, an intraday indicative value per share (“IIV”) will be
disseminated using the CME CF XRP- |
Dollar Real Time
Index (“XRPUSD_RTI”). One or more major market data vendors will make an IIV
available, updated every 15 seconds, as calculated by the Exchange or a
third-party financial data provider during the Exchange’s regular market session
of 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET (the “Regular Market Session”). The IIV will be
calculated by using the prior day’s closing NAV as a base and updating that
value during the Regular Market Session to reflect changes in the value of the
Fund’s NAV during the trading day. The IIV’s dissemination during the Regular
Market Session should not be viewed as an actual real time update of the NAV,
which will be calculated only once at the end of each trading day. The IIV will
be widely disseminated every 15 seconds during the Regular Market Session by one
or more major market data vendors, and through the facilities of the
consolidated tape association and consolidated quotation system high speed
lines. In addition, the IIV will be available through online information
services, such as Bloomberg and Reuters.
| Fund
expenses |
The Fund’s only ordinary recurring expense is expected to be the
Sponsor’s Fee. In exchange for the Sponsor’s Fee, the Sponsor has agreed
to assume the ordinary fees and expenses incurred by the Fund, including
but not limited to the following: the fees charged by the Administrator,
the Marketing Agent, the Custodians and the Trustee, NYSE listing fees,
typical maintenance and transaction fees of the DTC, SEC registration
fees, printing and mailing costs, tax reporting fees, audit fees, license
fees and expenses, up to $500,000 per annum in ordinary legal fees and
expenses. The Sponsor will also pay the costs of the Trust’s and Fund’s
organization and the initial offering costs, and may not seek
reimbursement of such costs. |
The
Sponsor’s Fee, which is compensation for the Sponsor’s services rendered to the
Fund, is calculated and accrued daily at an annualized rate of 0.19% (i.e.,
0.19%/365 days) of the net asset value of the Fund and is payable at least
quarterly in arrears in U.S. dollars. The Sponsor may, at its sole discretion
and from time to time, waive all or a portion of the Sponsor’s Fee for stated
periods of time. The Sponsor is under no obligation to waive any portion of its
fees and any such waiver shall create no obligation to waive any such fees
during any period not covered by the waiver. The Fund will sell XRP as needed to
pay the Sponsor’s Fee. The Fund bears transaction costs, including any XRP
Ledger fees or other similar transaction fees, in connection with any sales of
XRP necessary to pay the Sponsor’s Fee, as well as other Fund expenses (if any)
that are not assumed by the Sponsor (expenses assumed by the Sponsor are
specified above). Any XRP Ledger fees and similar transaction fees incurred in
connection with the creation or redemption of Creation Units are borne by the
Authorized Participant. For a period commencing on the day the Shares are
initially listed on the Exchange to May 31, 2026, the Sponsor will waive the
entire Sponsor's Fee on the first $5.0 billion of the Fund's assets.
In the future, if the
Sponsor decides to waive all or a portion of the Sponsor’s Fee, Shareholders
will be notified in a prospectus supplement, in the Fund’s periodic reports,
and/or on the Fund’s website. The Administrator will calculate the Sponsor’s Fee
on a daily basis with respect to the NAV of the Fund, and the Sponsor’s Fee will
be paid directly by the Fund to the Sponsor.
The Sponsor is not
required to pay any extraordinary or non-routine expenses. Extraordinary
expenses are fees and expenses which are unexpected or unusual in nature, such
as legal claims and liabilities and litigation costs or indemnification or other
unanticipated expenses. Extraordinary fees and expenses also include material
expenses which are not currently anticipated obligations of the Fund. The Fund
will be responsible for the payment of such expenses to the extent any such
expenses are incurred. Routine operational, administrative and other ordinary
expenses are not deemed extraordinary expenses. In addition, the Fund may incur
certain other non-recurring expenses that are not assumed by the Sponsor
(expenses assumed by the Sponsor are described above), including but not limited
to, taxes and governmental charges, any applicable brokerage commissions, XRP
Ledger fees and similar transaction fees that qualify as extraordinary or
non-routine expenses as described above, financing fees, expenses and costs of
any extraordinary services performed by the Sponsor (or any other service
provider) on behalf of the Fund to protect the Fund or the
interests
of Shareholders (including, for example, in connection with any fork of the XRP
Ledger, any Incidental Rights and any IR Virtual Currency), any indemnification
of the Cash Custodian, XRP Custodian, Prime Broker, Administrator or other
agents, service providers or counterparties of the Trust or the Fund and
extraordinary legal fees and expenses, including any legal fees and expenses
incurred in connection with litigation, regulatory enforcement or investigation
matters or legal expenses in excess of $500,000 per year. The Sponsor may
determine in its sole discretion to assume legal fees and expenses of the Fund
in excess of the $500,000 per annum stipulated in the Sponsor Agreement. There
are no set circumstances in which the Sponsor has determined to assume legal
fees and expenses in excess of the amount stipulated in the Sponsor Agreement,
but such expenses may be assumed by the Sponsor, for example, to help the Fund
achieve scale. To the extent that the Sponsor does not voluntarily assume such
fees and expenses, they will be the responsibility of the
Fund. Additionally, there is no cap on the aggregate amount of expenses
that could be assumed by the Sponsor each year, except as otherwise described
herein. The Trust’s and Fund’s organizational and offering costs are borne by
the Sponsor and, as such, are the sole responsibility of the Sponsor. The
Sponsor will not seek reimbursement or otherwise require the Fund, the Trust,
the Trustee or any Shareholder to assume any liability, duty or obligation in
connection with any such organizational and offering costs. The Fund will need
to sell XRP to cover the Sponsor’s Fee and expenses not assumed by the Sponsor,
if any. Fund expenses not assumed by the Sponsor shall accrue daily and be
payable by the Fund to the Sponsor at least quarterly in arrears. The Fund may
also be subject to other liabilities (for example, as a result of litigation)
that have also not been assumed by the Sponsor. The only source of funds to
cover those liabilities will be sales of XRP held by the Fund. Even if there are
no expenses other than those assumed by the Sponsor, and there are no other
liabilities of the Fund, the Fund will still need to sell XRP to pay the
Sponsor’s Fee. The result of these sales is a decrease in the amount of XRP
represented by each Share.
To
cover the Sponsor’s Fee and expenses not assumed by the Sponsor, the Sponsor or
its delegate will cause the Fund to convert XRP into U.S. dollars generally at
the price available through the Prime Broker’s Coinbase Prime service (less
applicable trading fees) through the Prime Broker’s execution platform where the
Sponsor may place an order (the “Trading Platform”), which the Sponsor is able
to obtain using commercially reasonable efforts. The number of XRP represented
by a Share will decline each time the Fund pays the Sponsor’s Fee or any Fund
expenses not assumed by the Sponsor by transferring or selling XRP. The Fund
bears transaction costs, including any XRP Ledger fees or other similar
transaction fees, in connection with any sales of XRP necessary to pay the
Sponsor’s Fee as well as other Fund expenses (if any) that are not assumed by
the Sponsor. In the event of the
liquidation of the Fund, the Fund will bear any liquidation-related expenses
(including any transaction costs such as any XRP Ledger fees or other similar
transaction fees in connection with the liquidation of the Fund’s portfolio).
The quantity of XRP to be sold to permit payment of the Sponsor’s Fee or Fund
expenses not assumed by the Sponsor, will vary from time to time depending on
the level of the Fund’s expenses and the value of XRP held by the Fund. Assuming
that the Fund is a grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes, each
delivery or sale of XRP by the Fund for the payment of Fund expenses generally
will be a taxable event to Fund Shareholders. See “U.S. Federal Income Tax
Consequences.” The Fund expects that any trading commissions associated with
block trading, if applicable, will be allocated across the Fund, and other
client accounts managed by affiliates of the Sponsor (including registered and
unregistered funds and separately managed accounts (“Client Accounts”)) on a pro
rata basis. See “Conflicts of Interest” for more information.
| Incidental Rights / IR Virtual
Currency |
From time to time, the Fund may be entitled to or come into
possession of rights to acquire, or otherwise establish dominion and
control over, any virtual currency (for avoidance of doubt, other than
XRP) or other asset or right, which rights are incident to the Fund’s
ownership of XRP and arise without any action of the Fund, or of the
Sponsor on behalf of the Fund (“Incidental Rights”) and/or virtual
currency tokens, or other assets or rights, acquired by the Fund through
the exercise of any Incidental Right (“IR Virtual Currency”) by virtue of
its ownership of XRP, generally through a fork in the XRP Ledger, an
airdrop |
offered to holders
of XRP or other similar event. The Fund does not intend to hold assets other
than XRP and cash.
Pursuant to the
Declaration of Trust and the Sponsor Agreement, the Sponsor has the right to
determine, in the Sponsor’s sole discretion, based on whatever factors the
Sponsor deems relevant and subject to applicable regulatory requirements, what
action to take in connection with the Fund’s entitlement to or ownership of
Incidental Rights or any IR Virtual Currency.
Under the
terms of the Sponsor Agreement and the Declaration of Trust, the Sponsor may
take any lawful action necessary or desirable in connection with the Fund’s
ownership of Incidental Rights, including the acquisition of IR Virtual
Currency, as determined by the Sponsor in the Sponsor’s sole discretion, unless
such action would adversely affect the status of the Fund as a grantor trust for
U.S. federal income tax purposes or otherwise be prohibited by the Declaration
of Trust. The actions which the Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, determine
the Fund shall take include (i) arranging for the sale of Incidental Rights
and/or IR Virtual Currency and distributing the cash proceeds (net of expenses
and any applicable withholding taxes) to the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”),
(ii) distributing Incidental Rights and/or IR Virtual Currency in-kind to DTC,
(iii) using Incidental Rights and/or IR Virtual Currency to pay the Sponsor’s
Fee and/or additional Fund expenses not assumed by the Sponsor, or (iv) electing
not to acquire, claim, or obtain, and permanently and irrevocably abandoning,
Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency for no consideration. Notwithstanding
such provisions in the Sponsor Agreement and the Declaration of Trust, with
respect to any airdrop of any non-XRP crypto asset, including Incidental Rights
and/or IR Virtual Currency, or in the event of a fork where it has been
determined, in the discretion of the Sponsor, that the crypto asset received by
the Fund is not XRP, or any similar event, the Sponsor will cause the Fund to
irrevocably abandon such non-XRP crypto asset and, in the event that the Fund
seeks to change this position, an application would need to be filed with the
SEC by the NYSE, the listing exchange, seeking approval to amend its listing
rules. The Fund will not acquire and will disclaim any Incidental Right or
Incidental Right asset received, for example as a result of forks or airdrops,
and such assets will not be taken into account for purposes of determining NAV.
For the avoidance of doubt, the only crypto asset to be held by the Fund will be
XRP; the Fund does not have the ability or intention to hold any other crypto
asset, and specific regulatory approval would be required in order to do so. In
the case of abandonment of Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency, the Fund
would not receive any direct or indirect consideration for the Incidental Rights
or IR Virtual Currency and thus the value of the Shares will not reflect the
value of the Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency.
With respect to any fork,
airdrop or similar event, the Sponsor shall, in its sole discretion, determine
the appropriate action on behalf of the Fund. In the event of a fork, the
Sponsor will determine which network it believes is generally accepted as the
XRP Ledger and should therefore be considered the appropriate network, and the
associated asset as XRP, for the Fund’s purposes.
The
Sponsor may choose to evaluate any such fork, airdrop or similar occurrence on a
case-by-case basis in consultation with the Fund’s legal advisors, tax
consultants, the Administrator, and the Custodians.
| Tax
Considerations |
Owners of Shares will be treated, for U.S. federal income tax
purposes, as if they owned a corresponding share of the assets of the
Fund. They will also be viewed as if they directly received a
corresponding share of any income of the Fund, or as if they had incurred
a corresponding share of the expenses of the Fund. Consequently, each sale
of XRP by the |
Fund will
constitute a taxable event to the Shareholders. See “U.S. Federal Income Tax
Consequences—Taxation of U.S. Shareholders” and “ERISA and Related
Considerations.”
| Voting
Rights |
Owners of Shares do not have any voting rights, and take no part in
the management or control of, and have no voice in, the Trust’s or Fund’s
operations or business. See “Description of the Shares and the
Trust—Voting Rights.” |
|
Suspension of Issuance,
Transfers and Redemptions |
The Administrator may, and upon the direction of the Sponsor shall,
suspend the acceptance of purchase orders or the delivery or registration
of transfers of Shares generally, or may, and upon the direction of the
Sponsor shall, refuse a particular purchase order, delivery or
registration of shares (i) during any period when the transfer books of
the Transfer Agent are closed or (ii) at any time, if the Sponsor
thinks it advisable for any reason. The Administrator may, and upon the
direction of the Sponsor shall, suspend the right to surrender Shares or
postpone the delivery date of XRP or other Fund property generally or with
respect to a particular redemption order (i) during any period in which
regular trading on the NYSE is
suspended or restricted, or the exchange is closed, (ii) during a period
when the Sponsor determines that delivery, disposal or evaluation of XRP
is not reasonably practicable (for example, as a result of an interruption
in services or availability of the Prime Broker, XRP Custodian, Cash
Custodian, Administrator, or other service providers to the Fund, act of
God, catastrophe, civil disturbance, government prohibition, war,
terrorism, strike or other labor dispute, fire, force majeure,
interruption in telecommunications, order entry systems, Internet
services, or network provider services, unavailability of Fedwire, SWIFT
or banks’ payment processes, significant technical failure, bug, error,
disruption or fork of the XRP Ledger, hacking, cybersecurity breach, or
power, Internet, or XRP Ledger outage, or similar event), (iii) during
such other period as the Sponsor determines to be necessary for the
protection of the Shareholders, or (iv) as otherwise provided in the
Authorized Participant Agreement or in the Declaration of Trust. The Fund
may reject any purchase order or redemption order that is not in proper
form. If the Fund suspends creations or redemptions, Shareholders will be
notified in a prospectus supplement, in the Fund’s periodic reports,
and/or on the Fund’s website. Suspension of the creation or redemption of
Shares could negatively impact the Shares’ liquidity and/or cause the
Shares to trade at premiums and discounts, and otherwise have a negative
impact on the value of the Shares. |
| Limitation on Obligations and
Liability |
The Sponsor and the Trustee:
The Sponsor has no liability to the
Trust, the Trustee or any shareholder for any action taken or for
refraining from the taking of any action in good faith pursuant to the
Declaration of Trust, or for errors in judgment or for depreciation or
loss incurred by reason of the sale of any XRP or other assets held in
trust under the Declaration of Trust; provided, however, that the Sponsor
is not protected against any liability to which it would otherwise be
subject by reason of its own gross negligence, bad faith, or willful
misconduct. The Sponsor may rely in good faith on any paper, order,
notice, list, affidavit, receipt, evaluation, opinion, endorsement,
assignment, draft or any other document of any kind prima facie properly
executed and submitted to it by the Trustee, the Trustee’s counsel or by
any other person for any matters arising thereunder.
The Trustee is not liable for (a) the
acts or omissions of the Sponsor or (b) supervising or monitoring the
performance and the duties and obligations of the Sponsor or the Trust
under the Declaration of Trust, except as otherwise provided in the
Declaration of Trust. The Trustee is not liable under any circumstances,
except for a breach of its obligations pursuant to the Declaration of
Trust or its own willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence.
See “Description of the Shares and the Trust—Limitations on
Obligations and Liability.” |
| Termination
events |
The Sponsor may terminate and liquidate the Fund or Trust for any
reason in its sole discretion. The Sponsor would likely terminate and
liquidate the Fund if one of the following events
occurs: |
|
• |
the Shares are delisted from the NYSE and are not approved for
listing on another national securities exchange within five Business Days
of their delisting; |
|
• |
a U.S. federal or state court or regulator, or applicable law or
regulatory requirements, requires the Fund to shut down, or forces the
Fund to liquidate its XRP, or seizes, impounds or otherwise restricts
access to Fund assets; |
|
• |
the Sponsor determines, in its sole discretion, that the liquidation
of the Fund is advisable or desirable for any
reason; |
|
• |
DTC is unable or unwilling to continue to perform its functions, and
a comparable replacement is unavailable; |
|
• |
Resignation of the Trustee or XRP Custodian, to the extent a suitable
successor is not appointed or available; |
|
• |
the SEC (or its staff) or a court of competent jurisdiction
determines that the Trust is an investment company under the Investment
Company Act, and the Sponsor has actual knowledge of that
determination; |
|
• |
any ongoing event exists that either prevents or makes impractical
the Fund’s holding of XRP, or prevents the Fund from converting or makes
impractical the Fund’s reasonable efforts to convert XRP to U.S. dollars;
or |
|
• |
the Fund fails to qualify for treatment, or ceases to be treated, for
United States federal income tax purposes, as a grantor trust, and the
Sponsor has determined that, because of that tax treatment or change in
tax treatment, termination of the Fund is
advisable. |
The term of the Trust and
Fund is perpetual (unless terminated by the Sponsor in its discretion). The
proceeds of any liquidation of the Fund’s assets are expected to be distributed
in XRP and/or cash, in the Sponsor’s discretion. Shareholders are not entitled
to any of the Fund’s underlying XRP holdings upon the dissolution of the Fund or
the Trust. The Sponsor will give written notice of the termination of the Trust
or the Fund, specifying the date of termination, to Shareholders of the Trust or
the Fund, as applicable, at least 30 days prior to the termination of the Trust
or the Fund. The Sponsor will, within a reasonable time after such termination,
sell all of the Fund’s XRP in such a manner so as to effectuate orderly sales
and a minimal market impact. The Sponsor shall not be liable for or responsible
in any way for depreciation or loss incurred by reason of any sale or sales made
in accordance with the provisions of the Declaration of Trust.
| Authorized
Participants |
Creation Units may be created or redeemed only by Authorized
Participants. Each Authorized Participant must be a registered
broker-dealer, a participant in DTC, and have entered into an agreement
with the Sponsor and Administrator (the “Authorized Participant
Agreement”). The Authorized Participant Agreement provides the procedures
for the creation and redemption of Creation Units and for the delivery of
XRP and/or cash in connection with such creations or redemptions. As of
November 4, 2025, Virtu Americas LLC and Jane Street Capital, LLC have
each executed an Authorized Participant Agreement and are the only
Authorized Participants. Additional Authorized Participants may be added
at any time, subject to the discretion of the Sponsor. See “Creations and
Redemptions” for more details. |
| Clearance
and settlement |
The Shares will be evidenced by a global certificate that the
Trust issues to DTC. The Shares are issued in book-entry form only.
Transactions in Shares clear through the facilities
of |
DTC. Investors may
hold their Shares through DTC, if they are participants in DTC, or indirectly
through entities that are participants in DTC.
RISK
FACTORS
The
Shares are speculative and involve a high degree of risk. Before making an
investment decision, you should consider carefully the risks described below, as
well as the other information included in this prospectus.
Risk
Factors Related to Digital Assets
The
trading prices of many digital assets, including XRP, have experienced extreme
volatility in recent periods and may continue to do so. Extreme volatility in
the future, including further declines in the trading prices of XRP, could have
a material adverse effect on the value of the Shares and the Shares could lose
all or substantially all of their value.
The trading prices of many digital assets,
including XRP, have experienced extreme volatility in recent periods and may
continue to do so. For instance, there were steep increases in the value of
certain digital assets, including XRP, over the course of 2021, and multiple
market observers assert that digital assets were experiencing a “bubble.” During
the 2021-2022 cycle, the price of XRP reached a peak of approximately $1.96 in
April 2021 and bottomed out at around $0.32 in June 2022, marking a significant
drawdown of over 83%. These increases were followed by steep drawdowns
throughout 2022 in digital asset trading prices, including for XRP. These
episodes of rapid price appreciation followed by steep drawdowns have occurred
multiple times throughout XRP’s history. Over the past 5 years (using data
ending September 30, 2025), XRP has exhibited a historical annualized volatility
of 107% and maximum annual price decrease of -59% in 2022. As of the date
of this prospectus, digital asset prices continued to fluctuate in 2025. Over the past year ending October 30, 2025,
XRP’s highest price was $3.56 on July 21, 2025 and its lowest price was $0.50 on
November 3, 2024. (Source: CoinMarketCap.com). XRP reached its all-time high
price of $3.84 on January 3, 2018 (Source: Coinbase).
Extreme volatility may
persist and the value of the Shares may significantly decline in the future
without recovery. The digital asset markets may still be experiencing a bubble
or may experience a bubble again in the future. For example, in the first half
of 2022, each of Celsius Network, Voyager Digital Ltd., and Three Arrows Capital
declared bankruptcy, resulting in a loss of confidence in participants of the
digital asset ecosystem and negative publicity surrounding digital assets more
broadly. In November 2022, FTX Trading Ltd. (‟FTX”), one of the largest digital
asset platforms by volume at the time, halted customer withdrawals amid rumors
of the company’s liquidity issues and likely insolvency, which were subsequently
corroborated by its CEO. Shortly thereafter, FTX’s CEO resigned and FTX and many
of its affiliates filed for bankruptcy in the United States, while other
affiliates have entered insolvency, liquidation, or similar proceedings around
the globe, following which the U.S. Department of Justice brought criminal fraud
and other charges, and the SEC and CFTC brought civil securities and commodities
fraud charges, against certain of FTX’s and its affiliates’ senior executives,
including its former CEO. In addition, several other entities in the digital
asset industry filed for bankruptcy following FTX’s bankruptcy filing, such as
BlockFi Inc. and Genesis Global Capital, LLC (“Genesis”). In response to these
events (collectively, the ‟2022 Events”), the digital asset markets have
experienced extreme price volatility and other entities in the digital asset
industry have been, and may continue to be, negatively affected, further
undermining confidence in the digital asset markets. These events have also
negatively impacted the liquidity of the digital asset markets as certain
entities affiliated with FTX engaged in significant trading activity. The 2022
events also negatively impacted the liquidity of the digital asset markets as
certain entities affiliated with FTX engaged in significant trading activity. If
the liquidity of the digital asset markets continues to be negatively impacted
by these events, digital asset prices, including XRP, may continue to experience
significant volatility or price declines and confidence in the digital asset
markets may be further undermined. In addition, regulatory and enforcement
scrutiny has increased, including from, among others, the Department of Justice,
the SEC, the CFTC, the White House and Congress, as well as state regulators and
authorities. These events are continuing to develop and the full facts are
continuing to emerge. It is not possible to predict at this time all of the
risks that they may pose to the Fund, its service providers or to the digital
asset industry as a whole.
Furthermore, changes in U.S. political
leadership and economic policies may create uncertainty that materially affects
the price of XRP and the Fund’s Shares. For example, on March 6, 2025, President
Trump signed an Executive Order to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a
United States Digital Asset Stockpile. Pursuant to this Executive Order, the
Strategic Bitcoin Reserve will be capitalized with Bitcoin owned by the
Department of Treasury that was forfeited as part of criminal or civil asset
forfeiture proceedings, and the Secretaries of Treasury and Commerce are
authorized to develop budget-neutral strategies for acquiring additional
bitcoin, provided that those strategies impose no incremental costs on American
taxpayers. Conversely, the Digital Asset Stockpile will consist of all digital
assets other than Bitcoin owned by the Department of Treasury that were
forfeited in criminal or civil asset forfeiture proceedings, but the U.S.
government will not acquire additional assets for the U.S. Digital Asset
Stockpile beyond those obtained through such proceedings. The anticipation of a
U.S. government-funded strategic cryptocurrency reserve had motivated
large-scale purchases of certain digital assets in the expectation of the U.S.
government acquiring digital assets, to fund such reserve, and the market price
of such digital assets decreased significantly as a result of the ultimate
content of the Executive Order. Any similar action or omission by
the U.S. federal
administration or other government authorities with respect to XRP or other
digital assets may negatively and significantly impact the price of XRP and the
Fund’s Shares.
The exact timeline and
impact of these recent regulatory developments on the Fund’s business is
uncertain and it is not possible to predict at this time what risks, if any,
that regulatory developments may pose to the Fund, its service providers or to
the digital asset industry as a whole. Although the SEC recently approved orders
to permit in-kind creations and redemptions by authorized participants for
certain spot digital asset ETP shares, it is not clear whether and how market
participants, including registered broker-dealers, will adjust their activities
to account for the new orders.
Extreme volatility in the future, including
further declines in the trading prices of XRP, could have a material adverse
effect on the value of the Shares and the Shares could lose all or substantially
all of their value. Furthermore, negative perception and a lack of stability and
standardized regulation in the digital asset economy may reduce confidence in
the digital asset economy and may result in greater volatility in the price of
XRP and other digital assets, including a depreciation in value. The Fund is not
actively managed and will not take any actions to take advantage, or mitigate
the impacts, of volatility in the price of XRP.
The
value of the Shares is subject to a number of factors relating to the
fundamental investment characteristics of XRP as a digital asset, including the
fact that digital assets are bearer instruments and loss, theft, or compromise
of the associated private keys could result in permanent loss of the asset, and
the capabilities and development of blockchain technologies such as the XRP
Ledger.
XRP was introduced in 2012 and many digital
assets were only introduced within the past decade, and the medium-to-long term
value of the Shares is subject to a number of factors relating to the
capabilities and development of blockchain technologies, such as the recentness
of their development, their dependence on the internet and other technologies,
their dependence on the role played by users, developers and validators and the
potential for malicious activity. For example, the realization of one or more of
the following risks could materially adversely affect the value of the
Shares:
|
• |
Digital asset networks, including networks utilizing the XRP Ledger,
and the software used to operate them are in the early stages of
development. Given the recentness of the development of digital asset
networks, digital assets may not function as intended and parties may be
unwilling to use digital assets, which would dampen the growth, if any, of
digital asset networks. Because XRP is a digital asset, the value of the
Shares is subject to a number of factors relating to the fundamental
investment characteristics of digital assets, including the fact that
digital assets are bearer instruments and loss, theft, compromise, or
destruction of the associated private keys could result in permanent loss
of the asset. |
|
• |
Digital assets, including XRP, are controllable only by the possessor
of both the unique public key and private key or keys relating to the XRP
Ledger address, or “wallet,” at which the digital asset is held. Private
keys must be safeguarded and kept private in order to prevent a third
party from accessing the digital asset held in such wallet. The loss,
theft, compromise or destruction of a private key required to access a
digital asset may be irreversible. If a private key is lost, stolen,
destroyed or otherwise compromised and no backup of the private key is
accessible, the owner would be unable to access the digital asset
corresponding to that private key and the private key will not be capable
of being restored by the digital asset network resulting in the total loss
of the value of the digital asset linked to the private
key. |
|
• |
Digital asset networks are dependent upon the internet. A disruption
of the internet or a digital asset network, such as the XRP Ledger, would
affect the ability to transfer digital assets, including XRP, and,
consequently, their value. |
|
• |
Although unlikely, the acceptance of software patches or upgrades by
some, but not all, nodes, users and validators in a digital asset network,
such as the XRP Ledger, could theoretically result in a “fork” in such
network’s blockchain, including the XRP Ledger, resulting in the operation
of multiple separate networks. |
|
• |
Governance of the XRP Ledger is by voluntary consensus. As a result,
there may be a lack of consensus or clarity on the governance of the XRP
Ledger, which may stymie the XRP Ledger’s utility and ability to grow and
face challenges. In particular, it may be difficult to find solutions or
martial sufficient effort to overcome any future problems on the XRP
Ledger, especially long-term problems. |
|
• |
Unlike many other blockchain networks, validators on the XRP Ledger
are not directly compensated for their participation in the consensus
process. Running a validator on the XRP Ledger is generally considered a
voluntary contribution to the health and decentralization of the network.
Participants run validators for reasons other than direct financial gain,
such as supporting the network’s decentralization, ensuring its security,
or for reputational benefits within the XRP community. However, because
there is no financial incentive for entities or individuals to maintain
validators, there is no guarantee that such entities
or |
|
|
individuals will continue to run validators. To the extent that a
significant number of entities or individuals stop running validators,
there would be serious negative consequences to the XRP Ledger’s
functionality, security and overall existence. |
|
• |
Many digital asset networks, including the XRP Ledger, face
significant scaling challenges and may periodically be upgraded with
various features designed to increase the speed of digital asset
transactions and the number of transactions that can processed in a given
period (known as “throughput”). These attempts to increase the volume of
transactions may not be effective or may result in unforeseen problems or
issues, and such upgrades may fail, resulting in potentially irreparable
damage to the XRP Ledger and the value of XRP. |
|
• |
Certain privacy-preserving features have been or are expected to be
introduced to the XRP Ledger, and these features may provide law
enforcement agencies with less visibility into transaction histories. For
example, some prominent contributors to other blockchain networks have
proposed the concept of “privacy pools,” zero knowledge proofs, and
other technologies that could enhance privacy have been discussed by
participants in the XRP Ledger. If any such features are introduced to the
XRP Ledger, any platforms or businesses that facilitate transactions in
XRP may be at an increased risk of criminal or civil lawsuits, or of
having banking services cut off if there is a concern that these features
interfere with the performance of anti-money laundering duties and
economic sanctions checks or facilitate illicit financing or crime.
|
|
• |
In the past, bugs, defects, and flaws in the source code for digital
assets have been exposed and exploited, including flaws that disrupted
some XRP Ledger functionality for users, exposed users’ personal
information and/or resulted in the theft of users’ digital assets. For
example, in May 2023, the main Ethereum network itself reportedly suffered
outages or bugs that for a short time prevented transactions from
finalizing and being recorded in blocks twice in two days. Major Ethereum
Clients which nodes use to access the Ethereum network, such as Geth, Besu
and Nethermind, have in the past suffered outages or disruptions due to
bugs. For more on an unplanned for involving Geth clients, see “—A
temporary or permanent “fork” or “clone” of the XRP Ledger could adversely
affect the value of the Shares.” The cryptography underlying the XRP
Ledger could prove to be flawed or ineffective, or developments in
mathematics and/or technology, including advances in digital computing,
algebraic geometry and quantum computing, could result in such
cryptography becoming ineffective. In any of these circumstances, a
malicious actor may be able to compromise the security of the XRP Ledger
or take the Fund’s XRP, which would adversely affect the value of the
Shares. Moreover, normal operations and functionality of the XRP Ledger
may be negatively affected. Such losses of functionality could lead to the
XRP Ledger losing attractiveness to users, nodes, validators, or other
stakeholders, thereby dampening demand for XRP. Even if another digital
asset other than XRP were affected by similar circumstances, any reduction
in confidence in the source code or cryptography underlying digital assets
generally could negatively affect the demand for digital assets and
therefore adversely affect the value of the
Shares. |
Moreover, because digital assets, including
XRP, have been in existence for a relatively short period of time and are
continuing to develop, there may be additional risks in the future that are
impossible to predict as of the date of this prospectus.
Digital
assets represent a new and rapidly evolving industry, and the value of the
Shares depends on the acceptance of XRP.
The first digital asset, bitcoin, was launched
in 2009. The XRP Ledger launched in 2012. Along with bitcoin, XRP was one of the
first cryptographic digital assets to gain global adoption. In general, digital
asset networks, including the XRP Ledger and other cryptographic and algorithmic
protocols governing the issuance of digital assets represent a new and rapidly
evolving industry that is subject to a variety of factors that are difficult to
evaluate. For example, the realization of one or more of the following risks
could materially adversely affect the value of the Shares:
|
• |
XRP is only selectively accepted as a means of payment by retail and
commercial outlets, and use of XRP by consumers to pay such retail and
commercial outlets remains limited. Banks and other established financial
institutions may refuse to process funds for XRP transactions; process
wire transfers to or from digital asset platforms, XRP-related companies
or service providers; or maintain accounts for persons or entities
transacting in XRP. As a result, the prices of XRP may be influenced to a
significant extent by speculators and validators, thus contributing to
price volatility that makes retailers less likely to accept XRP in the
future. |
|
• |
Banks may not provide banking services, or may cut off banking
services, to businesses that provide digital asset-related services or
that accept digital assets as payment, which could dampen liquidity in the
market and damage the public perception of digital assets generally or any
one digital asset in particular, such as XRP, and their or its utility as
a payment system, which could decrease the price of digital assets
generally or individually. Further, the lack of availability of banking
services could prevent the Fund from being able to complete creations and
redemptions of Creation Units, the timely liquidation of XRP
and |
|
|
withdrawal of assets from the XRP Custodian even if the Sponsor
determined that such liquidation was appropriate or suitable, or otherwise
disrupt the Fund’s operations. |
|
• |
Users, protocol and application developers and validators may
otherwise switch to or adopt certain digital assets at the expense of
their engagement with other digital asset networks, which may negatively
impact those networks, including the XRP Ledger. |
The Fund is not actively managed and will not
have any formal strategy relating to the development of the XRP Ledger and will
not attempt to avoid or mitigate losses caused by declines in the price of XRP.
The
XRP Ledger’s governance structure may negatively affect its ability to grow and
respond to challenges.
The XRP Ledger does not
have a central authority that unilaterally determines or enforces network-wide
decisions. Instead, protocol upgrades and parameter changes
are implemented through on-chain proposals. A lack of agreement among XRP
holders may affect the XRP Ledger’s adaptability,
technical progression or ability to address infrastructure challenges.
Development of the XRP
Ledger’s core protocol has been led by Ripple Labs and supported by external
contributors through an open-source model. While
contributors may propose upgrades or submit governance proposals, adoption of
any change depends on community alignment. XRP token holders cannot
be compelled to adopt proposed upgrades or maintain compatibility with a given
version of the protocol.
This decentralized
governance model may complicate efforts to coordinate long-term development or
to implement timely responses to emerging risks. If consensus
cannot be reached among stakeholders, or if critical protocol upgrades fail to
pass or be implemented, the XRP Ledger could experience stagnation
or fragmentation. A loss of developer momentum, reduced participation or
divergence among validators could impair the usability and
competitiveness of the XRP Ledger. In severe cases, unresolved governance
disputes could result in a network fork, or a dilution of user and developer
engagement.
Potential
amendments to the XRP Ledger’s protocols and software could, if accepted and
authorized by the XRP Ledger community, adversely affect an investment in the
Fund.
Development and
maintenance of the source code for the XRP Ledger is largely driven by a
community of developers and contributors. Ripple Labs Inc. (“Ripple Labs”) is
influential, for example, as it employs a team of engineers and developers who
contribute significantly to the core codebase of the XRP Ledger. The XRP Ledger
Foundation is also influential as it relates to the development and governance
of the XRP Ledger. The XRP Ledger Foundation is an independent organization
established to support the development and adoption of the XRP Ledger. While
Ripple Labs remains a key contributor, the XRP Ledger Foundation aims to ensure
that the ledger remains open and decentralized, promoting transparency and
inclusivity in its governance and development. Being an open-source project, the
XRP Ledger also has contributions from independent developers and other entities
interested in its success. These community contributors can propose changes,
submit pull requests, and report issues on the XRP Ledger’s GitHub
repository.
Any of these parties can
propose amendments to the XRP Ledger’s source code that, if accepted by nodes,
validators and users, could alter the protocols and software of the XRP Ledger
and the properties of XRP. These alterations would occur through software
upgrades, and could potentially include changes to the irreversibility of
transactions and limitations on the issuance of new XRP or changes to the XRP
supply, which could undermine the appeal and market value of XRP. Alternatively,
software upgrades and other changes to the protocols of the XRP Ledger could
fail to work as intended or could introduce bugs, coding defects or flaws,
security risks, or otherwise adversely affect, the speed, security, usability,
or value of the XRP Ledger or XRP. As a result, the XRP Ledger could be subject
to changes to its protocols and software in the future that may adversely affect
an investment in the Fund.
The largest XRP wallets are believed to hold,
in aggregate, a significant portion of the XRP in circulation. As of October 10,
2025, the largest 100 XRP wallets held approximately 84% of the XRP in
circulation. Ripple Labs holds a large portion of the XRP supply. Of the 100
billion XRP generated by the XRP Ledger’s code, the founders of Ripple Labs
retained 20 billion XRP and the rest, nearly 80 billion XRP, was provided to
Ripple Labs. The founders each continue to hold a large portion of the XRP
supply. This has led to concerns about centralization. Despite escrow mechanisms
that gradually release XRP into the market, Ripple Labs and early stakeholders
still retain control over a significant portion of XRP, which can impact market
dynamics if large amounts are sold. It is believed, although there is no
official confirmation, that Ripple Labs’ early founders, including Chris Larsen
and Jed McCaleb, continue to possess large quantities of XRP. This level of
ownership may allow them to exert considerable influence over the governance of
the system. Furthermore, if wallets believed to belong to these individuals or
other initial XRP holders are seen selling tokens, it could adversely affect
XRP’s market price. The concentration of XRP in the hands of Ripple Labs and
early stakeholders has sometimes led to perceptions of centralization, which
could affect the market’s confidence in XRP as a decentralized asset.
The
open-source structure of the XRP Ledger protocol means that the core developers
and other contributors are generally not directly compensated for their
contributions in maintaining and developing the XRP Ledger protocol. A failure
to properly monitor and upgrade the XRP Ledger protocol could damage the XRP
Ledger and an investment in the Fund.
The XRP Ledger operates based on an open-source
protocol, which is primarily maintained by core developers and contributors
through resources such as GitHub. Since the XRP Ledger’s protocol is neither
sold nor subject to licensing fees, the core developers are generally not
compensated directly for their work on the protocol. This creates limited
financial incentives for ongoing development and maintenance. At present, a
small group of core developers is responsible for maintaining the XRP Ledger’s
source code, though a broader group contributes to its overall development.
However, this small core developer group may present challenges if unforeseen
issues arise or if a bad actor attempts to influence one of the core developers
negatively. There have been concerns that such limited oversight could leave the
XRP Ledger vulnerable to potential disruptions or insufficient updates to the
code. Additionally, some developers may be funded by organizations whose
interests conflict with other participants in the ecosystem, which could lead to
further challenges in governance or development. If significant technical issues
emerge, and the core developers or open-source contributors are unable to
address them promptly, it could negatively impact the XRP Ledger and related
investments, such as the Fund.
If a
malicious actor or botnet obtains control of more than 80% of the validating
nodes on the XRP Ledger, or otherwise obtains control over the XRP Ledger
through its influence over trusted validators or otherwise, such actor or botnet
could delay or manipulate the XRP Ledger, which could adversely affect the value
of the Shares or the ability of the Fund to operate.
All networked systems are
vulnerable to various types of attacks. As with any computer network, the XRP
Ledger contains certain vulnerabilities. The XRP Ledger relies on a
decentralized network of validator nodes that agree on the order and validity of
transactions. These nodes form the backbone of the consensus process. Each
validator node maintains a Unique Node List (“UNL”), which is a list of other
validators it trusts. For a malicious actor to take over, they would need to
control a significant portion of the validators on the majority of these UNLs.
To successfully alter the ledger, the malicious actor would likely need to
control more than 80% of the validator nodes or the voting power on the most
widely used UNLs.
If the malicious actor
cannot control the validator nodes directly, they might attempt to compromise
the validators that are already trusted by the network (i.e., those on the
commonly used UNLs). This could involve hacking, bribery, deception or
coercion.
Compared to other digital
asset networks such as the Bitcoin network and Ethereum network, the XRP Ledger
relies on a relatively small number of validators, and each validator maintains
a UNL that is an even smaller subset of the validators. While this helps
maintain a fast and efficient network, it could expose the XRP Ledger to
additional vulnerabilities. For example, a malicious actor could attempt a
“Sybil” attack whereby it would attempt to gain the trust of existing validators
using a large number of fake identities. Such an attack would be difficult to
execute because human intervention would be required for the malicious
validators to become trusted, but the risk is made greater by the small number
validators included on each validator’s UNL.
A malicious actor could
also conduct an “eclipse attack.” In an eclipse attack, a malicious actor could
isolate parts of the network so that the malicious actor’s nodes can influence
the consensus in isolated sections of the network, eventually leading to a split
or takeover.
The XRP Ledger has also been subject to supply
chain attacks, in which hackers target third-party components, services or
software that a digital asset network relies on instead of attacking the network
itself. For example, in April 2025, a malware attack was discovered in a widely
used open-source JavaScript library associated with the XRP Ledger. The
malicious code was inserted through a supply chain vulnerability and had the
potential to compromise applications built using the affected library. While the
core XRP Ledger protocol and validator infrastructure were not directly
compromised, some third-party applications that integrated the compromised
library may have been exposed to risks, including unauthorized access to user
data and disruption of application functionality. The vulnerability was
identified and remediated by the developer community shortly after discovery,
and no material exploitation of the malware has been publicly confirmed.
However, the incident highlights the XRP Ledger’s reliance on third-party
software components. Future incidents of a similar nature could adversely affect
confidence in the XRP Ledger, disrupt applications that interface with the XRP
Ledger, impair network reliability, or otherwise negatively impact the value of
the Shares or the Fund's ability to operate.
If
validators exit the XRP Ledger, it could increase the likelihood of a malicious
actor obtaining control.
Validators exiting the XRP Ledger network could
make the XRP Ledger more vulnerable to a malicious actor obtaining control of a
large percentage of XRP, which might enable them to manipulate the XRP
blockchain by censoring or manipulating specific transactions, as discussed
previously. If the XRP blockchain suffers such an attack, the price of XRP could
be negatively affected, and a loss of confidence in the XRP Ledger could result.
Any reduction in confidence in the transaction confirmation process or staking
power of the XRP Ledger may adversely affect an investment in the Fund.
A temporary or permanent
“fork” or “clone” of the XRP Ledger
could adversely affect the value of the Shares.
A fork in the XRP Ledger
could adversely affect the value of the Shares or the ability of the Fund to
operate. A fork could also adversely affect the price of XRP at the time of
announcement or adoption or subsequently. The announcement of a hard fork could
lead to increased demand for the pre-fork digital asset, in anticipation that
ownership of the pre-fork digital asset would entitle holders to a new digital
asset following the fork. The increased demand for the pre-fork digital asset
may cause the price of the digital asset to rise. After the hard fork, it is
possible the aggregate price of the two versions of the digital asset running in
parallel would be less than the price of the digital asset immediately prior to
the fork. Alternatively, as with any change to software code, software upgrades
and other changes to the source code or protocols of the XRP Ledger could fail
to work as intended or could introduce bugs, coding defects, unanticipated or
undiscovered problems, flaws, or security risks, create problematic economic
incentives which incentivize behavior which has a negative effect on the XRP
Ledger’s users, validators, or the XRP Ledger as a whole, or otherwise adversely
affect, the speed, security, usability, or value of the XRP Ledger or XRP. If a
fork caused operational problems for either post-fork network or blockchain, the
digital assets associated with the affected network could lose some or all of
their value. Furthermore, while the Sponsor will, as permitted by the terms of
the Declaration of Trust, determine which network is generally accepted as the
XRP Ledger and should therefore be considered the appropriate network for the
Fund’s purposes, and there is no guarantee that the Sponsor will choose the
network and the associated digital asset that is ultimately the most valuable
fork. Any of these events could therefore adversely impact the value of the
Shares.
Any future planned forks
could fail to work as intended or could introduce bugs, coding defects,
unanticipated or undiscovered problems, flaws, or security risks, create
problematic economic incentives which incentivize behavior which has a negative
effect on the XRP Ledger’s nodes, users, validators, or the XRP Ledger as a
whole, or otherwise adversely affect, the speed, security, usability, or value
of the XRP Ledger or XRP. Alternatively, such hard forks could be contentious,
leading to a split and fracture in the XRP community to its collective
detriment, as discussed above. Any such outcomes could adversely affect the
value of the Shares.
Forks may also occur as a
digital asset network community’s response to a significant security breach. For
example, in July 2016, Ethereum underwent a hard fork between the Layer 1
Ethereum network and a new digital asset running on a “forked” branch of the
work, Ethereum Classic, as a result of the Ethereum community’s response to a
significant security breach. In June 2016, an anonymous hacker exploited a smart
contract running on the Ethereum network to syphon approximately $60 million of
Ethereum held by The DAO, a distributed autonomous organization, into a
segregated account. In response to the hack, and after a contentious debate,
most participants in the Ethereum community elected to adopt a “hard fork” that
effectively reversed the hack, and this network constitutes the Layer 1 Ethereum
network. However, a minority of users continued to develop the original
blockchain, now referred to as “Ethereum Classic,” which is not
backwards-compatible with the Layer 1 Ethereum network and is considered a
forked branch, with the native digital asset on that blockchain now referred to
as Ethereum Classic, or ETC. ETC now trades on several digital asset platforms.
Following the July 2016 hard fork between the Ethereum and Ethereum Classic
networks, new security concerns surfaced. Replay attacks, in which transactions
from one network were rebroadcast to nefarious effect on the other network,
plagued Ethereum network trading platforms through at least October 2016. An
Ethereum network trading platform announced in July 2016 that it had lost 40,000
Ethereum Classic, worth about $100,000 at that time, as a result of replay
attacks. Similar replay attack concerns occurred in connection with the Bitcoin
Cash and Bitcoin Satoshi’s Vision networks split in November 2018, and security
concerns could similarly surface in connection with future hard forks.
An unplanned fork may also occur as a result of
an unintentional or unanticipated software flaw in the various versions of XRP
client software that nodes run and use to access the XRP Ledger. For example,
such an unplanned fork reportedly occurred in the Go-Ethereum (“Geth”) client,
which is a popular Ethereum Client that many nodes use to access the Ethereum
network and whose developers are financially supported by the Ethereum
Foundation. In November 2020, a bug was discovered in Geth (but not the other
Ethereum Clients at the time, such as Besu, OpenEthereum, and Nethermind), and a
patch was released that all nodes using the Geth client were supposed to
download and apply simultaneously. However, not all nodes using Geth did so,
resulting with the non-patched Geth nodes temporarily running a different
version of the Ethereum blockchain than the patched Geth nodes and nodes using
other Ethereum Clients. This temporarily created two conflicting versions of the
Ethereum blockchain, causing the nodes using the non-patched Geth version to be
unable to reach consensus with the rest of the nodes on the Ethereum blockchain,
interrupting the non-patch Geth nodes’ access to the Ethereum network. For
example, Infura, which is a node operator that provides services to major
Ethereum smart contracts, wallet software providers like MetaMask, ether trading
platforms, and other market participants, reportedly ran numerous nodes using
the Geth client. Infura’s Geth client-running nodes reportedly used the
outdated, non-patched Geth version initially, which is said to have caused those
nodes to be on the minority blockchain, impacting transaction execution,
validation, and recording on the main Layer 1 Ethereum network for Infura’s
customers - such as Ethereum-based smart contracts, wallet providers like
MetaMask, ether trading platforms, etc. - until Infura was able to apply the
software update released by the Geth client developers to Infura’s nodes that
use Geth as their Ethereum Client. Ultimately, the problem was reportedly fixed
by releasing a new upgraded version of Geth that all nodes using the
Geth client were to
promptly download. This reportedly harmonized the conflicting versions and
restored synchronization among Geth nodes, fixing the problem and restoring
access to the Ethereum network, including for Infura and its customers.
In the future, if an
accidental or unintentional fork similar to what happened within the Geth client
in November 2020 were to reoccur within any major XRP client, or were to happen
to the XRP Ledger as a whole (instead of being limited to a single XRP client),
such a fork could lead to nodes, users and validators losing confidence in the
XRP Ledger and abandoning it in favor of other blockchain protocols.
Furthermore, it is possible that, in a future unplanned fork, a substantial
number of nodes, users and validators could adopt an incompatible version of the
digital asset while resisting community-led efforts to merge the two chains,
resulting in a permanent fork.
Protocols may also be
cloned. Unlike a fork, which modifies an existing blockchain, and results in two
competing networks, each with the same genesis block, a “clone” is a copy of a
protocol’s codebase, but results in an entirely new blockchain and new genesis
block. Tokens are created solely from the new “clone” network and, in contrast
to forks, holders of tokens of the existing network that was cloned do not
receive any tokens of the new network. A “clone” results in a competing network
that has characteristics substantially similar to the network it was based on,
subject to any changes as determined by the developer(s) that initiated the
clone. A clone may also adversely affect the price of XRP at the time of
announcement or adoption or subsequently. For example, on November 6, 2016,
Rhett Creighton, a Zcash developer, cloned the Zcash Network to launch Zclassic,
a substantially identical version of the Zcash Network that eliminated the
Founders’ Reward. For the days following the date the first Zclassic block was
mined, the price of ZEC fell from $504.57 on November 5, 2016 to $236.01 on
November 7, 2016 in the midst of a broader sell off of ZEC beginning immediately
after the Zcash Network launch on October 28, 2016.
Shareholders
will not receive the benefits of any Incidental Rights and any IR Virtual
Currency, including any forked or airdropped assets.
In addition to forks, a
digital asset may become subject to a similar occurrence known as an “airdrop.”
In an airdrop, the promoters of a new digital asset announce to holders of
another digital asset that such holders will be entitled to claim a certain
amount of the new digital asset for free, based on the fact that they hold such
other digital asset. For example, in March 2017 the promoters of Stellar Lumens
announced that anyone that owned bitcoin as of June 26, 2017 could claim, until
August 27, 2017, a certain amount of Stellar Lumens. Airdrops could create
operational, security, legal or regulatory, or other risks for the Fund, the
Sponsor, the XRP Custodian, Authorized Participants, or other entities.
The Fund will not hold any crypto asset other
than XRP. Accordingly, Shareholders may not receive the benefits of any forks,
the Fund may not choose, or be able, to participate in an airdrop, and the
timing of receiving any benefits from a fork, airdrop or similar event is
uncertain. We refer to the right to receive any such benefit as an “Incidental
Right” and any such virtual currency acquired through an Incidental Right as “IR
Virtual Currency.” The Sponsor has the right, in the Sponsor’s sole discretion,
to determine: (i) with respect to any fork, airdrop or similar event, what
action the Fund shall take, and (ii) what action to take in connection with the
Fund’s entitlement to or ownership of Incidental Rights or any IR Virtual
Currency. The Sponsor intends to evaluate each fork, airdrop or similar
occurrence on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the Fund’s legal
advisors, tax consultants, the Administrator, and the XRP Custodian. The Sponsor
is under no obligation to realize any economic benefit from any Incidental
Rights or IR Virtual Currency on behalf of the Fund.
Notwithstanding the
foregoing, with respect to any airdrop of any non-XRP crypto asset, including
Incidental Rights and/or IR Virtual Currency, or in the event of a fork where it
has been determined, in the discretion of the Sponsor, that the crypto asset
received by the Fund is not XRP, or any similar event, the Sponsor will cause
the Fund to irrevocably abandon such non-XRP crypto asset and, in the event that
the Fund seeks to change this position, an application would need to be filed
with the SEC by NYSE, the listing exchange, seeking approval to amend its
listing rules. The Fund will not acquire and will disclaim any Incidental Right
or Incidental Right asset received, for example as a result of forks or
airdrops, and such assets will not be taken into account for purposes of
determining NAV. For the avoidance of doubt, the only crypto asset to be held by
the Fund will be XRP; the Fund does not have the ability or intention to hold
any other crypto asset, and specific regulatory approval would be required in
order to do so.
There are likely to be operational, tax,
securities law, regulatory, legal and practical issues that significantly limit,
or prevent entirely, Shareholders’ ability to realize a benefit, through their
Shares in the Fund, from any airdrop, fork or similar event. Additionally, as
noted above the Fund may only hold XRP and cash.
Although the Sponsor is under no obligation to
do so, an inability to realize the economic benefit of a hard fork or airdrop
could adversely affect the value of the Shares. Investors who prefer to have a
greater degree of control over events such as forks, airdrops, and similar
events, and any assets made available in connection with each, should consider
investing in XRP directly rather than purchasing Shares. In the event of a hard
fork of the XRP Ledger, the Sponsor will use its discretion to determine which
network should be considered the appropriate network for the Fund’s purposes,
and in doing so may adversely affect the value of the Shares.
In the event of a hard fork of the
XRP Ledger, the Sponsor will, if permitted by the terms of the Declaration of
Trust, use its discretion to determine which network should be considered the
appropriate network for the Fund’s purposes, and in doing so may
adversely affect the value of the Shares.
In the event of a hard fork of the XRP Ledger,
the Sponsor will, as permitted by the terms of the Declaration of Trust, use its
sole discretion to determine, in good faith, which peer-to-peer network, among a
group of incompatible forks of the XRP Ledger, is generally accepted as the XRP
Ledger and should therefore be considered the appropriate network for the Fund’s
purposes. The Sponsor will base its determination on whatever factors it deems
relevant, including, but not limited to, the Sponsor’s beliefs regarding
expectations of the core developers of XRP, users, services, businesses,
validators and other constituencies, as well as the actual continued acceptance
of, validating power on, and community engagement with, the XRP Ledger, or
whatever other factors it deems relevant. There is no guarantee that the Sponsor
will choose the digital asset that is ultimately the most valuable fork, and the
Sponsor’s decision may adversely affect the value of the Shares as a result. The
Sponsor may also disagree with Shareholders, the XRP Ledger, other service
providers, the Index Administrator, cryptocurrency platforms, or other market
participants on what is generally accepted as XRP and should therefore be
considered “XRP” for the Fund’s purposes, which may also adversely affect the
value of the Shares as a result.
Any name
change and any associated rebranding initiative for XRP or the XRP Ledger may
not be favorably received by the digital asset community, which could negatively
impact the value of XRP and the value of the Shares.
From time to time, digital
assets may undergo name changes and associated rebranding initiatives. For
example, Bitcoin Cash may sometimes be referred to as Bitcoin ABC in an effort
to differentiate itself from any Bitcoin Cash hard forks, such as Bitcoin
Satoshi’s Vision, and in the third quarter of 2018, the team behind ZEN
rebranded and changed the name of ZenCash to “Horizen.” The Sponsor cannot
predict the impact of any name change and any associated rebranding initiative
on XRP. After a name change and an associated rebranding initiative, a digital
asset may not be able to achieve or maintain brand name recognition or status
that is comparable to the recognition and status previously enjoyed by such
digital asset. The failure of any name change and any associated rebranding
initiative by a digital asset may result in such digital asset not realizing
some or all of the anticipated benefits contemplated by the name change and
associated rebranding initiative, and could negatively impact the price of XRP
and the value of the Shares.
Validators
may cease participating in validating activities because they are provided no
direct financial incentive to participate or because certain jurisdictions may
limit or otherwise regulated validating activities, which could negatively
impact the value of XRP and the value of the Shares.
Unlike many other
blockchain networks, validators on the XRP Ledger are not directly compensated
for their participation in the consensus process. Running a validator on the XRP
Ledger is generally considered a voluntary contribution to the health and
decentralization of the network. Participants run validators for reasons other
than direct financial gain, such as supporting the network’s decentralization,
ensuring its security, or for reputational benefits within the XRP community.
However, because there is no financial incentive for entities or individuals to
maintain validators, there is no guarantee that such entities or individuals
will continue to do so. Additionally, entities or individuals running validators
in certain jurisdictions may be limited or prohibited from continuing these
activities as a result of regulation or governmental decree.
Validators ceasing
operations or participation in the consensus mechanism would make the XRP Ledger
more vulnerable to malicious actors obtaining sufficient control to alter the
blockchain and hinder transactions. Any reduction in confidence in the
confirmation process and security of the XRP Ledger may adversely affect the
Fund’s investments in XRP. To the extent that a significant number of entities
or individuals stop running validators, there would be serious negative
consequences to the XRP Ledger’s functionality, security and overall
existence.
Risk Factors Related to the
Digital Asset Markets
The
value of the Shares relates directly to the value of XRP which has been in the
past, and may continue to be, highly volatile and subject to fluctuations due to
a number of factors.
The value of the Shares relates directly to the
value of the XRP held by the Fund and fluctuations in the price of XRP could
adversely affect the value of the Shares. The market price of XRP may be highly
volatile, and fluctuate in value due to a number of factors, including:
|
• |
an increase in the global XRP supply or a decrease in global XRP
demand; |
|
• |
general market sentiment towards or unfavorable conditions or
developments within, the digital asset markets and/or blockchain
technology industry; |
|
• |
trading activity on digital asset platforms, which, in many cases,
are largely unregulated or may be subject to
manipulation; |
|
• |
the adoption of XRP as a medium of exchange, store-of-value or other
consumptive asset and the maintenance and development of the open-source
software protocol of the XRP Ledger, and their ability to meet user
demands; |
|
• |
manipulative trading activity on digital asset platforms, which, in
many cases, are largely unregulated; |
|
• |
the needs of decentralized applications, smart contracts, their
users, and users of the XRP Ledger generally for XRP to pay gas fees to
execute transactions; |
|
• |
forks in the XRP Ledger; |
|
• |
investors’ expectations with respect to interest rates, the rates of
inflation of fiat currencies or XRP, and digital asset exchange
rates; |
|
• |
consumer preferences and perceptions of XRP specifically and digital
assets generally; |
|
• |
negative events, publicity, and social media coverage relating to the
digital assets and blockchain technology
industry; |
|
• |
fiat currency withdrawal and deposit policies on digital asset
platforms; |
|
• |
the liquidity of digital asset markets and any increase or decrease
in trading volume or market making on digital asset
markets; |
|
• |
business failures, bankruptcies, hacking, fraud, crime, government
investigations, or other negative developments affecting digital asset
businesses, including digital asset platforms, or banks or other financial
institutions and service providers which provide services to the digital
assets industry; |
|
• |
the use of leverage in digital asset markets, including the unwinding
of positions, “margin calls,” collateral liquidations and similar
events; |
|
• |
investment and trading activities of large or active consumer and
institutional users, speculators, validators, and
investors; |
|
• |
a “short squeeze” resulting from speculation on the price of XRP, if
aggregate short exposure exceeds the number of Shares available for
purchase; |
|
• |
an active derivatives market for XRP or for digital assets
generally; |
|
• |
monetary policies of governments, legislation or regulation, trade
restrictions, currency devaluations and revaluations and regulatory
measures or enforcement actions, if any, that restrict the use of XRP as a
form of payment or the purchase of XRP on the digital asset
markets; |
|
• |
global or regional political, economic or financial conditions,
events and situations, or major public issues such as the novel
coronavirus (“COVID-19”) outbreak; |
|
• |
fees associated with processing an XRP transaction and the speed at
which XRP transactions are settled on the XRP Ledger;
|
|
• |
the maintenance, troubleshooting, and development of the XRP Ledger
including by validators and developers
worldwide; |
|
• |
ongoing technological viability and security of the XRP Ledger and
XRP transactions, including vulnerabilities against hacks and
scalability; |
|
• |
governmental or regulatory actions by, or investigations or
litigation in, countries around the world targeting well-known
decentralized applications or smart contracts that are built on the XRP
Ledger, or other developments or problems, and associated publicity,
involving or affecting such decentralized applications or smart
contracts; |
|
• |
financial strength of market participants; |
|
• |
the availability and cost of funding and
capital; |
|
• |
the liquidity and credit risk of digital asset
platforms; |
|
• |
interruptions in service from or closures or failures of major
digital asset platforms or their banking partners, or outages or system
failures affecting the XRP Ledger; |
|
• |
decreased confidence in digital assets and digital assets
platforms; |
|
• |
poor risk management or fraud by entities in the digital assets
ecosystem; |
|
• |
increased competition from other forms of digital assets or networks,
including other blockchain networks combining smart contracts,
programmable scripting languages, and an associated runtime environment,
with blockchain-based recordkeeping, particularly where such other
blockchain networks are able to offer users access to a larger consumer
user base, greater efficiency, reliability, or processing speed, or more
economical transaction processing fees than the XRP Ledger;
and |
|
• |
the Fund’s own acquisitions or dispositions of XRP, since there is no
limit on the number of XRP that the Fund may
acquire. |
Although returns from
investing in XRP have at times diverged from those associated with other asset
classes to a greater or lesser extent, there can be no assurance that there will
be any such divergence in the future, either generally or with respect to any
particular asset class, or that price movements will not be correlated. In
addition, there is no assurance that XRP will maintain its value in the long,
intermediate, short or any other term. In the event that the price of XRP
declines, the Sponsor expects the value of the Shares to decline
proportionately.
The value of XRP as represented by the Index or
other pricing source used by the Fund may also be subject to momentum pricing
due to speculation regarding future appreciation in value, leading to greater
volatility that could adversely affect the value of the Shares. Momentum pricing
typically is associated with growth stocks and other assets whose valuation, as
determined by the investing public, accounts for future appreciation in value,
if any. The Sponsor believes that momentum pricing of XRP has resulted, and may
continue to result, in speculation regarding future appreciation in the value of
XRP, inflating and making the Index more volatile. As a result, XRP may be more
likely to fluctuate in value due to changing investor confidence, which could
impact future appreciation or depreciation in the Index or other pricing source
used by the Fund and could adversely affect the value of the Shares.
Because
the Fund holds only XRP and cash, an investment in the Fund may be more volatile
than an investment in a more broadly diversified portfolio.
The Fund holds only XRP and cash. As a result,
the Fund’s holdings are not diversified. Accordingly, the Fund’s net asset value
may be more volatile than another investment vehicle with a more broadly
diversified portfolio and may fluctuate substantially over short or long periods
of time. Fluctuations in the price of XRP are expected to have a direct impact
on the value of the Shares.
An investment in the Fund
may be deemed speculative and is not intended as a complete investment program.
An investment in Shares should be considered only by persons financially able to
maintain their investment and who can bear the risk of total loss associated
with an investment in the Fund. Investors should review closely the objective
and costs of the Fund, as discussed herein, and familiarize themselves with the
risks associated with an investment in the Fund.
XRP
is a relatively new technological innovation with limited operating
history
XRP has a relatively limited history of
existence and operations. XRP was conceived only in 2011 and first sold in 2012.
There is a limited established performance record for the price of XRP and, in
turn, a limited basis for evaluating an investment in XRP. Although past
performance is not necessarily indicative of future results, if XRP had a more
established history, such history might (or might not) provide investors with
more information on which to evaluate an investment in the Fund.
Mathematical
or technological advances could undermine the XRP Ledger’s consensus
mechanism.
The XRP Ledger relies on cryptographic
algorithms for various operations, including address generation, transaction
verification and smart contract execution. It is possible that mathematical or
technological advances, such as the development of quantum computers with
significantly more power than computers presently available, could undermine or
vitiate the cryptographic consensus mechanism underpinning the XRP blockchain.
Quantum computing technology is an emerging phenomenon which, because it is
still developing,
makes it difficult to
predict its ultimate effect on the future value of XRP and other digital assets.
However, recent announcements by computer technology companies have suggested
that quantum computing technology may be advancing faster than previously
anticipated. For example, in February 2025, Microsoft announced its Majorana 1
chip, which is claimed to have the potential to support a one-million-qubit
quantum computer. If quantum computing technology is able to advance and
significantly increase its capacity relative to the capacity of today’s leading
quantum computers, it could potentially undermine the viability of many of the
cryptographic algorithms used across the world’s information technology
infrastructure, including the cryptographic algorithms used for digital assets
like XRP. If quantum computing is able to advance in that way, there is a risk
that quantum computing could result in the cryptography underlying the XRP
Ledger becoming ineffective, which, if realized, could compromise the security
of the XRP Ledger, or allow a malicious actor to compromise the wallets holding
XRP owned by the Trust or others on the XRP Ledger, which would result in losses
to Shareholders. While various actors in the XRP community are taking steps to
enable the uses of cryptographic algorithms that would be resistant to advanced
quantum computers, there is no guarantee that new quantum-proof architectures
will be built and appropriate transitions will be implemented across the network
at scale in a timely manner; any such changes could require the achievement of
broad consensus within the XRP Ledger community and a fork (or multiple forks),
and there can be no assurance that such consensus would be achieved or the
changes implemented successfully. If any of the foregoing were to occur, it
could result in losses to Shareholders. Moreover, normal operations and
functionality of the XRP Ledger may be negatively affected. Such losses of
functionality could lead to the XRP Ledger losing attractiveness to users,
nodes, validators, or other stakeholders, thereby dampening demand for XRP. Even
if another digital asset other than XRP were affected by similar circumstances,
any reduction in confidence in the source code or cryptography underlying
digital assets generally could negatively affect the demand for digital assets
and therefore adversely affect the value of the Shares.
A
decline in the adoption of XRP or the XRP Ledger could negatively impact the
Fund.
The Sponsor will not have
any strategy relating to the development of XRP and the XRP Ledger. However, a
lack of expansion in usage of XRP and the XRP Ledger could adversely affect an
investment in Shares.
The further development
and acceptance of the XRP Ledger, which is part of a new and rapidly changing
industry, is subject to a variety of factors that are difficult to evaluate. For
example, the XRP Ledger faces significant obstacles to increasing the usage of
XRP without resulting in higher fees or slower transactions settlement times,
and attempts to increase the volume of transactions may not be effective. The
slowing, stopping or reversing of the development or acceptance or usage of the
XRP Ledger and associated smart contracts may adversely affect the price of XRP
and therefore an investment in the Shares. The further adoption of XRP will
require growth of the XRP Ledger. Adoption of XRP will also require an
accommodating regulatory environment.
The use of digital assets
such as XRP to, among other things, buy and sell goods and services or
facilitate cross-border payments is part of a new and rapidly evolving industry
that employs digital assets based upon computer-generated mathematical and/or
cryptographic protocols. The XRP Ledger is a prominent, but not unique, part of
this industry. The growth of this industry is subject to a high degree of
uncertainty, as new assets and technological innovations continue to develop and
evolve.
Today, there is limited
use of XRP in the retail, commercial, or payments spaces, and, on a relative
basis, speculators make up a significant portion of users. Certain merchants and
major retail and commercial businesses have only recently begun accepting XRP
and the XRP Ledger as a means of payment for goods and services. This pattern
may contribute to outsized price volatility, which in turn can make XRP less
attractive to merchants and commercial parties as a means of payment. A lack of
expansion by XRP into retail and commercial markets or a contraction of such use
may result in a reduction in the price of XRP, which could adversely affect an
investment in the Fund.
In addition, there is no
assurance that XRP will maintain its value over the long term. The price of XRP
is subject to risks related to its usage. Even if growth in XRP Ledger adoption
occurs in the near or medium term, there is no assurance that XRP usage will
continue to grow over the long term. A contraction in use of XRP may result in
increased volatility or a reduction in the price of XRP, which would adversely
impact the value of the Shares.
The
fixed supply of XRP may negatively impact the operation of the XRP Ledger.
Unlike other digital assets such as bitcoin or
ether, XRP is not and was not mined gradually over time. Instead, all 100
billion XRP tokens were created at the time of the XRP Ledger’s launch in 2012.
This means that every XRP token that exists today, or will ever exist, was
generated from the outset of the XRP Ledger. As a result, there is no ability
for the supply of XRP to be adjusted in response to economic conditions. For
instance, there is no ability for the supply of XRP to be increased to meet
rising demand, which could lead to price volatility. In addition, unlike
blockchains that utilize “proof-of-work” or “proof-of-stake” where miners or
stakers are rewarded with newly minted coins or tokens, XRP validators are not
incentivized by block rewards since there is no new issuance of XRP.
Additionally, the fixed
supply of XRP, combined with the burning of XRP (permanently destroyed) as
transaction fees, could create deflationary pressure over time. A small amount
of XRP is burned with every transaction to prevent spam on the network. While
the amount of XRP burned per transaction is minuscule, over time, the total
supply of XRP will slowly decrease. This could lead to a deflationary
environment where the decreasing supply drives up the price of XRP, making it
less practical as a medium of exchange. Additionally, as the total supply of XRP
slowly shrinks due to burning, liquidity could become an issue in the distant
future, potentially making it harder for businesses and users to access
sufficient XRP for their transactions or for the Fund to operate.
The fixed supply of XRP
could also contribute to price volatility, especially if demand fluctuates
significantly. Since the supply of XRP is fixed, any significant surge in demand
can result in large price spikes. For example, during periods of high market
activity or speculation, the price of XRP could rapidly increase due to the
inability to expand supply to match demand. This volatility could make XRP less
predictable for businesses that rely on it for payments. Digital assets with a
flexible supply, such as stablecoins, can adjust to maintain a stable value.
XRP, however, could experience price swings that make it less attractive for
everyday transactions or long-term financial planning.
The fixed supply of XRP
may also not scale well with rapidly expanding use cases. As more businesses,
financial institutions, and payment providers adopt XRP for cross-border
transactions and other use cases, there is a risk that the fixed supply may not
meet the growing demand, leading to supply shortages and further price
volatility. In the case of massive adoption, the scarcity of XRP could raise its
value too much, making it less appealing for day-to-day transactions or use as a
liquidity bridge in cross-border payments, as businesses might prefer a more
stable and widely available currency.
The
significant holdings of XRP by Ripple Labs and other early stakeholders could
have an adverse effect on the market price of XRP.
The
largest XRP wallets are believed to hold, in aggregate, a significant portion of
the XRP in circulation. As of October 10, 2025, the largest 100 XRP wallets held
approximately 84% of the XRP in circulation. Ripple Labs holds a large portion
of the XRP supply. Of the 100 billion XRP generated by the XRP Ledger’s code,
the founders of Ripple Labs retained 20 billion XRP and the rest, nearly 80
billion XRP, was provided to Ripple Labs. The founders each continue to hold a
large portion of the XRP supply. This has led to concerns about centralization.
Despite escrow mechanisms that gradually release XRP into the market, Ripple
Labs and early stakeholders still retain control over a significant portion of
XRP, which can impact market dynamics if large amounts are sold. It is believed,
although there is no official confirmation, that Ripple Labs’ early founders,
including Chris Larsen and Jed McCaleb, continue to possess large quantities of
XRP. This level of ownership may allow them to exert considerable influence over
the governance of the system. Furthermore, if wallets believed to belong to
these individuals or other initial XRP holders are seen selling tokens, it could
adversely affect XRP’s market price.
The concentration of XRP
in the hands of Ripple Labs and early stakeholders has sometimes led to
perceptions of centralization, which could affect the market’s confidence in XRP
as a decentralized asset.
Due to
the relative unregulated nature and lack of transparency surrounding the
operations of digital asset platforms, which may experience fraud, manipulation,
security failures or operational problems, as well as the wider XRP market, the
value of XRP and, consequently, the value of the Shares may be adversely
affected, causing losses to Shareholders.
Risk of loss
of market confidence due to lack of established regulatory framework.
Digital asset platforms are relatively new and, in some cases, may be
unregulated or subject to regulation by a relevant jurisdiction but potentially
non-compliant with such regulations. Many operate outside the United States.
Furthermore, while many prominent digital asset platforms provide the public
with significant information regarding their ownership structure, management
teams, corporate practices and regulatory compliance, many digital asset
platforms do not provide this information. Digital asset platforms may not be
subject to, or may not comply with, regulation in a similar manner as other
regulated trading platforms, such as national securities exchanges or designated
contract markets. As a result, the marketplace may lose confidence in digital
asset platforms, including prominent platforms that handle a significant volume
of XRP trading.
Risk of
manipulative activity—wash trading. Many digital asset platforms are
unlicensed, may be unregulated or subject to regulation by a relevant
jurisdiction but potentially non-compliant with such regulations, operate
without extensive supervision by governmental authorities, and do not provide
the public with significant information regarding their ownership structure,
management team, corporate practices, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance.
In particular, those located outside the United States may be subject to
significantly less stringent regulatory and compliance requirements in their
local jurisdictions, and may take the position that they are not subject to laws
and regulations that would apply to a national securities exchange or designated
contract market in the United States, or may, as a practical matter, be beyond
the ambit of U.S. regulators. As a result, trading activity on or reported by
these digital asset platforms is generally significantly less regulated than
trading in regulated U.S. securities and commodities markets, and may reflect
behavior that would be prohibited in regulated U.S. trading venues. For example,
in 2019 there were reports claiming that 80.95% of bitcoin trading volume on
digital asset platforms was false or noneconomic in nature, with specific focus
on unregulated platforms located outside of the United States. Such reports
alleged that certain overseas platforms have displayed suspicious trading
activity suggestive of a variety
of manipulative or fraudulent practices, such
as fake or artificial trading volume or trading volume based on non-economic
“wash trading” (where offsetting trades are entered into for other than bona
fide reasons, such as the desire to inflate reported trading volumes), and
attributed such manipulative or fraudulent behavior to motives like the
incentive to attract listing fees from token issuers who seek the most liquid
and high-volume platforms on which to list their coins. Although these reports
concerned bitcoin, it is possible that similar concerns are present for XRP
markets.
Other academics and market observers have put
forth evidence to support claims that manipulative trading activity has occurred
on certain digital asset platforms. For example, in a 2017 paper titled “Price
Manipulation in the Bitcoin Ecosystem” sponsored by the Interdisciplinary Cyber
Research Center at Tel Aviv University, a group of researchers used publicly
available trading data, as well as leaked transaction data from a 2014 Mt. Gox
security breach, to identify and analyze the impact of “suspicious trading
activity” on Mt. Gox between February and November 2013, which, according to the
authors, caused the price of bitcoin to increase from around $150 to more than
$1,000 over a two-month period. In August 2017, it was reported that a trader or
group of traders nicknamed “Spoofy” was placing large orders on Bitfinex without
actually executing them, presumably in order to influence other investors into
buying or selling by creating a false appearance that greater demand existed in
the market. In December 2017, an anonymous blogger (publishing under the
pseudonym Bitfinex’d) cited publicly available trading data to support his or
her claim that a trading bot nicknamed “Picasso” was pursuing a
paint-the-tape-style manipulation strategy by buying and selling bitcoin and
bitcoin cash between affiliated accounts in order to create the appearance of
substantial trading activity and thereby influence the price of such assets.
Although bitcoin and XRP are different assets, there can be no assurance that
XRP prices may not at times be subject to similar activity. Even in the United
States, there have been allegations of wash trading even on regulated venues.
Any actual or perceived false trading in the digital asset platform market, and
any other fraudulent or manipulative acts and practices, could adversely affect
the value of digital assets and/or negatively affect the market perception of
digital assets.
Risk of
manipulative activity—front running and other fraudulent activities.
“Front running” is said to occur when a user spots a transaction and then pays a
high transaction fee to a validator to have their transaction executed on a
priority basis in a manner designed to profit from the pending but unexecuted
transaction. Front running is a frequent activity on centralized as well as
decentralized trading platforms. By using bots functioning on a
millisecond-scale timeframe, bad actors are able to take advantage of the
forthcoming price movement and make economic gains at the cost of those who had
introduced these transactions. The objective of a front runner is to buy tokens
at a low price and later sell them at a higher price while simultaneously
exiting the position. To the extent that front running occurs, it may result in
investor frustrations and concerns as to the price integrity of digital asset
trading platforms and digital assets more generally. The XRP market globally and
in the United States is not subject to comparable regulatory guardrails as exist
in regulated securities markets. Furthermore, many XRP trading venues lack
certain safeguards put in place by exchanges for more traditional assets to
enhance the stability of trading on the exchanges and prevent “flash crashes,”
such as limit-down circuit breakers. As a result, the prices of XRP on trading
venues may be subject to larger and/or more frequent sudden declines than assets
traded on more traditional exchanges. Tools to detect and deter fraudulent or
manipulative trading activities such as market manipulation, front running of
trades, and wash-trading may not be available to or employed by digital asset
platforms, or may not exist at all. The SEC has identified possible sources of
fraud and manipulation in the digital asset markets generally, including, among
others (1) “wash trading”; (2) persons with a dominant position in a digital
asset manipulating the digital asset’s pricing; (3) hacking of the digital
asset’s peer-to-peer network, protocols and trading platforms; (4) malicious
control of the digital asset network; (5) trading based on material, non-public
information (for example, plans of market participants to significantly increase
or decrease their holdings in the digital asset, new sources of demand for the
digital asset, etc.) or based on the dissemination of false and misleading
information; (6) manipulative activity involving purported “stablecoins,”
including Tether (for more information, see “Risk Factors —Risk Factors Related
to Digital Assets —Prices of XRP may be affected due to stablecoins (including
Tether and US Dollar Coin (“USDC”)), the activities of stablecoin issuers and
their regulatory treatment”); and (7) fraud and manipulation at digital asset
trading platforms. The effect of potential market manipulation, front running,
wash-trading, and other fraudulent or manipulative trading practices may inflate
the volumes actually present in the digital asset markets and/or cause
distortions in price, which could adversely affect the Fund or cause losses to
Shareholders.
Risks related
to exchange bankruptcy, failure or closure, including as a result of criminal
fraud, cyber attacks or other security breaches. In addition, over the
past several years, some digital asset platforms have been closed due to fraud
and manipulative activity, business failure or security breaches. In many of
these instances, the customers of such digital asset platforms were not
compensated or made whole for the partial or complete losses of their account
balances in such digital asset platforms. While, generally speaking, smaller
digital asset platforms are less likely to have the infrastructure and
capitalization that make larger digital asset platforms more stable, larger
digital asset platforms are more likely to be appealing targets for hackers and
malware and their shortcomings or ultimate failures are more likely to have
contagion effects on the digital asset ecosystem, and therefore may be more
likely to be targets of regulatory enforcement action. For example, the collapse
of Mt. Gox, which filed for bankruptcy protection in Japan in late February
2014, demonstrated that even the largest digital asset platforms could be
subject to abrupt failure with consequences for both users of digital asset
platforms and the digital asset industry as a whole. In particular, in the two
weeks that followed the February 7, 2014 halt of bitcoin withdrawals from Mt.
Gox, the value of one bitcoin fell on other platforms from around $795 on
February 6, 2014 to $578 on February 20, 2014. Additionally, in January 2015,
Bitstamp announced that approximately 19,000 bitcoins had been stolen from its
operational or “hot” wallets. Further, in August 2016, it was reported that
almost 120,000 bitcoins worth around $78 million were stolen from
Bitfinex, a large digital asset platform. The
value of bitcoin and other digital assets immediately decreased over 10%
following reports of the theft at Bitfinex. Regulatory enforcement actions have
followed, such as in July 2017, when FinCEN assessed a $110 million fine against
BTC-E, a now defunct digital asset platform, for facilitating crimes such as
drug sales and ransomware attacks. In addition, in December 2017, Yapian, the
operator of Seoul-based digital asset platform Youbit, suspended digital asset
trading and filed for bankruptcy following a hack that resulted in a loss of 17%
of Yapian’s assets. Following the hack, Youbit users were allowed to withdraw
approximately 75% of the digital assets in their exchange accounts, with any
potential further distributions to be made following Yapian’s pending bankruptcy
proceedings. In addition, in January 2018, the Japanese digital asset platform,
Coincheck, was hacked, resulting in losses of approximately $535 million, and in
February 2018, the Italian digital asset platform Bitgrail, was hacked,
resulting in approximately $170 million in losses. In May 2019, one of the
world’s largest digital asset platforms, Binance, was hacked, resulting in
losses of approximately $40 million. In November 2022, FTX Trading Ltd. (“FTX”),
one of the largest digital asset platforms by volume at the time, halted
customer withdrawals amid rumors of the company’s liquidity issues and likely
insolvency, which were subsequently corroborated by its CEO. Shortly thereafter,
FTX’s CEO resigned and FTX and many of its affiliates filed for bankruptcy in
the United States, while other affiliates have entered insolvency, liquidation,
or similar proceedings around the globe, following which the U.S. Department of
Justice brought criminal fraud and other charges, and the SEC and CFTC brought
civil securities and commodities fraud charges, against certain of FTX’s and its
affiliates’ senior executives, including its former CEO. Around the same time,
there were reports that approximately $300-600 million of digital assets were
removed from FTX and the full facts remain unknown, including whether such
removal was the result of a hack, theft, insider activity, or other improper
behavior. More recently, in February 2025, the crypto exchange Bybit was hacked,
resulting in the theft of over $1.5 billion of ether.
Reputational harm and related industry contagion
effects may exacerbate negative events in the digital asset markets or digital
platforms. Negative perception, a lack of stability and standardized
regulation in the digital asset markets and the closure or temporary shutdown of
digital asset platforms due to fraud, business failure, security breaches or
government mandated regulation, and associated losses by customers, may reduce
confidence in the XRP Ledger and result in greater volatility or decreases in
the prices of XRP. Furthermore, the closure or temporary shutdown of a digital
asset platform used in calculating the Index may result in a loss of confidence
in the Fund’s ability to determine its NAV on a daily basis. The potential
consequences of a digital asset platform’s failure could adversely affect the
value of the Shares and may cause the Fund to lose substantial value.
Coinbase
serves as the Custodian and prime execution agent for several competing
exchange-traded digital assets products, which could adversely affect the Fund’s
operations and ultimately the value of the Shares.
The Prime Broker and Custodian are both
affiliates of Coinbase Global. As of the date hereof, Coinbase Global is the
largest publicly traded crypto-asset company in the world by market
capitalization and is also the largest crypto-asset custodian in the world by
assets under custody. By virtue of its leading market position and capabilities,
and the relatively limited number of institutionally-capable providers of
crypto-asset brokerage and custody services, Coinbase serves as the Custodian
and prime execution agent for several competing exchange-traded digital assets
products. Therefore, Coinbase has a critical role in supporting the U.S. spot
digital assets exchange-traded product ecosystem, and its size and market share
creates the risk that Coinbase may fail to properly resource its operations to
adequately support all such products that use its services that could harm the
Fund, the Shareholders and the value of the Shares. If Coinbase were to favor
the interests of certain products over others, it could result in inadequate
attention or comparatively unfavorable commercial terms to less favored
products, which could adversely affect the Fund’s operations and ultimately the
value of the Shares.
The
Index has a limited performance history, the Index price could fail to track the
global XRP price, and a failure of the Index price could adversely affect the
value of the Shares.
The CF Benchmarks Index
was developed by the Index Administrator and has a limited performance history.
Although the Index is based on materially the same methodology (except
calculation time) as the Index Administrator’s XRP Reference Rate (“XRPUSD_RR”)
which was first introduced on November 16, 2017. The New York Variant of the XRP
Reference Rate (“XRPUSD_NY”) was then introduced on September 16, 2024. The
Index price is a composite CF Benchmarks Index calculated using volume-weighted
trading price data from various Constituent Platforms. The Index has only
featured its current list of Constituent Platforms since August 30, 2025. A
longer history of actual performance through various economic and market
conditions would provide greater and more reliable information for an investor
to assess the Index’s performance. The Constituent Platforms chosen by the Index
Administrator could also change over time. The Index Administrator may remove or
add Constituent Platforms to the CF Benchmarks Index in the future at its
discretion. For more information on the inclusion criteria for Constituent
Platforms in the CF Benchmarks Index, see “Business of the Fund —Valuation of
XRP; The CF Benchmarks Index.”
Although the Index is intended to accurately
capture the market price of XRP, third parties may be able to purchase and sell
XRP on public or private markets not included among the Constituent Platforms,
and such transactions may take place at prices materially higher or lower than
the Index price. Moreover, there may be variances in the prices of XRP on the
various Constituent Platforms, including as a result of differences in fee
structures or administrative procedures on different Constituent Platforms.
While the Index provides a
U.S. dollar-denominated composite CF Benchmarks
Index for the price of XRP based on, in the case of the CF Benchmarks Index, the
volume-weighted price of XRP on certain Constituent Platforms, at any given
time, the prices on each such Constituent Platform or pricing source may not be
equal to the value of an XRP as represented by the Index. It is possible that
the price of XRP on the Constituent Platforms could be materially higher or
lower than the Index price. To the extent the Index price differs materially
from the actual prices available on a Constituent Platform, or the global market
price of XRP, the price of the Shares may no longer track, whether temporarily
or over time, the global market price of XRP, which could adversely affect an
investment in the Fund by reducing investors’ confidence in the Shares’ ability
to track the market price of XRP. To the extent such prices differ materially
from the Index price, investors may lose confidence in the Shares’ ability to
track the market price of XRP, which could adversely affect the value of the
Shares.
If the Index is not available, the Fund’s
holdings may be fair valued by the Sponsor. To the extent the valuation
determined by the Sponsor differs materially from the actual market price of
XRP, the price of the Shares may no longer track, whether temporarily or over
time, the global market price of XRP, which could adversely affect an investment
in the Fund by reducing investors’ confidence in the Shares’ ability to track
the global market price of XRP. To the extent such prices differ materially from
the market price for XRP, investors may lose confidence in the Shares’ ability
to track the market price of XRP, which could adversely affect the value of the
Shares.
Additionally, under
certain circumstances as described herein under “Business of the Fund—Net Asset
Value,” the Sponsor may utilize the Secondary Index (defined below) as a
secondary pricing source. The Secondary Index incepted on January 2, 2018 and
has a relatively limited performance history. A longer history of performance
through various economic and market conditions would provide greater and more
reliable information regarding the performance of the Secondary Index over time.
Accordingly, the Secondary Index is subject generally to the same risks as
described above and may not accurately capture the price of XRP.
The Index price used to calculate
the value of the Fund’s XRP may be volatile, adversely
affecting the value of the Shares.
The price of XRP on public digital asset
platforms has a limited history, and during this history, XRP prices on the
digital asset markets more generally, and on digital asset platforms
individually, have been volatile and subject to influence by many factors,
including operational interruptions. While the Index is designed to limit
exposure to the interruption of individual digital asset platforms, the Index
price, and the price of XRP generally, remains subject to volatility experienced
by digital asset platforms, and such volatility could adversely affect the value
of the Shares.
Furthermore, because the
number of liquid and credible digital asset platforms is limited, the Index will
necessarily be composed of a limited number of digital asset platforms. If a
digital asset platform were subjected to regulatory, volatility or other pricing
issues, in the case of the CF Benchmarks Index, the Index Administrator would
have limited ability to remove such digital asset platform from the Index, which
could skew the price of XRP as represented by the Index. Trading on a limited
number of digital asset platforms may result in less favorable prices and
decreased liquidity of XRP and, therefore, could have an adverse effect on the
value of the Shares.
The
Index Administrator could experience system failures or errors.
If the computers or other facilities of the
Index Administrator, data providers and/or relevant constituent XRP platforms
malfunction for any reason, calculation and dissemination of the CF Benchmarks
Index may be delayed. Errors in the CF Benchmarks Index data, the CF Benchmarks
Index computations and/or construction may occur from time to time and may not
be identified and/or corrected for a period of time or at all, which may have an
adverse impact on the Fund and the Shareholders. Any of the foregoing may lead
to the errors in the CF Benchmarks Index, which may lead to a different
investment outcome for the Fund and the Shareholders than would have been the
case had such events not occurred.
The CF Benchmarks Index is
used to determine the net asset value of the Fund and the NAV. Consequently,
losses or costs associated with the CF Benchmarks Index’s errors or other risks
described above will generally be borne by the Fund and the Shareholders and
neither the Sponsor nor its affiliates or agents make any representations or
warranties regarding the foregoing. If the CF Benchmarks Index is not available
or the Sponsor in its sole discretion determines the CF Benchmarks Index is
unreliable as the Index and therefore determines not to use the CF Benchmarks
Index the Fund’s holdings may be fair valued by the Sponsor. See “Business of
the Fund —Net Asset Value.” To the extent the valuation determined by the
Sponsor differs materially from the actual market price of XRP, the price of the
Shares may no longer track, whether temporarily or over time, the price of XRP,
which could adversely affect an investment in the Fund and the value of Shares
by reducing investors’ confidence in the Shares’ ability to track the price of
XRP.
The Index price being used to
determine the net asset value of the Fund may not be consistent with GAAP. To
the extent that the Fund’s financial statements are
determined using a different pricing source that is consistent with GAAP, the
net asset value reported in the Fund’s periodic financial statements
may differ, in some cases significantly, from the Fund’s net asset value determined using
the Index pricing.
The Fund will determine the net asset value of
the Fund on each Business Day based on the value of XRP as reflected by the
Index. The methodology used to calculate the Index price to value XRP in
determining the net asset value of the Fund may not be deemed consistent with
GAAP. To the extent the methodology used to calculate the Index is deemed
inconsistent with GAAP, the Fund will utilize an alternative GAAP-consistent
pricing source for purposes of the Fund’s periodic financial statements.
Creation and redemption of Creation Units, the Sponsor’s Fee and other expenses
borne by the Fund will be determined using the Fund’s net asset value determined
daily based on the Index. Such net asset value of the Fund determined using the
Index Price may differ, in some cases significantly, from the net asset value
reported in the Fund’s periodic financial statements.
Competition from central bank
digital currencies (“CBDCs”) and emerging payments
initiatives involving financial institutions could adversely affect the price of
XRP and other digital assets.
Central banks in various countries have
introduced digital forms of legal tender (CBDCs). Whether or not they
incorporate blockchain or similar technology, CBDCs, as legal tender in the
issuing jurisdiction, could have an advantage in competing with, or replace, XRP
and other cryptocurrencies as a medium of exchange or store of value. Central
banks and other governmental entities have also announced cooperative
initiatives and consortia with private sector entities, with the goal of
leveraging blockchain and other technology to reduce friction in cross-border
and interbank payments and settlement, and commercial banks and other financial
institutions have also recently announced a number of initiatives of their own
to incorporate new technologies, including blockchain and similar technologies,
into their payments and settlement activities, which could compete with, or
reduce the demand for, XRP. As a result of any of the foregoing factors, the
price of XRP could decrease, which could adversely affect an investment in the
Fund.
The
price of XRP may be affected due to stablecoins (including Tether and US Dollar
Coin (“USDC”)), the activities of stablecoin issuers and their regulatory
treatment.
While the Fund does not invest in and will not
hold stablecoins, it may nonetheless be exposed to risks that stablecoins pose
for the XRP market and other digital asset markets. Stablecoins are digital
assets designed to have a stable value over time as compared to typically
volatile digital assets, and are typically marketed as being pegged to a fiat
currency, such as the U.S. dollar, at a certain value. Although the prices of
stablecoins are intended to be stable, their market value may fluctuate. This
volatility has in the past apparently impacted the price of XRP. Stablecoins are
a relatively new phenomenon, and it is impossible to know all of the risks that
they could pose to participants in the XRP market. In addition, some have argued
that some stablecoins, particularly Tether, are improperly issued without
sufficient backing in a way that, when the stablecoin is used to pay for
bitcoin, could cause artificial rather than genuine demand for bitcoin,
artificially inflating the price of bitcoin, and if true, there is no assurance
similar dynamics would not be at work in the market for XRP. There have been
reports that those associated with certain stablecoins may be involved in
laundering money. On February 17, 2021, the New York Attorney General entered
into an agreement with Tether’s operators, including Bitfinex, requiring them to
cease any further trading activity with New York persons and pay $18.5 million
in penalties for false and misleading statements made regarding the assets
backing Tether. On October 15, 2021, the CFTC announced a settlement with
Tether’s operators, Tether Holdings Limited, Tether Operations Limited, Tether
Limited, and Tether International Limited, in which they agreed to pay $42.5
million in fines to settle charges that, among others, Tether’s claims that it
maintained sufficient U.S. dollar reserves to back every Tether stablecoin in
circulation with the “equivalent amount of corresponding fiat currency” held by
Tether were untrue.
USDC is a reserve-backed stablecoin issued by
Circle Internet Financial that is commonly used as a method of payment in
digital asset markets, including the XRP market. While USDC is designed to
maintain a stable value at 1 U.S. dollar at all times, on March 10, 2023, the
value of USDC fell below $1.00 for multiple days after Circle Internet Financial
disclosed that US$3.3 billion of the USDC reserves were held at Silicon Valley
Bank, which had entered Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”)
receivership earlier that day. Stablecoins are reliant on the U.S. banking
system and U.S. treasuries, and the failure of either to function normally could
impede the function of stablecoins, and therefore could adversely affect the
value of the Shares.
Given the foundational role that stablecoins
play in global digital asset markets, their fundamental liquidity can have a
dramatic impact on the broader digital asset market, including the market for
XRP. Because a large portion of the digital asset market still depends on
stablecoins such as Tether and USDC, there is a risk that a disorderly
de-pegging or a run on Tether or USDC could lead to dramatic market volatility
in digital assets more broadly. In the United States, the GENIUS Act, which
establishes a federal regulatory framework for stablecoins, was passed by the
U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Trump on July 18,
2025.Although increasing regulatory clarity for stablecoins is generally viewed
in a positive light, volatility in stablecoins, operational issues with
stablecoins (for example, technical issues that prevent settlement), concerns
about the sufficiency of any reserves that support stablecoins or potential
manipulative activity when unbacked stablecoins are used to pay for other
digital assets (including XRP), or regulatory concerns about stablecoin issuers
or intermediaries, such as platforms, that support stablecoins, or the removal
or migration of prominent stablecoins away from the XRP Ledger, could impact
individuals’ willingness to trade on trading venues that rely on stablecoins,
reduce liquidity in the XRP market, and affect the value of XRP, and in turn
impact an investment in the Shares.
Competition
from the emergence or growth of other digital assets or methods of investing in
XRP could have a negative impact on the price of XRP and adversely affect the
value of the Shares.
As of October 7, 2025, XRP is the
5th largest digital asset by market capitalization, as tracked by
CoinMarketCap.com. As of October 7, 2025, the digital assets tracked by
CoinMarketCap.com had a total market capitalization of approximately $3,914
billion (including the approximately $171.5 billion market cap of XRP), as
calculated using market prices and total available circulating supply of each
digital asset, excluding stablecoins and tokens pegged to other assets. As of
October 7, 2025 XRP had a 24-hour trading volume of approximately $7.39 billion.
In addition, many consortiums and financial institutions are also researching
and investing resources into private or permissioned smart contract platforms
rather than open platforms like the XRP Ledger. XRP is supported by fewer
regulated trading platforms than more established digital assets, such as
Bitcoin and ether, which could impact its liquidity. Competition from the
emergence or growth of alternative digital assets and smart contract platforms,
such as Solana, Avalanche, Cardano and numerous others could have a negative
impact on the demand for, and price of, XRP and thereby adversely affect the
value of the Shares.
Investors may invest in
XRP through means other than the Shares, including through direct investments in
XRP and other potential financial vehicles, possibly including securities backed
by or linked to XRP and digital asset financial vehicles similar to the Fund or
XRP-futures based products. Market and financial conditions, and other
conditions beyond the Sponsor’s control, may make it more attractive to invest
in other financial vehicles or to invest in XRP directly, which could limit the
market for, and reduce the liquidity of, the Shares. In addition, to the extent
digital asset financial vehicles other than the Fund tracking the price of XRP
are formed and represent a significant proportion of the demand for XRP, large
purchases or redemptions of the securities of these digital asset financial
vehicles, or private funds holding XRP, could negatively affect the Index, the
Fund’s XRP holdings, the price of the Shares and the net asset value of the
Fund.
Competitive
pressures may negatively affect the ability of the Fund to garner substantial
assets and achieve commercial success.
The Fund and the Sponsor face
significant competition with respect to the development and launch of competing
investment products that could have a detrimental effect on the Fund’s ability
to achieve scale, such as other exchange-traded products offering exposure to
the crypto-assets market. The Sponsor’s competitors may have greater financial,
technical and human resources than the Sponsor. These competitors may also
compete with the Sponsor in recruiting and retaining qualified personnel.
Smaller or early stage companies may also prove to be effective competitors,
particularly through collaborative arrangements with large and established
companies. The Sponsor’s competitors may be able to launch similar products to
the Fund before the launch of the Fund due to, for example, the satisfaction of
all regulatory requirements required to launch before the Fund is able to do so.
Accordingly, the Sponsor’s competitors may commercialize a product involving XRP
more rapidly, effectively or for a lower fee than the Sponsor is able to, which
could adversely affect the Sponsor’s competitive position, the likelihood that
the Fund will achieve initial market acceptance and sustainable revenues and/or
economic viability or scale. For exchange-traded products similar to the Fund,
there have been significant “first-mover” advantages in terms of asset
gathering, trading volume and media coverage. In many cases, the first mover in
an asset class has been able to maintain these advantages for extended periods.
If the SEC were to approve several or all of the currently pending applications
for spot XRP exchange-traded products, many or all of such products, including
the Fund, could fail to acquire substantial assets, initially or at all. To the
extent such competing products may become available for public exchange trading
before the Fund and/or have a lower expense ratio than the Fund, the Fund’s
ability to attract assets could be impaired.
In addition, the Fund will
compete with direct investments in XRP, XRP futures-based products, other
digital assets and other potential financial vehicles, possibly including
securities backed by or linked to digital assets and other investment vehicles
that focus on other digital assets. Market and financial conditions, and other
conditions beyond the Fund’s control, may make it more attractive to invest
directly or in other vehicles, which could adversely affect the performance of
the Fund.
The Fund may struggle to
attract new investors given the substantial number of existing cryptocurrency
U.S. exchange-traded products in the market. Investors might prefer to allocate
funds to one of the several spot Bitcoin U.S. exchange-traded products or spot
ether U.S. exchange-traded products already available, which collectively hold
significant market share. As of September 25, 2025, such spot Bitcoin products
hold approximately $154.7 billion, and such spot ether products hold around
$28.4 billion. The Fund will face competition from direct investments in XRP,
other crypto assets, and other potential financial instruments, including
securities tied to or backed by crypto assets, as well as other investment
vehicles focused on other crypto assets. Market conditions, financial factors,
and other external circumstances could make these alternatives more attractive,
potentially impacting the Fund’s performance.
There can be no assurance
that the Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size. There is no
guarantee that the Sponsor will maintain a commercial advantage relative to
competitors offering similar products. Whether or not the Fund and the Sponsor
are successful in achieving the intended scale for the Fund may be impacted by a
range of factors, such as the Fund’s timing in entering the market and its fee
structure relative to those of competitive products.
Blockchain
technologies are based on theoretical conjectures as to the impossibility of
solving certain cryptographical puzzles quickly. These premises may be incorrect
or may become incorrect due to technological advances.
Blockchain technologies
are premised on theoretical conjectures as to the impossibility, in practice, of
solving certain mathematical problems quickly. Those conjectures remain
unproven, however, and mathematical or technological advances could conceivably
prove them to be incorrect. Blockchain technology companies may also be
negatively affected by cryptography or other technological or mathematical
advances, such as the development of quantum computers with significantly more
power than computers presently available, that undermine or vitiate the
cryptographic consensus mechanism underpinning the XRP Ledger and other
distributed ledger protocols. If either of these events were to happen, markets
that rely on blockchain technologies, such as the XRP Ledger, could quickly
collapse, and an investment in the Fund may be adversely affected.
Congestion
or delay in the XRP Ledger may delay purchase or sales of XRP by the Fund.
Increased transaction
volume could result in delays in the recording of transactions due to congestion
in the XRP Ledger. Moreover, unforeseen system failures, disruptions in
operations, or poor connectivity may also result in delays in the recording of
transactions on the XRP Ledger. For example, on February 5, 2025, there was
major congestion on the XRP Ledger which halted the XRP Ledger for over an hour.
This incident raised significant concerns regarding the XRP Ledger’s stability.
Any delay in the XRP Ledger could affect the Authorized Participant’s ability to
buy or sell XRP at an advantageous price resulting in decreased confidence in
the XRP Ledger. Over the longer term, delays in confirming transactions could
reduce the attractiveness to merchants and other commercial parties as a means
of payment. As a result, the XRP Ledger and the value of the Fund’s Shares would
be adversely affected.
The
SEC has approved generic listing standards for commodity-based trust shares and
may approve other applications under Rule 19b-4 of the Exchange Act to list
competing digital assets as exchange-traded products, which could reduce demand
for, and the price of, XRP and adversely impact the value of the Shares.
To date the SEC has
approved applications under Rule 19b-4 of the Exchange Act to list spot digital
asset exchange-traded products which hold Bitcoin and Ether as well as generic
listing standards for commodity-based trust shares holding digital assets. To
the extent competing digital asset exchange-traded products, other than those
which hold XRP, come to represent a significant proportion of the demand for
digital assets generally, demand for, and the price of, XRP could be reduced.
Such reduced demand could in turn negatively affect the value of the Shares of
the Fund. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to
achieve its intended competitive positioning, which could adversely affect the
performance of the Fund and the value of the Shares.
Risk Factors Related to the
Fund and the Shares
The Fund
may be negatively impacted by the effects of the spread of illnesses or other
public health emergencies on the global economy and the markets and service
providers relevant to the performance of the Fund.
A public health emergency, such as the COVID-19
pandemic, could adversely affect the economics of many nations and could have
serious negative effects on social, economic and financial systems, including
significant uncertainty and volatility in the digital asset markets. For
example, digital asset prices decreased significantly in the first quarter of
2020 amidst broader market declines as a result of the COVID‑19 outbreak.
Future public health
emergencies could result in an increase of the costs of the Fund and affect
liquidity in the digital asset market, as well as the correlation between the
price of the Shares and the net asset value of the Fund, any of which could
adversely affect the value of the Shares. In addition, future public health
emergencies could impair the information technology and other operational
systems upon which the Fund’s service providers, including the Sponsor, the
Trustee, Administrator, Prime Broker and the Custodians, rely, and could
otherwise disrupt the ability of employees of the Fund’s service providers to
perform essential tasks on behalf of the Fund. Governmental and
quasi-governmental authorities and regulators throughout the world have at times
responded to major economic disruptions with a variety of fiscal and monetary
policy changes, including, but not limited to, direct capital infusions into
companies and other issuers, new monetary tools and lower interest rates. An
unexpected or sudden reversal of these policies, or the ineffectiveness of these
policies, is likely to increase volatility in the digital asset markets, which
could adversely affect the value of XRP and the price of the Shares.
The Fund
will rely on the information and technology systems of the Custodians,
Administrator, Trustee, Sponsor, Authorized Participants and/or their designees,
XRP Trading Counterparties, listing exchange, and the Fund’s other service
providers and counterparties (referred to herein as the “Service Providers”),
each of which could be directly or indirectly adversely affected by information
systems interruptions, cybersecurity incidents or other disruptions, which in
turn could have a material adverse effect on the Fund.
The Fund and the Service
Providers are susceptible to operational, information security and related
cybersecurity risks both directly and through their own service providers. Cyber
incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. They
include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to systems,
corrupting or destroying data, and causing operational disruption. Geopolitical
tensions may increase the scale and sophistication of deliberate attacks,
particularly those from nation-states or from entities with nation-state
backing.
Cybersecurity incidents may cause disruptions
and impact business operations. They may result in any of the following:
financial losses (including loss or theft of Fund assets), interference with the
Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, disclosure of confidential information,
impediments to trading, submission of erroneous trades or erroneous creation or
redemption orders or other price movements, the inability of the Fund or the
Service Providers to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and
other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or
other compensation costs, and other legal and compliance costs. In addition,
cyber incidents may render records of Fund assets and transactions, Shareholder
ownership of the Shares, and other data integral to the functioning of the Fund
inaccessible, inaccurate or incomplete. The Fund may incur substantial costs in
order to resolve or prevent cyber incidents.
The amount of the
Fund’s assets
represented by each Share will decline over time as the Fund pays the
Sponsor’s Fee and
additional expenses born by the Fund, and as a result, the value of the Shares
may decrease over time.
The amount of XRP represented by each Share
will decrease over the life of the Fund due to the sales of XRP necessary to pay
the Sponsor’s Fee and other Fund expenses. Without increases in the price of XRP
sufficient to compensate for that decrease, the price of the Shares will also
decline and you will lose money on your investment in Shares.
Although the Sponsor has agreed to assume all
organizational and certain ordinary administrative and marketing expenses
incurred by the Fund, not all Fund expenses have been assumed by the Sponsor.
For example, any taxes and other governmental charges that may be imposed on the
Fund’s property will not be paid by the Sponsor. As part of its agreement to
assume some of the Fund’s ordinary administrative expenses, the Sponsor has
agreed to pay ordinary legal fees and expenses of the Fund not in excess of
$500,000 per annum. Any legal fees and expenses in excess of the amount required
under the Sponsor Agreement will be the responsibility of the Fund.
The Fund will need to sell XRP to cover the
Sponsor’s Fee and expenses not assumed by the Sponsor. The Fund may also be
subject to other liabilities (for example, as a result of litigation) that have
also not been assumed by the Sponsor. The only source of funds to cover those
liabilities will be sales of XRP held by the Fund. Even if there are no expenses
other than those assumed by the Sponsor, and there are no other liabilities of
the Fund, the Sponsor will still need to sell XRP to pay the Sponsor’s Fee. The
result of these sales is a decrease in the amount of XRP represented by each
Share. Creation orders for shares of the Fund do not reverse this trend.
A decrease in the amount of XRP represented by
each Share results in a decrease in its price even if the price of XRP has not
changed. To retain the Share’s original price, the price of XRP has to increase.
Without that increase, the lesser amount of XRP represented by the Share will
have a correspondingly lower price. If these increases do not occur, or are not
sufficient to counter the lesser amount of XRP represented by each Share, you
will sustain losses on your investment in Shares.
An increase in the Fund expenses not assumed by
the Sponsor, or the existence of unexpected liabilities affecting the Fund, will
force the Sponsor to sell larger amounts of XRP, and will result in a more rapid
decrease of the amount of XRP represented by each Share and a corresponding
decrease in its value.
The Fund
is a passive investment vehicle that does not seek to generate returns beyond
tracking the price of XRP. The Fund is not actively managed, does not seek to
generate excess returns beyond tracking the price of XRP and will be adversely
affected by a general decline in the price of XRP.
The Fund is a passive
investment vehicle that does not seek to generate returns beyond the price of
XRP. The Sponsor does not actively manage the XRP held by the Fund. This means
that the Sponsor does not speculatively sell XRP at times when its price is
high, or speculatively acquire XRP at low prices in the expectation of future
price increases. The Fund will not utilize leverage, derivatives or any similar
instruments or transactions in seeking to meet its investment objective. Any
losses sustained by the Fund will adversely affect the value of your
Shares.
An
investment in the Shares deviates from a direct investment in XRP.
The market value of the Shares may not have a
direct relationship with the prevailing price of XRP, and changes in the
prevailing price of XRP similarly will not necessarily result in a comparable
change in the market value of the Shares. The performance of the Fund will not
reflect the specific return an investor would realize if the investor actually
held or purchased XRP directly. The differences in
performance may be due to
factors such as fees, transaction costs, and operating hours of NYSE. Investors
will also forgo certain rights conferred by owning XRP directly, such as the
right to claim airdrops.
The
value of the Shares may be influenced by a variety of factors unrelated to the
price of XRP.
The value of the Shares may be influenced by a
variety of factors unrelated to the price of XRP and the digital asset platforms
included in the Index that may have an adverse effect on the value of the
Shares. These factors include the following factors:
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• |
unanticipated problems or issues with respect to the mechanics of the
Fund’s operations and the trading of the Shares may arise, including due
to the complexity of the mechanisms and processes governing the offering,
creation and redemptions of the Shares and storage of
XRP; |
|
• |
the Fund could experience difficulties in operating and maintaining
its technical infrastructure, including in connection with expansions or
updates to such infrastructure, which are likely to be complex and could
lead to unanticipated delays, unforeseen expenses and security
vulnerabilities; |
|
• |
the Fund could experience unforeseen issues relating to the
performance and effectiveness of the security procedures used to protect
the Fund’s account with the XRP Custodian, or the security procedures may
not protect against all errors, software flaws or other vulnerabilities in
the Fund’s technical infrastructure, which could result in theft, loss or
damage of its assets;
|
|
• |
service providers may default on or fail to perform their obligations
or deliver services under their contractual agreements with the Fund, or
decide to terminate their relationships with the Fund, for a variety of
reasons, which could affect the Fund’s ability to operate;
or
|
|
• |
if the XRP Ledger introduces privacy enhancing features in the
future, service providers may decide to terminate their relationships with
the Fund due to concerns that the introduction of privacy enhancing
features to the XRP Ledger may increase the potential for XRP to be used
to facilitate crime, exposing such service providers to potential
reputational harm. |
Any of these factors could affect the value of
the Shares, either directly or indirectly through their effect on the Fund’s
assets.
The
liquidity of the Shares may also be affected by the withdrawal from
participation of Authorized Participants or XRP Trading Counterparties.
In the event that one or
more Authorized Participants or XRP Trading Counterparties withdraw from or
cease participation in creation and redemption activity for any reason, the
liquidity of the Shares will likely decrease, which could adversely affect the
market price of the Shares and result in your incurring a loss on your
investment in Shares.
The Fund’s and the Authorized Participants’
ability to buy or sell XRP may be adversely affected by limited trading volume,
lack of a market maker, or legal restrictions. It is also possible that an XRP
spot market or governmental authority may suspend or restrict trading in XRP
altogether. Therefore, it may not always be possible to execute a buy or sell
order at the desired price or to liquidate an open position due to market
conditions on spot markets, regulatory issues affecting XRP or other issues
affecting counterparties. XRP is a relatively new asset with a very limited
trading history. Therefore, the markets for XRP may be less liquid and more
volatile than other markets for more established products.
The
Fund and the Shares may be negatively affected by Authorized Participant
Concentration.
Only Authorized Participants may engage in
creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a
limited number of institutions that act as Authorized Participants and the
Fund’s Authorized Participants serve in the same capacity for various competitor
products. Authorized Participants are not obligated to make a market in the
Fund’s Shares or submit purchase and redemption orders for Creation Units.
Authorized Participants and/or their designees that act in the same capacity for
several competing products may be incentivized to prioritize making a market in
a competing product’s shares over the Fund’s Shares, which may reduce liquidity
in the Fund’s Shares or otherwise negatively affect the Fund. In addition, the
Fund may also fail to attract adequate liquidity in the secondary market due to
such competition, resulting in a sub-standard number of Authorized Participants
willing to make a market in the Shares, which in turn could result in a
significant premium or discount in the Shares for extended periods and the Fund
failure to reflect the performance of the price of XRP. To the extent that these
institutions exit the business or are unable to proceed with creation and/or
redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other Authorized Participant
is able or willing to step forward to create or redeem Creation Units, the
Fund’s Shares may trade at a discount to NAV and face trading halts and/or
delisting. This risk may be more
pronounced in volatile
market conditions. In addition, due to the novelty of the Fund’s product
structure and volatility in the XRP markets, risks relating to a limited number
of Authorized Participants are heightened.
Certain
shareholders may from time to time own a substantial amount of the Fund’s
Shares.
In addition, a third-party
investor, the Sponsor (or an affiliate of the Sponsor), an Authorized
Participant, a lead market maker or another entity may invest in the Fund and
hold its investment solely to facilitate commencement of the Fund’s operations
or to facilitate the Fund’s achieving a specified size or scale. There can be no
assurance that the size of the Fund would be maintained at such levels.
Redemptions by large shareholders could have a significant negative impact on
the Fund. In addition, transactions by large shareholders may account for a
large percentage of the trading volume on the NYSE and may, therefore, have a
material upward or downward effect on the market price of the Shares.
The Trust is an “emerging growth
company” and it
cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging
growth companies will make the Shares less attractive to investors.
The Trust is an “emerging growth company” as
defined in the JOBS Act. For as long as the Trust continues to be an emerging
growth company it may choose to take advantage of certain exemptions from
various reporting requirements applicable to other public companies but not to
emerging public companies, which include, among other things:
|
• |
exemption from the auditor attestation requirements under Section
404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; |
|
• |
reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in
the Fund’s periodic reports and audited financial statements in this
prospectus; |
|
• |
exemptions from the requirements of holding advisory
“say-on-pay” votes on executive compensation and shareholder advisory
votes on “golden parachute” compensation;
and |
|
• |
exemption from any rules requiring mandatory audit firm rotation and
auditor discussion and analysis and, unless otherwise determined by the
SEC, any new audit rules adopted by the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board. |
The Trust could be an emerging growth company
until the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary after its
initial public offering, or until the earliest of (1) the last day of the fiscal
year in which it has annual gross revenue of $1.235 billion or more, (2) the
date on which it has, during the previous three year period, issued more than $1
billion in non-convertible debt or (3) the date on which it is deemed to be a
large accelerated filer under the federal securities laws. The Trust will
qualify as a large accelerated filer as of the first day of the first fiscal
year after it has (A) more than $700 million in outstanding equity held by
nonaffiliates, (B) been public for at least 12 months and (C) filed at least one
annual report on Form 10-K.
Under the JOBS Act,
emerging growth companies are also permitted to elect to delay adoption of new
or revised accounting standards until companies that are not subject to periodic
reporting obligations are required to comply, if such accounting standards apply
to non-reporting companies.
The Fund cannot predict if investors will find
an investment in the Fund less attractive if it relies on these
exemptions.
The
Fund is subject to certain risks due to its concentration in only one
asset.
The Fund is subject to
risks due to its concentration of investments in only one asset. Unlike other
funds that may invest in a diversified portfolio of assets, the Fund’s
investment strategy is concentrated in one asset within a single asset class.
This concentration maximizes the Fund’s exposure to a variety of market risks
associated with XRP. By concentrating its investment strategy solely in XRP, any
losses stemming from a decrease in the value of XRP can be expected to reduce
the value of an interest in the Fund and will not be offset by other gains if
the Fund were to invest in a diversified portfolio of assets.
The lack
of an active trading market for the Shares may result in losses on your
investment at the time of disposition of your Shares.
Although Shares will be listed for trading on
the NYSE, you should not assume that an active trading market for the Shares
will be maintained. If you need to sell your Shares at a time when no active
market for them exists, such lack of an active market will most likely adversely
affect the price you receive for your Shares (assuming you are able to sell
them).
If the
process of creation and redemption of Creation Units encounters any
unanticipated difficulties, the possibility for arbitrage transactions by
Authorized Participants intended to keep the price of the Shares closely linked
to the price of XRP may not exist and, as a result, the price of the Shares may
fall or otherwise diverge from NAV.
If the processes of creation and redemption of
Shares (which depend on timely transfers of XRP to and by the XRP Custodian)
encounter any unanticipated difficulties due to, for example, the price
volatility of XRP, the insolvency, business failure or interruption, default,
failure to perform, security breach, or other problems affecting the Prime
Broker or XRP Custodian, the closing of XRP trading platforms due to fraud,
failures, security breaches or otherwise, or network outages or congestion,
spikes in transaction fees demanded by validators, or other problems or
disruptions affecting the XRP Ledger, then potential market participants, such
as the Authorized Participants and their customers, who would otherwise be
willing to purchase or redeem Creation Units to take advantage of any arbitrage
opportunity arising from discrepancies between the price of the Shares and the
price of the underlying XRP may not take the risk that, as a result of those
difficulties, they may not be able to realize the profit they expect. In certain
such cases, as further described in “Creations and Redemptions,” the Sponsor
may, suspend the process of creation and redemption of Creation Units. During
such times, trading spreads, and the resulting premium or discount, on Shares
may widen. Alternatively, in the case of a network outage or other problems
affecting the XRP Ledger, the processing of transactions on the XRP Ledger may
be disrupted, which in turn may impede processing of XRP transactions on behalf
of the Fund by the Prime Broker or other executing broker/agent, which in turn
could affect the creation or redemption of Creation Units. If this is the case,
the liquidity of the Shares may decline and the price of the Shares may
fluctuate independently of the price of XRP and may fall or otherwise diverge
from NAV. Furthermore, in the event that the market for XRP should become
relatively illiquid and thereby materially restrict opportunities for
arbitraging, the price of Shares may diverge from the value of XRP.
To the
extent the Fund uses cash creations and redemptions, that may adversely affect
the arbitrage transactions by Authorized Participants intended to keep the price
of the Shares closely linked to the price of XRP and, as a result, the price of
the Shares may fall or otherwise diverge from NAV.
Authorized Participants must be registered
broker-dealers. Registered broker-dealers are subject to various requirements of
the federal securities laws and rules, including financial responsibility rules
such as the customer protection rule, the net capital rule and recordkeeping
requirements. On May 15, 2025, the staff of the SEC’s Division of Trading and
Markets stated that broker-dealers are permitted to facilitate in-kind creations
and redemptions in connection with spot crypto exchange-traded products;
however, there is as yet no definitive regulatory guidance on the specific
details of how registered broker-dealers can comply with SEC rules with regard
to transacting in or holding spot XRP. Absent further regulatory clarity
regarding whether and how registered broker-dealers can hold and deal in XRP
under applicable broker-dealer financial responsibility and other rules, there
is a risk that registered broker-dealers participating in the in-kind creation
or redemption of Shares for XRP may be unable to demonstrate compliance with
such rules. While compliance with rules such as the customer protection rule,
the net capital rule and recordkeeping requirements are primarily the
broker-dealer’s responsibility, a national securities exchange is required to
enforce compliance by its member broker-dealers with applicable federal
securities law and rules.
The use of cash creations and redemptions, as
opposed to in-kind creations and redemptions, could cause delays in trade
execution due to potential operational issues arising from implementing a cash
creation and redemption model, which involves greater operational steps (and
therefore execution risk) than the in-kind creation and redemption model, or the
potential unavailability or exhaustion of the Trade Credits, which the Fund
would not be able to use with in-kind creations and redemptions. Such delays
could cause the execution price associated with such trades to materially
deviate from the Index price used to determine the NAV. Even though the
Authorized Participant is responsible for the dollar cost of such difference in
prices, Authorized Participants could default on their obligations to the Fund,
or such potential risks and costs could lead to Authorized Participants, who
would otherwise be willing to purchase or redeem Creation Units to take
advantage of any arbitrage opportunity arising from discrepancies between the
price of the Shares and the price of the Fund’s underlying XRP, to elect to not
participate in the Fund’s Share creation and redemption processes. This may
adversely affect the arbitrage mechanism intended to keep the price of the
Shares closely linked to the price of XRP, and as a result, the price of the
Shares may fall or otherwise diverge from NAV and/or cause bid-ask spreads to
widen. If the arbitrage mechanism is not effective, purchases or sales of Shares
on the secondary market could occur at a premium or discount to NAV, which could
harm Shareholders by causing them buy Shares at a price higher than the value of
the underlying XRP held by the Fund or sell Shares at a price lower than the
value of the underlying XRP held by the Fund, causing Shareholders to suffer
losses.
As an
owner of Shares, you will not have the rights normally associated with ownership
of other types of shares.
Shares are not entitled to the same rights as
shares issued by a corporation. By acquiring Shares, you are not acquiring the
right to elect directors, to receive dividends, to vote on certain matters
regarding the issuer of your Shares or to take other actions normally associated
with the ownership of shares. You will only have the limited rights described
under “Description of the Shares and the Trust.”
The
Sponsor may amend the Declaration of Trust without the consent of the
Shareholders.
The Sponsor may, in its
sole discretion, determine to amend the Declaration of Trust, including to
increase the Sponsor’s Fee, and may do so without Shareholder consent. The
Sponsor shall determine the contents and manner of delivery of any notice of an
amendment to the Declaration of Trust. If an amendment imposes new fees and
charges or increases existing fees or charges, including the Sponsor’s Fee
(except for taxes and other governmental charges, registration fees or other
such expenses), or prejudices a substantial right of Shareholders, advance
notice of the change will be provided in accordance with applicable provisions
of the Declaration of Trust, and will be disclosed via a prospectus supplement.
Shareholders that are not registered owners (which most shareholders will not
be) may not receive specific notice of a fee increase other than through an
amendment to the prospectus. Moreover, at the time an amendment becomes
effective, by continuing to hold Shares, Shareholders are deemed to agree to the
amendment and to be bound by the Declaration of Trust as amended without
specific agreement to such increase. Shareholders will be notified in a
prospectus supplement, in the Fund’s periodic reports, and/ or on the Sponsor’s
website for the Fund of a material amendment to the Declaration of Trust.
Shareholders
do not have the protections associated with ownership of shares in an investment
company registered under the Investment Company Act or the protections afforded
by the CEA.
The Investment Company Act is designed to
protect investors by preventing insiders from managing investment companies to
their benefit and to the detriment of public investors, such as: the issuance of
securities having inequitable or discriminatory provisions; the management of
investment companies by irresponsible persons; the use of unsound or misleading
methods of computing earnings and asset value; changes in the character of
investment companies without the consent of investors; and investment companies
from engaging in excessive leveraging. To accomplish these ends, the Investment
Company Act requires the safekeeping and proper valuation of fund assets,
restricts greatly transactions with affiliates, limits leveraging, and imposes
governance requirements as a check on fund management.
The Trust is not a registered investment
company under the Investment Company Act, and the Sponsor believes that the
Trust is not required to register under such act. Consequently, Shareholders do
not have the regulatory protections provided to investors in investment
companies.
The Fund will not hold or trade in commodity
interests regulated by the CEA, as administered by the CFTC. Furthermore, the
Sponsor believes that the Fund is not a commodity pool for purposes of the CEA,
and that neither the Sponsor nor the Trustee is subject to regulation by the
CFTC as a commodity pool operator or a commodity trading adviser in connection
with the operation of the Fund. Consequently, Shareholders will not have the
regulatory protections provided to investors in CEA-regulated instruments or
commodity pools.
As the
Sponsor and its management have limited history of operating investment vehicles
like the Fund, their experience may be inadequate or unsuitable to manage the
affairs of the Fund.
The Sponsor has a limited
track record in operating passive investment vehicles such as the Fund that hold
cryptoassets. This limited experience poses several potential risks to the
effective management and operation of the Fund. Cryptoassets, such as XRP, are
known for their high volatility, unique technical, legal and regulatory
challenges, and rapidly evolving market dynamics. The Sponsor’s limited
experience in this specific field may not fully equip them to navigate these
complexities effectively, which could adversely affect the operations of the
Fund.
The past performance of other investment
vehicles sponsored by the Sponsor or managed by its affiliates are no indication
of the Sponsor’s ability to successfully manage an investment vehicle such as
the Fund. The unique nature of cryptoassets makes past performance an unreliable
indicator of future success in this area. The cryptoasset market is
technology-driven and requires a deep understanding of the underlying blockchain
technology and security considerations. The Sponsor’s limited experience may not
fully encompass the technical expertise required to mitigate risks such as cyber
threats, technological failures, or operational errors related to cryptoasset
transactions and custody.
Should the Sponsor’s experience prove
inadequate or unsuitable for managing a cryptoasset-based investment vehicle
like the Fund, it could result in suboptimal decision-making, increased
operational risks, and potential legal or regulatory non-compliance. These
factors could adversely affect the Fund’s operations, leading to potential
losses for investors or a decrease in the Fund’s overall value.
Furthermore, the Sponsor is currently engaged
in the management of other investment vehicles which could divert their
attention and resources. If the Sponsor were to experience difficulties in the
management of such other investment vehicles that damaged the Sponsor or its
reputation, it could have an adverse impact on the Sponsor’s ability to continue
to serve as Sponsor for the Fund.
Security threats to the
Fund’s account at the
XRP Custodian could result in the halting of Fund operations and a loss of Fund
assets or damage to the reputation of the Fund, each of which could result in a
reduction in the value of the Shares.
Security breaches, computer malware and
computer hacking attacks have been a prevalent concern in relation to digital
assets. The Sponsor believes that the Fund’s XRP held in the Fund’s account at
the XRP Custodian or Trading Balance held with the Prime Broker will be an
appealing target to hackers or malware distributors seeking to destroy, damage
or steal the Fund’s XRP and will only become more appealing as the Fund’s assets
grow. To the extent that the Fund, the Sponsor or the XRP Custodian or Prime
Broker is unable to identify and mitigate or stop new security threats or
otherwise adapt to technological changes in the digital asset industry, the
Fund’s XRP may be subject to theft, loss, destruction or other attack.
The Sponsor believes that the security
procedures in place for the Fund, including but not limited to, offline storage,
or cold storage, multiple encrypted private key “shards”, and other measures,
are reasonably designed to safeguard the Fund’s XRP. Nevertheless, the security
procedures cannot guarantee the prevention of any loss due to a security breach,
software defect or act of God that may be borne by the Fund and the security
procedures may not protect against all errors, software flaws or other
vulnerabilities in the Fund’s technical infrastructure, which could result in
theft, loss or damage of its assets. The Sponsor does not control the XRP
Custodian’s or Prime Broker’s operations or their implementation of such
security procedures and there can be no assurance that such security procedures
will actually work as designed or prove to be successful in safeguarding the
Fund’s assets against all possible sources of theft, loss or damage. Assets not
held in cold storage, such as assets held in a trading account, may be more
vulnerable to security breach, hacking or loss than assets held in cold storage.
Furthermore, assets held in a trading account, including the Fund’s Trading
Balance (as defined below) at the Prime Broker, are held on an omnibus, rather
than segregated basis, which creates greater risk of loss. Even though XRP is
only moved into the Trading Balance in connection with and to the extent of
purchases and sales of XRP by the Fund and such XRP is swept from the Fund’s
Trading Balance to the Fund’s Vault Balance daily pursuant to a regular
end-of-day sweep process, there are no policies that would limit the amount of
XRP that can be held temporarily in the Trading Balance maintained by the Prime
Broker. This could create greater risk of loss of the Fund’s XRP, which would
cause Shareholders to suffer losses.
The security procedures and operational
infrastructure may be breached due to the actions of outside parties, error or
malfeasance of an employee of the Sponsor, the XRP Custodian, or otherwise, and,
as a result, an unauthorized party may obtain access to the Fund’s account at
the XRP Custodian, the relevant private keys (and therefore XRP) or other data
or property of the Fund. Additionally, outside parties may attempt to
fraudulently induce employees of the Sponsor or the XRP Custodian to disclose
sensitive information in order to gain access to the Fund’s infrastructure. As
the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service,
or sabotage systems change frequently, or may be designed to remain dormant
until a predetermined event and often are not recognized until launched against
a target, the Sponsor and the XRP Custodian may be unable to anticipate these
techniques or implement adequate preventative measures.
An actual or perceived breach of the Fund’s
account at the XRP Custodian could harm the Fund’s operations, result in partial
or total loss of the Fund’s assets, resulting in a reduction in the value of the
Shares. The Fund may also cease operations, the occurrence of which could
similarly result in a reduction in the value of the Shares.
XRP
transactions are irrevocable and stolen or incorrectly transferred XRP may be
irretrievable. As a result, any incorrectly executed XRP transactions could
adversely affect the value of the Shares.
XRP transactions are typically not reversible
without the consent and active participation of the recipient of the
transaction. Once a transaction has been signed with private keys, verified and
recorded in a block that is added to the XRP Ledger, an incorrect transfer or
theft of XRP generally will not be reversible and the Fund may not be capable of
seeking compensation for any such transfer or theft. Although the Fund’s
transfers of XRP will regularly be made to or from the Fund’s account at the XRP
Custodian, it is possible that, through computer or human error, or through
theft or criminal action, the Fund’s XRP could be transferred from the Fund’s
account at the XRP Custodian in incorrect amounts or to unauthorized third
parties, or to uncontrolled accounts.
Such events have occurred in connection with
digital assets in the past. For example, in September 2014, the Chinese digital
asset platform Huobi announced that it had sent approximately 900 bitcoins and
8,000 Litecoins (worth approximately $400,000 at the prevailing market prices at
the time) to the wrong customers. To the extent that the Fund is unable to seek
a corrective transaction with such third party or is incapable of identifying
the third party which has received the Fund’s XRP through error or theft, the
Fund will be unable to revert or otherwise recover incorrectly transferred XRP.
The Fund will also be unable to convert or recover its XRP transferred to
uncontrolled accounts. To the extent that the Fund is unable to seek redress for
such error or theft, such loss could adversely affect the value of the
Shares.
If the Custodian Agreement, Prime
Broker Agreement, an Authorized Participant Agreement or XRP Trading
Counterparty Agreement is terminated or the XRP Custodian, Prime Broker, an
Authorized Participant or an XRP Trading Counterparty fails to provide services
as required, the Sponsor may need to find and appoint a replacement custodian,
prime broker, authorized participant or XRP trading counterparty, which could
pose a challenge to the safekeeping of the Fund’s XRP, the Fund’s ability to
create and redeem shares and the Fund’s ability to continue to operate
may be adversely affected.
The Fund is dependent on the XRP Custodian,
which is Coinbase Custody, and the Prime Broker, Coinbase, Inc. to operate.
Coinbase Custody performs essential functions in terms of safekeeping the Fund’s
XRP in the Vault Balance, and its affiliate, Coinbase, Inc., in its capacity as
Prime Broker, facilitates the buying and selling or settlement of XRP by the
Fund in connection with cash creations and redemptions between the Fund and the
Authorized Participants, the selling of XRP, including to pay the Sponsor’s Fee
and any other Fund expenses, to the extent applicable, and in extraordinary
circumstances, to liquidate the Fund’s XRP. If Coinbase Custody or Coinbase,
Inc. fails to perform the functions they perform for the Fund, the Fund may be
unable to operate or create or redeem Creation Units, which could force the Fund
to liquidate or adversely affect the price of the Shares.
Similarly, if an
Authorized Participant or an XRP Trading Counterparty suffers insolvency,
business failure or interruption, default, failure to perform, security breach,
or in certain circumstances a force majeure event or if an Authorized
Participant or an XRP Trading Counterparty chooses not to participate in the
creation and redemption process of the Fund, and the Fund is unable to engage
replacement Authorized Participants or XRP Trading Counterparties or access
alternative services on commercially acceptable terms or at all, then the
creation and redemption process of the Fund, the arbitrage mechanism used to
keep the Shares in line with the NAV and the Fund’s operations generally could
be negatively affected.
In the event of any SEC or governmental,
regulatory or other enforcement action of litigation, Coinbase, Inc. could be
required, as a result of a judicial determination, or could choose, to restrict
or curtail the services it offers, or its financial condition and ability to
provide prime brokerage services to the Fund could be affected. If the Prime
Broker were to be required or choose as a result of a regulatory action or
litigation to restrict or curtail the services it offers, it could
negatively affect the Fund’s ability to operate or process creations or
redemptions of Creation Units, which could force the Fund to liquidate or
adversely affect the price of the Shares. While the XRP Custodian was not named
in the complaint, if Coinbase Global, as the parent of the XRP Custodian, is
required, as a result of a judicial determination, or could choose, to restrict
or curtail the services its subsidiaries provide to the Fund, or its financial
condition is negatively affected, it could negatively affect the Fund’s ability
to operate.
Alternatively, the Sponsor could decide to
replace Coinbase Custody as the XRP Custodian with custody of the Fund’s XRP,
and Coinbase, Inc. as Prime Broker. Similarly, Coinbase Custody or Coinbase,
Inc. could terminate services under the Custodian Agreement or the Prime Broker
Agreement respectively upon providing the applicable notice to the Fund for any
reason, or immediately for Cause (a “Termination for Cause” is defined in the
Prime Broker Agreement as (i) the Fund
materially breaches any provision of the Prime Broker Agreement; (ii) the Fund
takes any action to dissolve or liquidate, in whole or part; (iii) the Fund
becomes insolvent, makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors, becomes
subject to direct control of a trustee, receiver or similar authority; (iv) the
Fund becomes subject to any bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding under any
applicable laws, rules and regulations, such termination being effective
immediately upon any declaration of bankruptcy; (v) the Prime Broker becomes
aware of any facts or circumstances with respect to the Fund’s financial, legal,
regulatory or reputational position which may affect Fund’s ability to comply
with its obligations under the Prime Broker Agreement; (vi) termination is
required pursuant to a facially valid subpoena, court order or binding order of
a government authority; (vii) the Fund’s Prime Broker Account is subject to any
pending litigation, investigation or government proceeding and/or Prime Broker
reasonably perceives a heightened risk of legal regulatory non-compliance
associated with Fund’s use of Prime Broker services; or (viii) the Prime Broker
reasonably suspects Fund of attempting to circumvent Prime Broker’s controls or
uses the Prime Broker Services in a manner Prime Broker otherwise deems
inappropriate or potentially harmful to itself or third parties. Transferring
maintenance responsibilities of the Fund’s account at the at the Prime Broker or
at the XRP Custodian to another prime broker or custodian will likely be complex
and could subject the Fund’s XRP to the risk of loss during the transfer, which
could have a negative impact on the performance of the Shares or result in loss
of the Fund’s assets. As Prime Broker, Coinbase, Inc. does not guarantee
uninterrupted access to the Trading Platform or the services it provides to the
Fund as Prime Broker. Under certain circumstances, Coinbase, Inc. is permitted
to halt or suspend trading on its trading platform, or impose limits on the
amount or size of, or reject, the Fund’s orders, including in the event of,
among others, delays, suspension of operations, failure in performance, or
interruption of service that are directly due to a cause or condition beyond the
reasonable control of Coinbase, Inc., or the acceptance of the Fund’s order
would cause the amount of Trade Credits extended to exceed the maximum amount of
Trade Credit (as defined below) that the Fund’s agreement with the Trade Credit
Lender permits to be outstanding at any one time. Also, if Coinbase Custody or
Coinbase, Inc. become insolvent, suffer business failure, cease business
operations, default on or fail to perform their obligations under their
contractual agreements with the Fund, or abruptly discontinue the services they
provide to the Fund for any reason, the Fund’s operations would be adversely
affected.
The Sponsor may not be able to find a party
willing to serve as the custodian of the Fund’s XRP or as the Fund’s prime
broker under the same terms as the current Custodian Agreement or Prime Broker
Agreement or at all. To the extent that Sponsor is not able to find a suitable
party willing to serve as the custodian or prime broker, the Sponsor may be
required to terminate the Fund and liquidate the Fund’s XRP. In addition, to the
extent that the Sponsor finds a suitable party but must enter into a modified
Custodian Agreement or Prime Broker Agreement that is less favorable for the
Fund or Sponsor, the value of the Shares could be adversely affected. If the
Fund is unable to find a replacement prime broker, its operations could be
adversely affected.
The lack of full insurance and
Shareholders’ limited
rights of legal recourse against the Fund, Trustee, Sponsor, Administrator, Cash
Custodian, Prime Broker and XRP Custodian expose the Fund and its Shareholders
to the risk of loss of the Fund’s XRP for which no person or
entity is liable.
The Fund is not a banking
institution or otherwise a member of the FDIC or Securities Investor Protection
Corporation (“SIPC”) and, therefore, deposits held with or assets held by the
Fund are not subject to the protections enjoyed by depositors with FDIC or SIPC
member institutions. In addition, neither the Fund nor the Sponsor insure the
Fund’s XRP. The XRP Custodian’s parent, Coinbase Global, Inc. (“Coinbase
Global”), currently maintains a commercial crime insurance policy. Coinbase
Global has maintained a commercial crime insurance policy since 2013, which is
designed to be comprehensive and intended to cover the loss of client assets
held by Coinbase Global and all of its subsidiaries, including the XRP Custodian
and the Prime Broker (collectively, Coinbase Global and its subsidiaries are
referred to as the “Coinbase Insureds”), including from employee collusion or
fraud, theft, damage of key material, security breach or hack, and fraudulent
transfer. The commercial crime insurance policy is intended to provide the
Coinbase Insureds and their clients with some of the broadest and deepest
insurance coverage in the crypto industry, with comprehensive coverage terms and
conditions. This policy is renewed annually and the insurance amounts are
subject to review and change. The XRP Custodian has advised the Sponsor that
this insurance is maintained at a commercially reasonable amount for digital
assets custodied on behalf of the Coinbase Insureds’ clients, including the
Fund’s XRP custodied by the XRP Custodian. The insurance maintained by Coinbase
Global is shared among all of the Coinbase Insured’s customers, is not specific
to the Fund or to customers holding XRP with the XRP Custodian or Prime Broker,
and may not be available or sufficient to protect the Fund from all possible
losses or sources of losses. Further, the coverage will not be sufficient to
fully cover losses for the Fund in the event of a catastrophic, large scale or
simultaneous incident affecting multiple Coinbase clients.
Coinbase Global may choose not to renew, or may
be unable to renew any portion or all of these insurance policies, which may
further expose the Trust and its Shareholders to the risk of loss. In addition,
the digital asset insurance market is limited, and the level of insurance
maintained by Coinbase Global may be substantially lower than the assets of the
Fund. While the XRP Custodian maintains certain capital reserve requirements
depending on the assets under custody, and such capital reserves may provide
additional means to cover client asset losses, the Fund cannot be assured that
the XRP Custodian will maintain capital reserves sufficient to cover actual or
potential losses with respect to the Fund’s digital assets.
Furthermore, under the Custodian Agreement, the
XRP Custodian’s liability is limited to the greater of (i) the aggregate amount
of fees paid by the Fund to the XRP Custodian in respect of the custodial
services in the 12-month period prior to the event giving rise to such liability
or (ii) the value of the supported digital assets on deposit in the Fund’s
custodial account(s) giving rise to such liability at the time of the event
giving rise to such liability; provided, that in no event shall XRP Custodian
aggregate liability in respect of each cold storage address exceed $100,000,000.
In addition, the Prime Broker’s defense and indemnity obligations under the
Prime Broker Agreement (the Custodian Agreement is part of the Prime Broker
Agreement) will be limited, in the aggregate, to an amount equal to $2,000,000.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, there is no liability limit for losses arising
from the XRP Custodian’s fraud or willful misconduct. With regard to any
incidental, indirect, special, punitive, consequential or similar losses, the
XRP Custodian is not liable, even if the XRP Custodian has been advised of or
knew or should have known of the possibility thereof. The XRP Custodian is not
liable for delays, suspension of operations, failure in performance, or
interruption of service to the extent it is directly due to a cause or condition
beyond the reasonable control of the XRP Custodian. In the event of potential
losses incurred by the Fund as a result of the XRP Custodian losing control of
the Fund’s XRP or failing to properly execute instructions on behalf of the
Fund, the XRP Custodian’s liability with respect to the Fund will be subject to
certain limitations which may allow it to avoid liability for potential losses
or may be insufficient to cover the value of such potential losses, even if the
XRP Custodian directly caused such losses. Furthermore, the insurance maintained
by the XRP Custodian may be insufficient to cover its liabilities to the
Fund.
Similarly, under the Prime Broker Agreement,
the Prime Broker’s liability is limited to the greater of (a) the aggregate
amount of fees paid by a Fund to the Prime Broker in respect of the prime broker
services in the 12-month period prior to the event giving rise to such liability
or (b) the value of the supported digital assets giving rise to such liability;
In addition, the Prime Broker’s defense and indemnity obligations under the
Prime Broker Agreement will be limited, in the aggregate, to an amount equal to
$2,000,000. Notwithstanding the foregoing, there is no liability limit for
losses arising from the Prime Broker’s fraud or willful misconduct. With regard
to any incidental, indirect, special, punitive, consequential or similar losses,
the Prime Broker is not liable, even if the Prime Broker has been advised of or
knew or should have known of the possibility thereof. The Prime Broker is not
liable for delays, suspension of operations, failure in performance, or
interruption of service to the extent it is directly due to a cause or condition
beyond the reasonable control of the Prime Broker. These and the other
limitations on the Prime Broker’s liability may allow it to avoid liability for
potential losses or may be insufficient to cover the value of such potential
losses, even if the Prime Broker directly caused such losses. Both the Fund and
the Prime Broker and its affiliates (including the XRP Custodian) are required
to indemnify each other under certain circumstances.
Moreover, in the event of an insolvency or
bankruptcy of the Prime Broker (in the case of the Trading Balance) or the XRP
Custodian (in the case of the Vault Balance) in the future, given that the
contractual protections and legal rights of customers with respect to digital
assets held on their behalf by third parties are relatively untested in a
bankruptcy of an entity such as the XRP Custodian or Prime Broker
in the virtual currency industry, there is a
risk that customers’ assets – including the Fund’s assets – may be considered
the property of the bankruptcy estate of the Prime Broker (in the case of the
Trading Balance) or the XRP Custodian (in the case of the Vault Balance), and
customers – including the Fund – may be at risk of being treated as general
unsecured creditors of such entities and subject to the risk of total loss or
markdowns on value of such assets.
The Prime Broker Agreement contains an
agreement by the parties to treat the XRP credited to the Fund’s Trade Balance
and Vault Balance as financial assets under Article 8 of the New York Uniform
Commercial Code (“Article 8”). In addition, the Custodian Agreement states that
the XRP Custodian will serve as fiduciary and custodian on the Fund’s behalf.
The XRP Custodian’s parent, Coinbase Global Inc., has stated in its most recent
public securities filings that in light of the inclusion in its agreements of
provisions relating to Article 8 it believes that a court would not treat
custodied digital assets as part of its general estate in the event the
Custodian were to experience insolvency. However, due to the novelty of digital
asset custodial arrangements courts have not yet considered this type of
treatment for custodied digital assets and it is not possible to predict with
certainty how they would rule in such a scenario. If the XRP Custodian became
subject to insolvency proceedings and a court were to rule that the custodied
XRP were part of the XRP Custodian’s general estate and not the property of the
Fund, then the Fund would be treated as a general unsecured creditor in the XRP
Custodian’s insolvency proceedings and the Fund could be subject to the loss of
all or a significant portion of its assets. Moreover, in the event of the
bankruptcy of the XRP Custodian, an automatic stay could go into effect and
protracted litigation could be required in order to recover the assets held with
the XRP Custodian, all of which could significantly and negatively impact the
Fund’s operations and the value of the Shares.
With respect to the Prime Broker Agreement,
there is a risk that the Trading Balance, in which the Fund’s XRP and cash is
held in omnibus accounts by the Prime Broker (in the latter case, as described
below in “—Loss of a critical banking relationship for, or the failure of a bank
used by, the Prime Broker could adversely impact the Fund’s ability to create or
redeem Creation Units, or could cause losses to the Fund”), could be considered
part of the Prime Broker’s bankruptcy estate in the event of the Prime Broker’s
bankruptcy. The Prime Broker Agreement contains an Article 8 opt-in clause with
respect to the Fund’s assets held in the Trading Balance. The Prime Broker is
not required to hold any of the XRP or cash in the Fund’s Trading Balance in
segregation. Within the Trading Balance, the Prime Broker Agreement provides
that the Fund does not have an identifiable claim to any particular XRP (and
cash). Instead, the Fund’s Trading Balance represents an entitlement to a pro
rata share of the XRP (and cash) the Prime Broker has allocated to the omnibus
wallets the Prime Broker holds, as well as the accounts in the Prime Broker’s
name that the Prime Broker maintains at Connected Trading Venues (the “Connected
Trading Venue”) (which are typically held on an omnibus, rather than segregated,
basis). If the Prime Broker suffers an insolvency event, there is a risk that
the Fund’s assets held in the Trading Balance could be considered part of the
Prime Broker’s bankruptcy estate and the Fund could be treated as a general
unsecured creditor of the Prime Broker, which could result in losses for the
Fund and Shareholders. Moreover, in the event of the bankruptcy of the Prime
Broker, an automatic stay could go into effect and protracted litigation could
be required in order to recover the assets held with the Prime Broker, all of
which could significantly and negatively impact the Fund’s operations and the
value of the Shares. There are no policies that would limit the amount of XRP
that can be held temporarily in the Trading Balance maintained by the Prime
Broker.
Under the Declaration of Trust, the Trustee and
the Sponsor will not be liable for any liability or expense incurred, including,
without limitation, as a result of any loss of XRP by the XRP Custodian or Prime
Broker, absent gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of
the Trustee or the Sponsor. As a result, the recourse of the Fund or the
Shareholders to the Trustee or the Sponsor, including in the event of a loss of
XRP by the XRP Custodian or Prime Broker, is limited.
The Shareholders’ recourse against the Sponsor,
the Trustee, and the Fund’s other service providers for the services they
provide to the Fund, including, without limitation, those relating to the
holding of XRP or the provision of instructions relating to the movement of XRP,
is limited. For the avoidance of doubt, neither the Sponsor, the Trustee, nor
any of their affiliates, nor any other party has guaranteed the assets or
liabilities, or otherwise assumed the liabilities, of the Fund, or the
obligations or liabilities of any service provider to the Fund, including,
without limitation, the XRP Custodian and Prime Broker. The Prime Broker Agreement provides that
none of the Coinbase Entities have recourse, whether by set-off or otherwise,
with respect to any amounts owed or liabilities incurred by the Fund, to or
against any assets of the Sponsor or any affiliate of such Sponsor.
Consequently, a loss may be suffered with respect to the Fund’s XRP that is not
covered by the XRP Custodian’s insurance and for which no person is liable in
damages. As a result, the recourse of the Fund or the Shareholders, under
applicable law, is limited.
If the
Trade Credits are not available or become exhausted, the Fund may face delays in
buying or selling XRP that may adversely impact Shareholders; if the Fund does
not repay the Trade Credits on time, its assets may be liquidated by the Trade
Credit Lender and its affiliates.
To avoid having to pre-fund purchases or sales
of XRP in connection with cash creations and redemptions and sales of XRP to pay
the Sponsor’s Fee and any other Fund expenses not assumed by the Sponsor, to the
extent applicable, the Fund may borrow XRP or cash as Trade Credit from the
Trade Credit Lender on a short-term basis pursuant to the Trade Financing
Agreement. The Trade Credit Lender is only required to extend Trade Credits to
the Fund to the extent such XRP or cash is actually available to the Trade
Credit Lender. To
the extent that Trade Credits are not available
or become exhausted, (1) there may be delays in the buying and selling of XRP
related to cash creations and redemptions or the selling of XRP related to
paying the Sponsor’s Fee and, to the extent applicable, (2) Fund assets may be
held in the Trading Balance for a longer duration than if Trade Credits were
available, and (3) the execution price associated with such trades may deviate
significantly from the Index price used to determine the Fund’s NAV. To the
extent that the execution price for purchases and sales of XRP related to
creations and redemptions and sales of XRP in connection with paying the
Sponsor’s Fee and any other Fund expenses deviate significantly from the Index
price used to determine the NAV of the Fund, the Shareholders may be negatively
impacted because the added costs of such price deviations, which would be borne
by the Authorized Participants, may be passed onto the Shareholders in the
secondary market. The magnitude of this risk factor relating to the
unavailability or exhaustion of the Trade Credits is heightened to the extent
the Fund effectuates creations and redemptions in cash rather than in-kind. The
Fund generally must repay Trade Credits by 6:00 p.m. ET (the “Settlement
Deadline”) on the calendar day immediately following the day the Trade Credit
was extended by the Trade Credit Lender to the Fund (or, if such day is not a
business day, on the next business day). Pursuant to the Trade Financing
Agreement, the Fund has granted a security interest, lien on, and right of set
off against all of the Fund’s right, title and interest, in the Fund’s Trading
Balance and Vault Balance established pursuant to the Prime Broker Agreement and
Custodian Agreement, in order to secure the repayment by the Fund of the Trade
Credits and financing fees to the Trade Credit Lender. Upon a failure by the
Fund to pay and settle in full its obligations to the Trade Credit Lender in
respect of the financing it provides to the Fund in the form of Trade Credits,
the XRP Custodian and the Prime Broker have agreed to comply with instructions
from the Trade Credit Lender with respect to the disposition of the assets in
the Fund’s Vault Balance and Trading Balance respectively without further
consent by the Fund. If the Fund fails to repay the Trade Credits to the Trade
Credit Lender on time and in full, the Trade Credit Lender can take control of
the Fund’s assets and liquidate them to repay the Trade Credit debt owed by the
Fund to the Trade Credit Lender.
Loss of a critical banking
relationship for, or the failure of a bank used by, the Prime Broker could
adversely impact the Fund’s ability to create or redeem
Creation Units, or could cause losses to the Fund.
The Prime Broker facilitates the buying and
selling or settlement of XRP by the Fund in connection with cash creations and
redemptions between the Fund and the Authorized Participants, and the sale of
XRP, including to pay the Sponsor’s Fee, any other Fund expenses, to the extent
applicable, in connection with redemption transactions, and in extraordinary
circumstances, to effect the liquidation of the Fund’s XRP. The Prime Broker
relies on bank accounts to provide its trading platform services and including
temporarily holding any cash related to a customer’s purchase or sale of XRP. In
particular, the Prime Broker has disclosed that customer cash held by the Prime
Broker, including the cash associated with the Fund’s Trading Balance, is held
(i) in one or more omnibus accounts in the Prime Broker’s name for the benefit
of customers at one or more U.S. insured depository institutions (each, an “FBO
account”); (ii) with respect to US dollars, liquid investments, which may
include but are not limited to U.S. treasuries and money market funds operating
in compliance with Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act and rated “AAA” by
S&P (or the equivalent from any eligible rating service) (“Money Market
Funds”), in accordance with state money transmitter laws and (iii) in the Prime
Broker’s omnibus accounts at Connected Trading Venues. The Prime Broker
represents that it will title the FBO accounts it maintains with U.S. depository
institutions and maintain records of the Fund’s interest in a manner designed to
enable receipt of FDIC deposit insurance, where applicable and up to the deposit
insurance limits applicable under FDIC regulations and guidance, on Fund cash
for the Fund’s benefit on a pass-through basis. The Prime Broker, however, does
not guarantee that pass-through FDIC deposit insurance will apply to Fund cash,
since such insurance is dependent in part on compliance of the depository
institutions. The Prime Broker may also title its accounts at some or all
Connected Trading Venues and maintain records of Fund interests in those
accounts in a manner consistent with FDIC requirements for pass-through deposit
insurance, but availability of pass-through deposit insurance, up to the deposit
insurance limits applicable under FDIC regulations and guidance, is also
dependent on the actions of the Connected Trading Venues and any depository
institutions they use, which may not be structured to provide pass-through
deposit insurance. FDIC insurance applies to cash deposits at banks and other
insured depository institutions in the event of a failure of that institution,
and does not apply to the Prime Broker or any XRP held by the Prime Broker on
Fund’s behalf. The Sponsor has not independently verified the Prime Broker’s
representations. To the extent that the Prime Broker faces difficulty
establishing or maintaining banking relationships, the loss of the Prime
Broker’s banking partners or the imposition of operational restrictions by these
banking partners and the inability for the Prime Broker to utilize other
financial institutions may result in a disruption of creation and redemption
activity of the Fund, or cause other operational disruptions or adverse effects
for the Fund. In the future, it is possible that the Prime Broker could be
unable to establish accounts at new banking partners or establish new banking
relationships, or that the banks with which the Prime Broker is able to
establish relationships may not be as large or well-capitalized or subject to
the same degree of prudential supervision as the existing providers.
The Fund could also suffer losses in the event
that a bank in which the Prime Broker holds customer cash, including the cash
associated with the Fund’s Trading Balance (which is used by the Prime Broker to
move cash flows associated with the Fund’s orders to sell XRP, fails, becomes
insolvent, enters receivership, is taken over by regulators, enters financial
distress, or otherwise suffers adverse effects to its financial condition or
operational status. Recently, some banks have experienced financial
distress.
If the Prime Broker were to experience
financial distress or its financial condition is otherwise affected by the
failure of its banking partners, the Prime Broker’s ability to provide services
to the Fund could be affected. Moreover, the future failure of a bank at
which
the Prime Broker maintains customer cash, in
the Fund’s Trading Balance associated with the Fund’s orders to sell XRP in
connection with payment of the Sponsor’s Fee, and to the extent applicable,
other Fund expenses, could result in losses to the Fund, to the extent the
balances are not subject to deposit insurance, notwithstanding the regulatory
requirements to which the Prime Broker is subject or other potential
protections. Although the Prime Broker has made certain representations to the
Sponsor regarding the Prime Broker’s maintenance of records in a manner
reasonably designed to qualify for FDIC insurance on a pass-through basis in
connection with the accounts in which the Prime Broker maintains cash on behalf
of its customers (including the Fund), there can be no assurance that such
pass-through insurance will ultimately be made available. In addition, the Fund
may maintain cash balances with the Prime Broker that are not insured or are in
excess of the FDIC’s insurance limits, or which are maintained by the Prime
Broker at money market funds and subject to the attendant risks (e.g., “breaking
the buck”). As a result, the Fund could suffer losses.
The Prime Broker routes orders
through Connected Trading Venues in connection with trading services under the
Prime Broker Agreement. The loss or failure of any such Connected Trading Venues
may adversely affect the Prime Broker’s business and cause losses for
the Fund.
In connection with trading
services under the Prime Broker Agreement, the Prime Broker routinely routes
customer orders to Connected Trading Venues, which are third-party platforms or
other trading venues (including the trading venue operated by the Prime Broker).
In connection with these activities, the Prime Broker may hold XRP with such
Connected Trading Venues in order to effect customer orders, including the
Fund’s orders. Cash may also be held in the Prime Broker’s omnibus account at
the Connected Trading Venues. If the Prime Broker were to experience a
disruption in the Prime Broker’s access to these Connected Trading Venues, the
Prime Broker’s trading services under the Prime Broker Agreement could be
adversely affected to the extent that the Prime Broker is limited in its ability
to execute order flow for its customers, including the Fund. In addition, while
the Prime Broker has policies and procedures to help mitigate the Prime Broker’s
risks related to routing orders through third-party trading venues, if any of
these third-party trading venues experience any technical, legal, regulatory or
other adverse events, such as shutdowns, delays, system failures, suspension of
withdrawals, illiquidity, insolvency, or loss of customer assets, the Prime
Broker might not be able to fully recover the customer’s XRP or cash that the
Prime Broker has deposited with these third parties. As a result, the Prime
Broker’s business, operating results and financial condition could be adversely
affected, potentially resulting in its failure to provide services to the Fund
or perform its obligations under the Prime Broker Agreement, and the Fund could
suffer resulting losses or disruptions to its operations. The failure of a
Connected Trading Venue at which the Prime Broker maintains customer XRP or
cash, including XRP or cash associated with the Fund, could result in losses to
the Fund, notwithstanding the regulatory requirements to which the Prime Broker
is subject or other potential protections.
The Fund
may be terminated and liquidated at a time that is disadvantageous to
Shareholders.
The Sponsor may terminate and liquidate the
Fund or Trust for any reason in its sole discretion. See “The Offering
—Termination Events.”
If the Sponsor determines that it is
appropriate to terminate and liquidate the Fund, such termination and
liquidation could occur at a time that is disadvantageous to Shareholders, such
as when the actual exchange rate of XRP at such time is lower than the Index was
at the time when Shareholders purchased their Shares. In such a case, when the
Fund’s XRP are sold as part of its liquidation, the resulting proceeds
distributed to Shareholders will be less than if the actual exchange rate at
such time were higher at the time of sale.
The Declaration of Trust includes
provisions that limit Shareholders’ voting rights and the ability to
participate in shareholder derivative actions.
Under the Declaration of
Trust, Shareholders generally have no voting rights and the Fund will not have
regular Shareholder meetings. Shareholders take no part in the management or
control of the Fund. Accordingly, Shareholders do not have the right to
authorize actions, appoint service providers or take other actions as may be
taken by shareholders of other trusts or companies where shares carry such
rights. The shareholders’ limited voting rights give almost all control under
the Declaration of Trust to the Sponsor and the Trustee. The Sponsor may take
actions in the operation of the Fund that may be adverse to the interests of
Shareholders and may adversely affect the value of the Shares.
Moreover, pursuant to the terms of the
Declaration of Trust, Shareholders’ statutory right under Delaware law to bring
a derivative action (i.e., to initiate a lawsuit in the name of the Trust in
order to assert a claim belonging to the Trust against a fiduciary of the Trust
or against a third-party when the Trust’s management has refused to do so) is
restricted. Under Delaware law, a shareholder may bring a derivative action if
the shareholder is a shareholder at the time the action is brought and either
(i) was a shareholder at the time of the transaction at issue or (ii) acquired
the status of shareholder by operation of law or the Trust’s governing
instrument from a person who was a shareholder at the time of the transaction at
issue. Additionally, Section 3816(e) of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act
specifically provides that a “beneficial owner’s right to bring a derivative
action may be subject to such additional standards and restrictions, if any, as
are set forth in the governing instrument of the statutory trust, including,
without limitation, the requirement that beneficial owners
owning a specified beneficial interest in the
statutory trust join in the bringing of the derivative action.” In addition to
the requirements of applicable law and in accordance with Section 3816(e), the
Declaration of Trust includes conditions that require (1) a Shareholder or
Shareholders to make a pre-suit demand upon the Sponsor to bring the subject
action unless an effort to cause the Sponsor to bring such an action is not
likely to succeed (a demand on the Sponsor shall only be deemed not likely to
succeed and therefore excused if the Sponsor has a personal financial interest
in the transaction at issue) and (2) Shareholders eligible to bring a derivative
action under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act who hold at least 10% of the
outstanding Shares of the Trust, or 10% of the outstanding Shares of the Series
or Class to which such action relates, must join in a request for the Sponsor to
commence such action. This provision applies to any derivative actions brought
in the name of the Trust other than claims under the federal securities laws and
the rules and regulations thereunder.
Due to these requirements,
a Shareholder attempting to bring or maintain a derivative action in the name of
the Trust will be required to have sufficient Shares to meet the 10% threshold
based on the number of Shares outstanding on the date the claim is brought and
thereafter throughout the duration of the action, suit or proceeding. This may
be difficult and may result in increased costs to a Shareholder attempting to
seek redress in the name of the Trust in court. Moreover, if Shareholders
bringing a derivative action, suit or proceeding pursuant to this provision of
the Declaration of Trust do not hold 10% of the outstanding Shares on the date
such an action, suit or proceeding is brought, or such Shareholders are unable
to maintain Share ownership meeting the 10% threshold throughout the duration of
the action, suit or proceeding, such Shareholders’ derivative action may be
subject to dismissal. As a result, the Declaration of trust limits the
likelihood that a Shareholder will be able to successfully assert a derivative
action in the name of the Trust, even if such Shareholder believes that he or
she has a valid derivative action, suit or other proceeding to bring on behalf
of the Trust.
The
non-exclusive jurisdiction for certain types of actions and proceedings and
waiver of trial by jury clauses set forth in the Declaration of Trust may have
the effect of limiting a Shareholder’s rights to bring legal action against the
Trust and could limit a purchaser’s ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum
for disputes with the Trust.
The Declaration of Trust
provides that the courts of the state of Delaware and any federal courts located
in Wilmington, Delaware will be the non-exclusive jurisdiction for any claims,
suits, actions or proceedings, provided that suits brought to enforce a duty or
liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal
courts have exclusive jurisdiction and the federal district courts of the United
States of America shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any
complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act, or the
rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. By purchasing Shares in the Trust,
Shareholders waive certain claims that the courts of the state of Delaware and
any federal courts located in Wilmington, Delaware is an inconvenient venue or
is otherwise inappropriate. As such, Shareholder could be required to litigate a
matter relating to the Trust in a Delaware court, even if that court may
otherwise be inconvenient for the Shareholder.
The Declaration of Trust
also waives the right to trial by jury in any such claim, suit, action or
proceeding, including any claim under the U.S. federal securities laws, to the
fullest extent permitted by applicable law. If a lawsuit is brought against the
Trust, it may be heard only by a judge or justice of the applicable trial court,
which would be conducted according to different civil procedures and may result
in different outcomes than a trial by jury would have, including results that
could be less favorable to the plaintiffs in any such action. No Shareholder can
waive compliance with respect to the U.S. federal securities laws and the rules
and regulations promulgated thereunder.
If a Shareholder opposed a jury trial demand
based on the waiver, the applicable court would determine whether the waiver was
enforceable based on the facts and circumstances of that case in accordance with
applicable federal laws. To the Trust’s knowledge, the enforceability of a
contractual pre-dispute jury trial waiver in connection with claims arising
under the U.S. federal securities laws has not been finally adjudicated by the
U.S. Supreme Court. However, the Trust believes that a contractual pre-dispute
jury trial waiver provision is generally enforceable, including under the laws
of the State of Delaware, which govern the Declaration of Trust. By purchasing
Shares in the Trust, Shareholders waive a right to a trial by jury which may
limit a Shareholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds
favorable for disputes with the Trust.
The
Sponsor is solely responsible for determining the value of the net asset value
of the Fund, and any errors, discontinuance or changes in such valuation
calculations may have an adverse effect on the value of the Shares.
The Sponsor has the exclusive authority to
determine the net asset value of the Fund. The Sponsor has delegated to the
Administrator the responsibility to calculate the net asset value of the Fund,
based on a pricing source selected by the Sponsor. The Administrator determines
the net asset value of the Fund as of 4:00 p.m. ET, on each Business Day, as
soon as practicable after that time. The Administrator’s determination is made
utilizing data from the operations of the Fund and the Index, calculated at
4:00 p.m. ET, on such day. If the Sponsor determines in good faith that the
Index does not reflect an accurate XRP price, then the Sponsor will instruct the
Administrator to employ an alternative method to determine the fair value of the
Fund’s assets. There are no predefined criteria to make a good faith assessment
as to which of the rules the Sponsor will apply and the Sponsor may make this
determination in its sole discretion. The Administrator may calculate the Index
in a manner that ultimately inaccurately reflects the price of XRP. To the
extent that the net
asset value of the Fund, the Index, or the
Administrator’s or the Sponsor’s other valuation methodology are incorrectly
calculated, neither the Sponsor nor the Administrator may be liable for any
error and such misreporting of valuation data could adversely affect the value
of the Shares and investors could suffer a substantial loss on their investment
in the Fund. Moreover, the terms of the Declaration of Trust and the Sponsor
Agreement do not prohibit the Sponsor from changing the Index or other valuation
method used to calculate the net asset value of the Fund. Any such change in the
Index or other valuation method could affect the value of the Shares and
investors could suffer a substantial loss on their investment in the Fund.
To the extent the methodology used to calculate
the Index is deemed not to be consistent with GAAP, the Fund’s periodic
financial statements may not utilize the Fund’s net asset value. The Fund’s
periodic financial statements will be prepared in accordance with GAAP,
including ASC Topic 820, and utilize an exchange-traded price from the principal
market for XRP as of the Fund’s financial statement measurement date. The
Sponsor will determine in its sole discretion the valuation sources and policies
used to prepare the Fund’s financial statements. To the extent that such
valuation sources and policies used to prepare the Fund’s financial statements
result in an inaccurate price, the value of the Shares could be adversely
affected and investors could suffer a substantial loss on their investment in
the Fund. Moreover, the terms of the Declaration of Trust and the Sponsor
Agreement do not prohibit the Sponsor from changing the valuation method used to
calculate the net asset value to be reported in the Fund’s financial statements.
Any such change in such valuation method could affect the value of the Shares
and investors could suffer a substantial loss on their investment in the
Fund.
Extraordinary
expenses resulting from unanticipated events may become payable by the Fund,
adversely affecting the value of the Shares.
In consideration for the Sponsor’s Fee, the
Sponsor has contractually assumed ordinary course operational and periodic
expenses of the Fund, with the exception of those described in “Business of the
Fund—Fund Expenses”. Expenses incurred by the Fund but not assumed by the
Sponsor, such as, among others, taxes and governmental charges; expenses and
costs of any extraordinary services performed by the Sponsor (or any other
service provider) on behalf of the Fund to protect the Fund or the interests of
Shareholders (including, for example, in connection with any fork of the XRP
Ledger, any Incidental Rights and any IR Virtual Currency); or extraordinary
legal fees and expenses are not assumed by the Sponsor and are borne by the
Fund. The Sponsor will cause the Fund to either (i) sell XRP held by the
Fund or (ii) deliver XRP in‑kind to the Sponsor to pay Fund expenses not
assumed by the Sponsor on an as-needed basis. Accordingly, the Fund may be
required to sell or otherwise dispose of XRP, at a time when the trading prices
are depressed. The sale or other disposition of assets of the Fund in order to
pay extraordinary expenses could have a negative impact on the value of the
Shares for several reasons. These include the following factors:
|
• |
The Fund is not actively managed and no attempt will be made to
protect against or to take advantage of fluctuations in the price of XRP.
Consequently, if the Fund incurs expenses in U.S. dollars, the Fund’s XRP
may be sold at a time when the values of the disposed assets are low,
resulting in a negative impact on the value of the
Shares. |
|
• |
Every time that the Fund pays expenses, it will deliver XRP to the
Sponsor or sell XRP. Any sales of the Fund’s XRP in connection with the
payment of expenses will decrease the amount of the Fund’s assets
represented by each Share each time its XRP are sold or transferred to the
Sponsor. |
The Fund’s delivery or sale of XRP to pay
expenses or otherwise in connection with operations of the Fund could result in
Shareholders incurring tax liability without an associated distribution from the
Fund.
Assuming that the Fund is treated as a grantor
trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes, each delivery of XRP by the Fund to
pay the Sponsor’s Fee or other expenses and each sale of XRP by the Fund to pay
Fund expenses not assumed by the Sponsor will be a taxable event to beneficial
owners of Shares. Thus, the Fund’s payment of expenses could result in
beneficial owners of Shares incurring tax liability without an associated
distribution from the Fund. Any such tax liability could adversely affect an
investment in the Shares.
The
value of the Shares will be adversely affected if the Fund is required to
indemnify the Sponsor, the Trustee, the Administrator, the XRP Custodian or the
Cash Custodian pursuant to its contractual arrangements.
Under the Declaration of Trust and the
applicable agreements with various Fund service providers, each of the Sponsor,
the Trustee, the Administrator and the Custodians has a right to be indemnified
by the Fund for certain liabilities or expenses that it incurs without,
depending on the applicable arrangement, negligence or gross negligence, bad
faith or willful misconduct on its part. Therefore, the Sponsor, Trustee, the
Administrator, or the Custodians may require that the assets of the Fund be sold
in order to cover losses or liability suffered by it. Any sale of that kind
would reduce the Fund’s XRP holdings and the value of the Shares.
Intellectual
property rights claims may adversely affect the Fund and the value of the
Shares.
The Sponsor is not aware of any intellectual
property rights claims that may prevent the Fund from operating and holding XRP,
or, receiving, on a temporary basis pending a determination by the Sponsor as to
whether the Fund has received a non-XRP crypto asset, Incidental Rights or IR
Virtual Currency. However, third parties may assert intellectual property rights
claims relating to the operation of the Fund and the mechanics instituted for
the investment in, holding of and transfer of XRP, or in connection with the
receipt (on a temporary basis) of Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency.
Regardless of the merit of an intellectual property or other legal action, any
legal expenses to defend or payments to settle such claims would be
extraordinary expenses that would be borne by the Fund through the sale or
transfer of its XRP, or disposition of Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency
including in connection with disclaiming or irrevocably abandoning non-XRP
crypto assets as determined by the Sponsor. Additionally, a meritorious
intellectual property rights claim could prevent the Fund from operating and
force the Sponsor to terminate the Fund and liquidate its XRP. As a result, an
intellectual property rights claim against the Fund could adversely affect the
value of the Shares.
Risk Factors Related to the
Regulation of the Fund and the Shares
Digital
asset markets in the U.S. exist in a state of regulatory uncertainty, and
adverse legislative or regulatory developments could significantly harm the
value of XRP or the Shares, such as by banning, restricting or imposing onerous
conditions or prohibitions on the use of XRP, validator activity, digital
wallets, the provision of services related to trading and custodying XRP, the
operation of the XRP Ledger, or the digital asset markets generally.
There is a lack of consensus regarding the
regulation of digital assets, including XRP, and their markets. As a result of
the growth in the size of the digital asset market, as well as the 2022 Events,
the U.S. Congress and a number of U.S. federal and state agencies (including
FinCEN, SEC, OCC, CFTC, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”),
the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”), the Department of Justice,
the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the
IRS, state financial institution regulators, and others) have been examining the
operations of digital asset networks, digital asset users and the digital asset
markets. Many of these state and federal agencies have brought enforcement
actions or issued consumer advisories regarding the risks posed by digital
assets to investors. Ongoing and future regulatory actions with respect to
digital assets generally or XRP in particular may alter, perhaps to a materially
adverse extent, the nature of an investment in the Shares or the ability of the
Fund to continue to operate.
The 2022 Events, including among others the
bankruptcy filings of FTX and its subsidiaries, Three Arrows Capital, Celsius
Network, Voyager Digital, Genesis, BlockFi and others, and other developments in
the digital asset markets, have resulted in calls for heightened scrutiny and
regulation of the digital asset industry, with a specific focus on
intermediaries such as digital asset platforms, platforms, and custodians.
Federal and state legislatures and regulatory agencies may introduce and enact
new laws and regulations to regulate crypto asset intermediaries, such as
digital asset platforms and custodians. The March 2023 collapses of Silicon
Valley Bank, Silvergate Bank, and Signature Bank, which in some cases provided
services to the digital assets industry, may amplify and/or accelerate these
trends. On January 3, 2023, the federal banking agencies issued a joint
statement on crypto-asset risks to banking organizations following events which
exposed vulnerabilities in the crypto-asset sector, including the risk of fraud
and scams, legal uncertainties, significant volatility, and contagion risk.
Although banking organizations are not prohibited from crypto-asset related
activities, the agencies have expressed significant safety and soundness
concerns with business models that are concentrated in crypto-asset related
activities or have concentrated exposures to the crypto-asset sector.
US federal and state regulators, as well as the
White House, have issued reports and releases concerning crypto assets,
including XRP and crypto asset markets. Further, in 2023 the House of
Representatives formed two new subcommittees: the Digital Assets, Financial
Technology and Inclusion Subcommittee and the Commodity Markets, Digital Assets,
and Rural Development Subcommittee, each of which were formed in part to analyze
issues concerning crypto assets and demonstrate a legislative intent to develop
and consider the adoption of federal legislation designed to address the
perceived need for regulation of and concerns surrounding the crypto industry.
However, the extent and content of any forthcoming laws and regulations are not
yet ascertainable with certainty, and it may not be ascertainable in the near
future. A divided Congress makes any prediction difficult. We cannot predict how
these and other related events will affect us or the crypto asset
business.
Moreover, President Trump
has issued executive orders addressing the administration’s intention to
establish comprehensive digital asset regulatory framework. There have also been
several bills introduced in Congress that propose to establish additional
regulation and oversight of the digital asset markets.
It is not possible to predict whether, or when,
any of these developments will lead to Congress granting additional authorities
to the SEC or other regulators, what the nature of such additional authorities
might be, how additional legislation and/or regulatory oversight might impact
the ability of digital asset markets to function or how any new regulations or
changes to existing regulations might impact the value of digital assets
generally and XRP held by the Fund specifically. The consequences of increased
federal regulation of digital assets and digital asset activities could have a
material adverse effect on the Fund and the Shares.
FinCEN requires any administrator or exchanger
of convertible digital assets to register with FinCEN as a money transmitter and
comply with the anti-money laundering regulations applicable to money
transmitters. Entities which fail to comply with such regulations are subject to
fines, may be required to cease operations, and could have potential criminal
liability. For example, in 2015, FinCEN assessed a $700,000 fine against a
sponsor of a digital asset for violating several requirements of the U.S. Bank
Secrecy Act by acting as an MSB and selling the digital asset without
registering with FinCEN, and by failing to implement and maintain an adequate
anti-money laundering program. In 2017, FinCEN assessed a $110 million fine
against BTC-e, a now defunct digital asset platform, for similar violations. The
requirement that exchangers that do business in the U.S. register with FinCEN
and comply with anti-money laundering regulations may increase the cost of
buying and selling XRP and therefore may adversely affect the price of XRP and
an investment in the Shares.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”)
of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (the “U.S. Treasury Department”) has
added digital currency addresses to the list of Specially Designated Nationals
whose assets are blocked, and with whom U.S. persons are generally prohibited
from dealing. Such actions by OFAC, or by similar organizations in other
jurisdictions, may introduce uncertainty in the market as to whether
cryptocurrency that has been associated with such addresses in the past can be
easily sold. This “tainted” cryptocurrency may trade at a substantial discount
to untainted cryptocurrency. Reduced fungibility in the cryptocurrency markets
may reduce the liquidity of cryptocurrency and therefore adversely affect their
price.
In February 2020, then-U.S. Treasury Secretary
Steven Mnuchin stated that digital assets were a “crucial area” on which the
U.S. Treasury Department has spent significant time. Secretary Mnuchin announced
that the U.S. Treasury Department is preparing significant new regulations
governing digital asset activities to address concerns regarding the potential
use for facilitating money laundering and other illicit activities. In December
2020, FinCEN, a bureau within the U.S. Treasury Department, proposed a rule that
would require financial institutions to submit reports, keep records, and verify
the identity of customers for certain transactions to or from so-called
“unhosted” wallets, also commonly referred to as self-hosted wallets. In January
2021, U.S. Treasury Secretary nominee Janet Yellen stated her belief that
regulators should “look closely at how to encourage the use of digital assets
for legitimate activities while curtailing their use for malign and illegal
activities.”
Under regulations from the New York State
Department of Financial Services (“NYDFS”), businesses involved in digital asset
business activity for third parties in or involving New York, excluding
merchants and consumers, must apply for a license, commonly known as a
BitLicense, from the NYDFS and must comply with anti-money laundering, cyber
security, consumer protection, and financial and reporting requirements, among
others. As an alternative to a BitLicense, a firm can apply for a charter to
become a limited purpose trust company under New York law qualified to engage in
certain digital asset business activities. Other states have considered or
approved digital asset business activity statutes or rules, passing, for
example, regulations or guidance indicating that certain digital asset business
activities constitute money transmission requiring licensure.
The inconsistency in applying money
transmitting licensure requirements to certain businesses may make it more
difficult for these businesses to provide services, which may affect consumer
adoption of XRP and its price. In an attempt to address these issues, the
Uniform Law Commission passed a model law in July 2017, the Uniform Regulation
of Virtual Currency Businesses Act, which has many similarities to the
BitLicense and features a multistate reciprocity licensure feature, wherein a
business licensed in one state could apply for accelerated licensure procedures
in other states. It is still unclear, however, how many states, if any, will
adopt some or all of the model legislation.
Law enforcement agencies have often relied on
the transparency of blockchains to facilitate investigations. However, certain
privacy-enhancing features have been, or are expected to be, introduced to a
number of digital asset networks. If the XRP Ledger was to adopt any of these
privacy-enhancing features, these features may provide law enforcement agencies
with less visibility into transaction-level data. For example, “privacy pools,”
zero knowledge proofs, and other technologies that could enhance privacy have
been discussed by participants in the XRP Ledger. Europol, the European Union’s
law enforcement agency, released a report in October 2017 noting the increased
use of privacy-enhancing digital assets like Zcash and Monero in criminal
activity on the internet. In August 2022, OFAC banned all U.S. citizens from
using Tornado Cash, a digital asset protocol designed to obfuscate blockchain
transactions, by adding certain Ethereum wallet addresses associated with the
protocol to its Specially Designated Nationals list. On October 19, 2023, FinCEN
published a proposed rulemaking to apply the authorities in Section 311 of the
USA PATRIOT Act to impose requirements on financial institutions that engage in
convertible virtual currency (“CVC”) transactions with CVC mixers. The proposed
rule, if adopted, would require covered financial institutions to report to
FinCEN any CVC transactions they process that involves CVC mixing within or
involving a jurisdiction outside the United States. The term “CVC mixing” covers
more than just transactions that involve CVC mixers like Tornado Cash, and
seemingly could cover a broader range of conduct involving technologies,
services, or methods that have the effect of obfuscating the source,
destination, or amount of a CVC transaction, whether or not the obfuscation was
intentional. If the rule were to be adopted as proposed and if the XRP Ledger
were to be deemed to or were to adopt features which come within the rule’s
ambit, it could cause covered financial institutions - such as many virtual
currency exchanges, or the Fund’s service providers, such as the Prime Broker or
Cash Custodian - to reduce support for or cease offering services for XRP or to
the Fund, which could impair the utility of XRP, the value of the Shares and the
Fund’s ability to operate in compliance with new laws and regulations.
A determination that XRP or any
other digital asset is a “security” may adversely affect the value of
XRP and the value of the Shares, and result in potentially extraordinary,
nonrecurring expenses to, or termination of, the Fund.
Depending on its
characteristics, a digital asset, including XRP, may be considered a “security”
under U.S. federal securities laws. The tests for determining whether a
particular digital asset is a “security” are complex and difficult to apply, and
the outcome is difficult to predict. Public, though non-binding, statements by
senior officials at the SEC have indicated that the SEC does not currently
consider bitcoin to be offered and sold as a security. The SEC staff has also
provided informal assurances via no-action letter to a handful of promoters that
their digital assets are not securities. On the other hand, the SEC under the
prior administration brought enforcement actions against the issuers and
promoters of several other digital assets on the basis that the digital assets
in question are securities. Under the prior administration, the SEC has also
brought enforcement actions against digital asset trading platforms for
allegedly operating unregistered securities exchanges on the basis that certain
of the digital assets traded on their platforms are securities. For example, in
June 2023, the SEC brought suit against two of the largest operators of digital
asset trading platforms in Securities and Exchange Commission v. Binance
Holdings Ltd., et al (the “Binance Complaint”) and Securities and Exchange
Commission v. Coinbase, Inc., and Coinbase Global, Inc. (the “Coinbase
Complaint”), alleging that Binance and Coinbase had solicited U.S. investors to
buy, sell, and trade “crypto asset securities” through their unregistered
trading platforms and operated unregistered securities exchanges, brokerages and
clearing agencies. In addition, in November 2023, the SEC brought similar
charges against Kraken (the “Kraken Complaint”). The Binance Complaint, the
Coinbase Complaint and the Kraken Complaint have previously led to volatility in
digital asset prices, but in February 2025, March 2025 and May 2025,
Coinbase, Kraken and Binance, respectively, entered into a joint stipulation
with the SEC to dismiss the SEC’s lawsuit against them with prejudice. These
dismissals do not mean that the SEC has definitively determined that XRP is not
a security and the ultimate impact of these dismissals is yet unknown. Several
other digital asset market participants have also announced that the SEC
informed them that the SEC was terminating its investigation or enforcement
action into their firm. The final outcome of these lawsuits (to the extent not
yet dismissed), their effect on the broader digital asset ecosystem and the
reputational impact on industry participants, remain uncertain.
Whether a digital asset is
a security under the U.S. federal securities laws depends on whether it is
included in the lists of instruments making up the definition of “security” in
the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and the Investment Company Act. Digital
assets do not appear in any of these lists, although each list includes the
terms “investment contract” and “note,” and the SEC has typically analyzed
whether a particular digital asset is a security by reference to whether it
meets the tests developed by the federal courts interpreting these terms, known
as the “Howey” and “Reves” tests, respectively. For many digital assets, whether
or not the Howey or Reves tests are met is difficult to resolve definitively,
and substantial legal arguments can often be made both in favor of and against a
particular digital asset qualifying as a security under one or both of the Howey
and Reves tests. Adding to the complexity, the SEC staff has indicated that the
security status of a particular digital asset can change over time as the
relevant facts evolve.
If the Sponsor determines
that XRP is a security under the U.S. federal securities laws, whether that
determination is initially made by the Sponsor itself, or because a federal
court upholds an additional allegation that XRP is a security, the Sponsor does
not intend to permit the Fund to continue holding XRP in a way that would
violate the federal securities laws (and therefore would either dissolve the
Fund or potentially seek to operate the Fund in a manner that complies with the
federal securities laws, including the Investment Company Act).
Any enforcement action by
the SEC or a state securities regulator asserting that XRP is a security, or a
court decision to that effect, would be expected to have an immediate material
adverse impact on the trading price of XRP, as well as the Shares. This is
because the business models behind most digital assets are incompatible with
regulations applying to transactions in securities. If a digital asset is
determined to be a security, it is likely to become difficult or impossible for
the digital asset to be traded, cleared or custodied in the United States
through the same channels used by non-security digital assets, which in addition
to materially and adversely affecting the trading value of the digital asset is
likely to significantly impact its liquidity and market participants’ ability to
convert the digital asset into U.S. dollars. Any assertion that a digital asset
is a security by the SEC or another regulatory authority may have similar
effects.
In December 2020, the SEC
filed a complaint against Ripple Labs (the “Ripple Complaint”) and two of its
executives (the “Ripple Defendants”), in the United States District Court for
the Southern District of New York (the “S.D.N.Y.”) alleging that the Ripple
Defendants had conducted unregistered securities offerings by selling XRP in
contravention of Section 5 of the Securities Act. Under Section 5 of the
Securities Act, it is unlawful for any person, directly or indirectly to offer
to sell, offer to buy or purchase or sell a “security” unless a registration
statement is in effect or has been filed with the SEC as to the offer and sale
of such security to the public. The Ripple Defendants did not dispute that they
had offered to sell and sold XRP through interstate commerce and that they had
not filed a registration statement with the SEC for any offer or sale of XRP.
Accordingly, the question before the S.D.N.Y. was whether the Ripple Defendants
offered to sell or sold XRP as a security.
In the years prior to the filing of the Ripple
Complaint, XRP’s market capitalization at times reached over $140 billion.
However, in the weeks following the Ripple Complaint, XRP’s market
capitalization fell to less than $10 billion, which was less than half of its
market
capitalization in the days
prior to the complaint. Likewise, in the days following the announcement of the
Binance Complaint and Coinbase Complaint, the price of various digital assets,
including bitcoin, ether and XRP, declined significantly and may continue to
decline as these cases advance through the federal court system.
On July 13, 2023, the
S.D.N.Y. issued several key rulings in the case. Most notably, the court did not
find that XRP was inherently a security. The court distinguished between the XRP
token itself and the manner in which it was sold. This finding was contrary to
the SEC’s argument, which was that XRP, by its nature, was a security under the
definition provided by the Securities Act, notwithstanding the manner in which
it was sold. The court found that the direct sale of XRP by the Ripple
Defendants to certain sophisticated individuals and entities pursuant to written
contracts did constitute the unregistered offer and sale of securities in
violation of Section 5 of the Securities Act. However, the court also found that
the programmatic sale of XRP by the Ripple Defendants over digital asset trading
platforms in the secondary market did not constitute an unregistered sale of
securities. Similarly, the court found that the XRP that Ripple Defendants
granted to Ripple Labs employees as compensation or to third-party companies to
incentivize the development of new applications for XRP and the XRP Ledger also
did not constitute an unregistered sale of securities.
The S.D.N.Y. entered a final judgment in the
case on August 7, 2024, that imposed a $125 million civil penalty against the
Ripple Defendants (the “Final Judgment”). Following the Final Judgment the SEC
filed an appeal against the Final Judgement with the United States Court of
Appeals for the Second District and the Ripple Defendants filed a cross-appeal.
On August 7, 2025, the SEC announced that it filed a Joint Stipulation of
Dismissal entered into with the Ripple Defendants that dismissed the
cross-appeals, maintained the Final Judgment civil penalty and resolved the
Ripple Complaint.
If XRP is found by a court
or other regulatory body to be a security, the Fund could be considered an
unregistered “investment company” under the Investment Company Act, which could
necessitate the Fund’s liquidation under the terms of the Declaration of Trust.
Furthermore, the Fund could be considered to be engaged in a distribution (i.e.,
a public offering) of unregistered securities in violation of Section 5 of the
Securities Act, which could impose significant civil and criminal liability on
the Fund. There is no guarantee that a court of regulatory body will agree with
the Fund’s assessment of XRP as a non-security.
Moreover, whether or not
the Sponsor or the Fund were subject to additional regulatory requirements as a
result of any determination that its assets include securities, the Sponsor may
nevertheless decide to terminate the Fund, in order, if possible, to liquidate
the Fund’s assets while a liquid market still exists. For example, in response
to the SEC’s action against the issuer of XRP, certain significant market
participants announced they would no longer support XRP and announced measures,
including the delisting of XRP from major digital asset trading platforms. If
the SEC or a federal court were to determine that XRP is a security, it is
likely that the value of the Shares of the Fund would decline significantly.
Furthermore, if a federal court upholds an allegation that XRP is a security,
the Fund itself may be terminated and, if practical, its assets
liquidated.
Competing
industries may have more influence with policymakers than the digital asset
industry, which could lead to the adoption of laws and regulations that are
harmful to the digital asset industry.
The digital asset industry is relatively new
and does not have the same access to policymakers and lobbying organizations in
many jurisdictions compared to industries with which digital assets may be seen
to compete, such as banking, payments and consumer finance. Competitors from
other, more established industries may have greater access to and influence with
governmental officials and regulators and may be successful in persuading these
policymakers that digital assets require heightened levels of regulation
compared to the regulation of traditional financial services. As a result, new
laws and regulations may be proposed and adopted in the United States and
elsewhere, or existing laws and regulations may be interpreted in new ways, that
disfavor or impose compliance burdens on the digital asset industry or crypto
asset platforms, which could adversely impact the value of XRP and therefore the
value of the Shares.
Regulatory
changes or actions in foreign jurisdictions may affect the value of the Shares
or restrict the use of one or more digital assets, validating activity or the
operation of their networks or the digital asset platform market in a manner
that adversely affects the value of the Shares.
Various foreign jurisdictions have, and may
continue to adopt laws, regulations or directives that affect digital asset
networks (including the XRP Ledger), the digital asset markets (including the
XRP market), and their users, particularly digital asset platforms and service
providers that fall within such jurisdictions’ regulatory scope. For example, if
China or other foreign jurisdictions were to ban or otherwise restrict
validating activity, including by regulating or limiting manufacturers’ ability
to produce or sell semiconductors or hard drives in connection with validating,
it would have a material adverse effect on digital asset networks (including the
XRP Ledger), the digital asset market, and as a result, impact the value of the
Shares.
A number of foreign jurisdictions have recently
taken regulatory action aimed at digital asset activities. China has made
transacting in cryptocurrencies illegal for Chinese citizens in mainland China,
and additional restrictions may follow. Both China and South Korea have banned
initial coin offerings (“ICOs”) entirely and regulators in other jurisdictions,
including Canada, Singapore and Hong Kong,
have opined that initial coin offerings may
constitute securities offerings subject to local securities regulations. The
United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority published final rules in October
2020 banning the sale of derivatives and exchange traded notes that reference
certain types of digital assets, contending that they are “ill-suited” to retail
investors citing extreme volatility, valuation challenges and association with
financial crime. A new bill, the Financial Services and Markets Bill (“FSMB”),
became law in 2023. The FSMB brings digital asset activities within the scope of
existing laws governing financial institutions, markets and assets. In addition,
the European Council of the European Union approved the text of Markets in
Crypto-Assets (“MiCA”) in October 2022. MiCA is intended to serve as a
comprehensive regulation of digital asset markets and imposes various
obligations on digital asset issuers and service providers. The main aims of
MiCA are industry regulation, consumer protection, prevention of market abuse
and upholding the integrity of digital asset markets.
Foreign laws, regulations
or directives may conflict with those of the United States and may negatively
impact the acceptance of one or more digital assets by users, merchants and
service providers outside the United States and may therefore impede the growth
or sustainability of the digital asset economy in the European Union, China,
Japan, Russia and the United States and globally, or otherwise negatively affect
the value of XRP. Moreover, other events, such as the interruption in
telecommunications or internet services, cyber-related terrorist acts, civil
disturbances, war or other catastrophes, could also negatively affect the
digital asset economy in one or more jurisdictions. For example, Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 led to volatility in digital asset
prices, with an initial steep decline followed by a sharp rebound in prices. The
effect of any future regulatory change or other events on the Fund or XRP is
impossible to predict, but such change could be substantial and adverse to the
Fund and the value of the Shares.
If
regulators subject the Fund or the Sponsor to regulation as a money services
business or money transmitter, this could result in extraordinary expenses to
the Fund or the Sponsor and also result in decreased liquidity for the
Shares.
To the extent that the activities of the Fund
or the Sponsor cause it to be deemed an MSB under the regulations promulgated by
FinCEN, the Fund or the Sponsor may be required to comply with FinCEN
regulations, make certain reports to FinCEN and maintain certain records.
Similarly, the activities of the Fund or the Sponsor may require it to be
licensed as a money transmitter or as a digital asset business, such as under
the New York State Department of Financial Services’ BitLicense
regulation.
Such additional regulatory obligations may
cause the Fund or the Sponsor to incur extraordinary expenses. If the Fund or
the Sponsor decided to seek the required licenses, there is no guarantee that
they will timely receive them. The Sponsor may decide to discontinue and wind up
the Fund. A dissolution of the Fund in response to the changed regulatory
circumstances may be at a time that is disadvantageous to the
Shareholders.
Additionally, to the extent the Fund or the
Sponsor is found to have operated without appropriate state or federal licenses,
it may be subject to investigation, administrative or court proceedings, and
civil or criminal monetary fines and penalties, all of which would harm the
reputation of the Fund or the Sponsor, and have a material adverse effect on the
price of the Shares.
Anonymity and illicit financing
risk.
Although transaction
details of peer-to-peer transactions are recorded on the XRP Ledger, a buyer or
seller of digital assets on a peer-to-peer basis directly on the XRP Ledger may
never know to whom the public key belongs or the true identity of the party with
whom it is transacting. Public key addresses are randomized sequences of
alphanumeric characters that, standing alone, do not provide sufficient
information to identify users. In addition, certain technologies may obscure the
origin or chain of custody of digital assets. In August 2022, OFAC banned all
U.S. citizens from using Tornado Cash, a digital asset mixing application
consisting of a website, user interface and smart contracts designed to
obfuscate blockchain transactions, by adding certain Ethereum wallet addresses
associated with the protocol to its Specially Designated Nationals list. On
October 19, 2023, FinCEN published a proposed rulemaking under authorities in
Section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act that would impose requirements on financial
institutions that engage in CVC transactions that involve CVC mixing within or
involving a jurisdiction outside the United States. FinCEN’s rulemaking states
that CVC mixing transactions can play a central role in facilitating the
laundering of CVC derived from a variety of illicit activity, and are frequently
used by criminals and state actors to facilitate a range of illicit activity,
including, but not limited to, money laundering, sanctions evasion and weapons
of mass destruction proliferation. Given that the XRP Ledger is global and
anyone can program DApps or smart contracts that will operate and record
transactions on the XRP Ledger, and the fact that their creators or programmers
sometimes remain anonymous, it is not inconceivable that bad actors, such as
those subject to sanctions, could seek to do so.
The opaque nature of the market poses asset
verification challenges for market participants, regulators and auditors and
gives rise to an increased risk of manipulation and fraud, including the
potential for Ponzi schemes, bucket shops and pump and dump schemes. Digital
assets have in the past been used to facilitate illicit activities. If a digital
asset was used to facilitate illicit activities, or a digital asset, or
prominent DApp or smart contract were associated with bad actors or illicit
activity, businesses that facilitate transactions in such digital assets could
be at increased risk of potential criminal or civil liability or lawsuits, or of
having banking or other services cut off, and such digital asset could be
removed from digital asset platforms. Any of the aforementioned or similar
occurrences could adversely
affect the price of the relevant digital asset,
the attractiveness of the respective blockchain network and an investment in the
Shares. If the Fund, the Sponsor or another Fund service provider were to
transact with a sanctioned entity, the Fund, the Sponsor or service provider
would be at risk of potential criminal or civil lawsuits or liability.
The Fund takes measures
with the objective of reducing illicit financing risks in connection with the
Fund’s activities. However, illicit financing risks are present in the digital
asset markets, including markets for XRP. There can be no assurance that the
measures employed by the Fund will prove successful in reducing illicit
financing risks, and the Fund is subject to the complex illicit financing risks
and vulnerabilities present in the digital asset markets. If such risks
materialize, the Fund, the Sponsor or other key service providers and/or their
affiliates could face civil or criminal liability, fines, penalties, or other
punishments, be subject to investigation, have their assets frozen, lose access
to banking services or services provided by other service providers, or suffer
disruptions to their operations, any of which could negatively affect the Fund’s
ability to operate or cause losses in value of the Shares.
In accordance with
applicable regulation, affiliates of the Sponsor have adopted and implemented
policies and procedures that are designed to comply with applicable anti-money
laundering laws and sanctions laws and regulations, including applicable know
your customer (“KYC”) laws and regulations. The Sponsor and the Fund will only
interact with known third-party service providers with respect to whom the
Sponsor or its affiliates have engaged in a thorough due diligence and KYC
process, such as the Authorized Participants, the Prime Broker and XRP
Custodian. Each Authorized Participant must undergo onboarding by the Sponsor
prior to placing creation or redemption orders with respect to the Fund. As a
result, the Sponsor has in place processes and controls designed to prevent a
situation where the Fund would engage in transactions with a counterparty whose
identity the Sponsor and the Fund did not know. The risk remains, however, given
the nature of crypto assets and blockchain technology, that transactions will be
sent to the Fund from a counterparty whose identity is unknown in an unsolicited
“dusting” attack by a third party.
Furthermore, Authorized
Participants, as broker-dealers, and the Prime Broker and XRP Custodian, as an
entity licensed to conduct virtual currency business activity by the New York
Department of Financial Services and a limited purpose trust company subject to
New York Banking Law, respectively, are “financial institutions” subject to the
U.S. Bank Secrecy Act, as amended (“BSA”), and U.S. economic sanctions laws. The
Fund will only accept creation and redemption requests from Authorized
Participants and trade with XRP counterparties who have each represented to the
Fund that they have implemented compliance programs that are designed to ensure
compliance with applicable sanctions and anti-money laundering laws. The Fund
will not hold any XRP except those that have been purchased on behalf of the
Fund via the Prime Broker or other executing agent/broker in connection with
creations and redemptions. Moreover,
the Prime Broker has represented to the Fund that it has implemented and will
maintain and follow compliance programs that are designed to comply with
applicable sanctions and anti-money laundering laws and that it performs both
initial and ongoing due diligence on each of its customers as well as ongoing
transaction monitoring that is designed to identify and report suspicious
activity conducted through customer accounts, including those opened by the
Authorized Participants or their agents/partners for purposes of facilitating
XRP deposits to, and withdrawals from, the Fund’s Trading Balance, as required
by law.
The Prime Broker and XRP
Custodian have adopted and implemented anti-money laundering and sanctions
compliance programs, which provides additional protections designed to prevent
the Sponsor and the Fund from transacting with a sanctioned party. The Prime
Broker performs screening using blockchain analytics to identify, detect, and
mitigate the risk of transacting with a sanctioned or other unlawful actor.
Pursuant to the Prime Broker’s blockchain analytics screening program, any XRP
that is delivered to the Fund’s account will undergo screening designed to
assess whether the origins of that XRP are illicit.
The Prime Broker conducts screening on
transactions by an Authorized Participant to determine whether transactions are
in violation of certain applicable sanctions laws. The Prime Broker and its
affiliates, including the XRP Custodian, will (a) block or reject the deposit
into the Fund’s Trading Account, where required by applicable sanctions laws,
and (b) agree to promptly inform the Fund of its actions, so long as permitted
by applicable law. However, there is no guarantee that such procedures will
always be effective or that the Prime Broker and its affiliates will always
perform their obligations. Such screening may also result in a transaction
identified by such screening being blocked or frozen by the Prime Broker, and
thus made unavailable to the Fund. Moreover, the Custodian Agreement requires
the Fund to withdraw and deposit assets to public blockchain addresses and
accounts for which the Fund has conducted the necessary “know your customer” and
anti-money laundering due diligence. Although the Fund arranges for such
diligence to be performed, including by the Fund’s service providers, there is
no guarantee such diligence will prove effective in identifying all possible
sources of illicit financing risks. If the Authorized Participants, including on
behalf of their designee(s), have inadequate policies, procedures and controls
for complying with applicable anti-money laundering and applicable sanctions
laws or the Fund’s procedures or diligence prove to be ineffective, violations
of such laws could result, which could result in regulatory liability for the
Fund, the Sponsor or other Fund service providers or their respective affiliates
under such laws, including governmental fines, penalties, and other punishments,
as well as potential liability to or cessation of services by the Prime Broker
and its affiliates, including the XRP Custodian, under the Prime Broker
Agreement and Custodian Agreement. Any of the foregoing could result in losses
to the Shareholders or negatively affect the Fund’s ability to operate
Regulatory
changes or interpretations could obligate the Fund or the Sponsor to register
and comply with new regulations, resulting in potentially extraordinary,
nonrecurring expenses to the Fund.
Current and future federal or state
legislation, CFTC and SEC rulemaking and other regulatory developments may
impact the manner in which XRP are treated. In particular, XRP may be classified
by the CFTC as a “commodity interest” under the CEA or may be classified by the
SEC as a “security” under U.S. federal securities laws. The Sponsor and the Fund
cannot be certain as to how future regulatory developments will impact the
treatment of XRP under the law. In the face of such developments, the required
registrations and compliance steps may result in extraordinary, nonrecurring
expenses to the Fund. If the Sponsor decides to terminate the Fund in response
to the changed regulatory circumstances, the Fund may be terminated or
liquidated at a time that is disadvantageous to Shareholders.
To the extent that XRP is deemed to fall within
the definition of a “commodity interest” under the CEA, the Fund and the Sponsor
may be subject to additional regulation under the CEA and CFTC regulations. The
Sponsor may be required to register as a commodity pool operator or commodity
trading adviser with the CFTC and become a member of the National Futures
Association (“NFA”) and may be subject to additional regulatory requirements
with respect to the Fund, including disclosure and reporting requirements. These
additional requirements may result in extraordinary, recurring and/or
nonrecurring expenses of the Fund, thereby materially and adversely impacting
the Shares. If the Sponsor determines it is not feasible or desirable to comply
with such additional regulatory and registration requirements, the Sponsor will
likely terminate the Fund. Any such termination could result in the liquidation
of the Fund’s XRP at a time that is disadvantageous to Shareholders.
To the extent that XRP is
deemed to fall within the definition of a security under U.S. federal securities
laws, the Fund, the Trustee and the Sponsor may be subject to additional
requirements under the Investment Company Act and the Sponsor may be required to
register as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as
amended (the “Investment Advisers Act”). Such additional registration may result
in extraordinary, recurring and/or non‑recurring expenses of the Fund, thereby
materially and adversely impacting the Shares. If the Sponsor determines it is
not feasible or desirable to comply with such additional regulatory and
registration requirements, the Sponsor will likely terminate the Fund. Any such
termination could result in the liquidation of the Fund’s XRP at a time that is
disadvantageous to Shareholders.
The SEC has not asserted regulatory authority
over XRP or trading or ownership of XRP and has not expressed the view that XRP
should be classified or treated as a security for purposes of U.S. federal
securities laws. In March 2018, it was reported that the SEC was examining as
many as 100 investment funds with strategies focused on digital assets. The
reported focus of the examinations is on the accuracy of risk disclosures to
investors in these funds, digital asset pricing practices, and compliance with
rules meant to prevent the theft of investor funds, as well as on information
gathering so that the SEC can better understand new technologies and investment
products. It has further been reported that some of these funds have received
subpoenas from the SEC’s Enforcement Division. The SEC also has determined that
certain digital assets are securities under the U.S. securities laws. In these
determinations, the SEC reasoned that the unregistered offer and sale of digital
assets can, in certain circumstances, including ICOs, be considered illegal
public offering of securities. A significant amount of funding for digital asset
startups has come from ICOs, and if ICOs are halted or face obstacles, or
companies that rely on them face legal action or investigation, it could have a
negative impact on the value of digital assets, including XRP. However, the
SEC’s “Crypto Task Force” has indicated that it is re-examining how
digital assets are considered “securities” under the federal securities laws and
the timeline and outcome of such action is uncertain at this time. Finally,
the SEC’s Division of Examinations (“Examinations”) has stated that digital
assets are an examination priority for 2025. In particular, Examinations has
expressed its intent to focus its examination on the offer, sale,
recommendation, advice, trading, and other activities involving crypto assets
that are offered and sold as securities or related products, such as spot
bitcoin or ether ETPs.
The SEC has recently proposed amendments to the
custody rules under Rule 206(4)-2 of the Investment Advisers Act. The proposed
rule changes would amend the definition of a “qualified custodian” under Rule
206(4)-2(d)(6) and expand the current custody rule in 206(4)-2 to cover all
digital assets, including XRP, and related advisory activities. If enacted as
proposed, these rules would likely impose additional regulatory requirements
with respect to the custody and storage of digital assets, including XRP. The
Sponsor is studying the impact that such amendments may have on the Fund and its
arrangements with the XRP Custodian and Prime Broker. It is possible that such
amendments, if adopted, could prevent the XRP Custodian and Prime Broker from
serving as service providers to the Fund, or require potentially significant
modifications to existing arrangements under the Custody Agreement and Prime
Broker Agreement, which could cause the Fund to bear potentially significant
increased costs. If the Sponsor is unable to make such modifications or appoint
successor service providers to fill the roles that the XRP Custodian and Prime
Broker currently play, the Fund’s operations (including in relation to creations
and redemptions of Creation Units and the holding of XRP) could be negatively
affected, the Fund could be terminated (including at a time that is potentially
disadvantageous to Shareholders), and the value of the Shares or an investment
in the Fund could be affected.
Further, the proposed
amendments could have a severe negative impact on the price of XRP and therefore
the value of the Shares if enacted, by, among other things, making it more
difficult for investors to gain access to XRP, or causing certain holders of XRP
to sell their holdings.
The
treatment of the Fund for U.S. federal income tax purposes is uncertain.
The Sponsor will treat the Fund as a grantor
trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Although not free from doubt due to
the lack of directly governing authority, if the Fund operates as expected, the
Fund should be classified as a “grantor trust” for U.S. federal income tax
purposes (and the following discussion assumes such classification). Assuming
that the Fund is a grantor trust, the Fund will not be subject to U.S. federal
income tax. Instead, each beneficial owner of Shares will be treated as directly
owning its pro rata share of the Fund’s assets and a pro rata portion of the
Fund’s income, gain, losses and deductions will “flow through” to each
beneficial owner of Shares.
The Fund may take certain
positions with respect to the tax consequences of Incidental Rights and its
receipt of IR Virtual Currency. If the IRS were to disagree with, and
successfully challenge any of these positions the Fund might not qualify as a
grantor trust.
As a grantor trust, the Fund can undertake only
certain types of activities. For example, generally, the Fund cannot vary its
investment portfolio to take advantage of market fluctuations. Thus, the Sponsor
may allow the Fund to hold when an actively managed fund would sell. The Sponsor
may distribute proceeds when an actively managed fund would reinvest the
proceeds. In addition, a fund treated as a grantor trust may not participate in
trading or lending activity without raising a risk of change in status. This
means that the returns of the Fund may be less than a successfully actively
managed fund. The Fund may receive income from investment activities that do not
require such decision-making.
Because of the evolving nature of digital
currencies, it is not possible to predict potential future developments that may
arise with respect to digital currencies, including forks, airdrops and other
similar occurrences. Assuming that the Fund is currently a grantor trust for
U.S. federal income tax purposes, certain future developments could render it
impossible, or impracticable, for the Fund to continue to be treated as a
grantor trust for such purposes.
If the Fund is not properly classified as a
grantor trust, the Fund might be classified as a partnership for U.S. federal
income tax purposes. However, due to the uncertain treatment of digital currency
(including XRP) for U.S. federal income tax purposes, there can be no assurance
in this regard. If the Fund were classified as a partnership and not a publicly
traded partnership taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax
purposes, the tax consequences of owning Shares generally would not be
materially different from the tax consequences described herein, although there
might be certain differences, including with respect to timing of the
recognition of taxable income or loss and (in certain circumstances) withholding
taxes. In addition, tax information reports provided to beneficial owners of
Shares would be made in a different form. If the Fund were not classified as
either a grantor trust or a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it
generally would be classified as a corporation for such purposes (including if
the Fund were considered a publicly traded partnership taxable as a corporation
for U.S. federal income tax purposes). If it were treated as a corporation, the
Fund would be subject to entity-level U.S. federal income tax (currently at
the rate of 21%), plus possible state and/or local taxes, on its net taxable
income, and certain distributions made by the Fund to Shareholders would be
treated as taxable dividends to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated
earnings and profits. Any such dividend distributed to a beneficial owner of
Shares that is a non-U.S. person for U.S. federal income tax purposes generally
would be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a rate of 30% (or such lower
rate as may be provided in an applicable tax treaty).
The
treatment of digital currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes is
uncertain.
Assuming that the Fund is properly treated as a
grantor trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes, each beneficial owner of
Shares will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as the owner of an
undivided interest in the XRP (and, if applicable, any Incidental Rights and/or
IR Virtual Currency) held in the Fund. Due to the new and evolving nature of
digital currencies and the absence of comprehensive guidance with respect to
digital currencies, many significant aspects of the U.S. federal income tax
treatment of digital currency are uncertain.
In 2014, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”)
released a notice (the “Notice”) discussing certain aspects of “convertible
virtual currency” (that is, digital currency that has an equivalent value in
fiat currency or that acts as a substitute for fiat currency) for U.S. federal
income tax purposes and, in particular, stating that such digital currency
(i) is “property” (ii) is not “currency” for purposes of the rules
relating to foreign currency gain or loss and (iii) may be held as a
capital asset. In 2019, the IRS released a revenue ruling and a set of
“Frequently Asked Questions” (the “Ruling & FAQs”) that provide some
additional guidance, including guidance to the effect that, under certain
circumstances, hard forks of digital currencies are taxable events giving rise
to ordinary income and guidance with respect to the determination of the tax
basis of digital currency. However, the Notice and the Ruling & FAQs do not
address other
significant aspects of the U.S. federal income
tax treatment of digital currencies. Moreover, although the Ruling & FAQs
address the treatment of hard forks, there continues to be uncertainty with
respect to the timing and amount of the income inclusions.
Future developments that
may arise with respect to digital currencies may increase the uncertainty with
respect to the treatment of digital currencies for U.S. federal income tax
purposes. For example, the Notice addresses only digital currency that is
“convertible virtual currency,” and it is conceivable that, as a result of a
fork, airdrop or similar occurrence, the Fund will hold certain types of digital
currency that are not within the scope of the Notice.
As noted above, with respect to any airdrop of
any non-XRP crypto asset, including Incidental Rights and/or IR Virtual
Currency, or in the event of a fork where it has been determined, in the
discretion of the Sponsor, that the crypto asset received by the Fund is not
XRP, or any similar event, the Sponsor will cause the Fund to irrevocably
abandon such non-XRP crypto asset and, in the event that the Fund seeks to
change this position, an application would need to be filed with the SEC by
NYSE, the listing exchange, seeking approval to amend its listing rules. For the
avoidance of doubt, the only crypto asset to be held by the Fund will be XRP;
the Fund does not have the ability or intention to hold any other crypto asset,
and specific regulatory approval would be required in order to do so.
There can be no assurance that the IRS will not
alter its position with respect to digital currencies in the future or that a
court would uphold the treatment set forth in the Notice and the Ruling &
FAQs. It is also unclear what additional guidance on the treatment of digital
currencies for U.S. federal income tax purposes may be issued in the future. Any
future guidance on the treatment of digital currencies for U.S. federal income
tax purposes could increase the expenses of the Fund and could have an adverse
effect on the prices of digital currencies, including on the price of XRP in the
digital asset markets. As a result, any such future guidance could have an
adverse effect on the value of the Shares.
Shareholders are urged to consult their tax
advisers regarding the tax consequences of owning and disposing of Shares and
digital currencies in general.
Future
developments regarding the treatment of digital currency for U.S. federal income
tax purposes could adversely affect the value of the Shares.
As discussed above, many significant aspects of
the U.S. federal income tax treatment of digital currency, such as XRP, are
uncertain, and it is unclear what guidance on the treatment of digital currency
for U.S. federal income tax purposes may be issued in the future. It is possible
that any such guidance would have an adverse effect on the prices of digital
currency, including on the price of XRP in digital asset platforms, and
therefore may have an adverse effect on the value of the Shares.
Because of the evolving nature of digital
currencies, it is not possible to predict potential future developments that may
arise with respect to digital currencies, including forks, airdrops and similar
occurrences. Such developments may increase the uncertainty with respect to the
treatment of digital currencies for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Moreover,
certain future developments could render it impossible, or impracticable, for
the Fund to continue to be treated as a grantor trust for U.S. federal income
tax purposes.
Future
developments in the treatment of digital currency for tax purposes other than
U.S. federal income tax purposes could adversely affect the value of the
Shares.
The taxing authorities of certain states,
including New York and New Jersey, (i) have announced that they will follow
the Notice with respect to the treatment of digital currencies for state income
tax purposes and/or (ii) have issued guidance exempting the purchase and/or
sale of digital currencies for fiat currency from state sales tax. Other states
have not issued any guidance on these points, and could take different positions
(e.g., imposing sales taxes on purchases and sales of digital currencies for
fiat currency), and states that have issued guidance on their tax treatment of
digital currencies could update or change their tax treatment of digital
currencies. It is unclear what further guidance on the treatment of digital
currencies for state or local tax purposes may be issued in the future. A state
or local government authority’s treatment of XRP may have negative consequences,
including the imposition of a greater tax burden on investors in XRP or the
imposition of a greater cost on the acquisition and disposition of XRP
generally.
The treatment of digital currencies for tax
purposes by non‑U.S. jurisdictions may differ from the treatment of digital
currencies for U.S. federal, state or local tax purposes. It is possible, for
example, that a non‑U.S. jurisdiction would impose sales tax or value-added tax
on purchases and sales of digital currencies for fiat currency. If a foreign
jurisdiction with a significant share of the market of XRP users imposes onerous
tax burdens on digital currency users, or imposes sales or value-added tax on
purchases and sales of digital currency for fiat currency, such actions could
result in decreased demand for XRP in such jurisdiction.
Any future guidance on the treatment of digital
currencies for state, local or non‑U.S. tax purposes could increase the expenses
of the Fund and could have an adverse effect on the prices of digital
currencies, including on the price of XRP in digital asset platforms. As a
result, any such future guidance could have an adverse effect on the value of
the Shares.
A U.S. Tax-Exempt Shareholder may
recognize “unrelated
business taxable income” a consequence of an investment in
Shares.
Under the guidance provided in the Ruling &
FAQs, hard forks, airdrops and similar occurrences with respect to digital
currencies will under certain circumstances be treated as taxable events giving
rise to ordinary income. In the absence of guidance to the contrary, it is
possible that any such income recognized by a U.S. Tax-Exempt Shareholder (as
defined under “U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences” below) would constitute
“unrelated business taxable income” (“UBTI”). Tax-exempt Shareholders should
consult their tax advisers regarding whether such Shareholder may recognize UBTI
as a consequence of an investment in Shares.
Shareholders
could incur a tax liability without an associated distribution of the
Fund.
In the normal course of business, it is
possible that the Fund could incur a taxable gain in connection with the sale of
XRP (such as sales of XRP, including to obtain fiat currency with which to pay
the Sponsor’s Fee or Fund expenses, as well as deemed sales of XRP as a result
of the Fund using XRP to pay the Sponsor’s Fee or its expenses) that is
otherwise not associated with a distribution to Shareholders. Shareholders may
be subject to tax due to the grantor trust status of the Fund even though there
is not a corresponding distribution from the Fund.
A hard “fork” of the XRP Ledger could result in
Shareholders incurring a tax liability.
If a hard fork occurs in the XRP Ledger, the
Fund could temporarily hold both the original XRP and the alternative new XRP.
The IRS has held that a hard fork resulting in the creation of new units of
cryptocurrency is a taxable event giving rise to ordinary income. Moreover, if
such an event occurs, the Declaration of Trust provides that the Sponsor shall
have the discretion to determine whether the original or the alternative asset
shall constitute XRP. The Fund shall treat whichever asset the Sponsor
determines is not XRP as Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency.
The Ruling & FAQs do not address whether
income recognized by a non-U.S. person as a result of a fork, airdrop or similar
occurrence could be subject to the 30% withholding tax imposed on U.S.-source
“fixed or determinable annual or periodical” income. Non-U.S. Shareholders (as
defined under “U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences” below) should assume that,
in the absence of guidance, a withholding agent (including the Sponsor) is
likely to withhold 30% of any such income recognized by a Non-U.S. Shareholder
in respect of its Shares, including by deducting such withheld amounts from
proceeds that such Non-U.S. Shareholder would otherwise be entitled to receive
in connection with a distribution of Incidental Rights or IR Virtual
Currency.
The receipt, distribution
and/or sale of the alternative XRP may cause Shareholders to incur a United
States federal, state, and/or local, or non-U.S., tax liability. Any tax
liability could adversely impact an investment in the Shares and may require
Shareholders to prepare and file tax returns they would not otherwise be
required to prepare and file.
As
a result of the shutdown of the federal government, we have determined to rely
on Section 8(a) of the Securities Act to cause the registration statement of
which this prospectus forms a part to become effective automatically. Our
reliance on Section 8(a) could result in a number of potential adverse
consequences, including the need for us to file a post-effective amendment and
distribute an updated prospectus to investors, or a stop order issued preventing
use of the registration statement, and a corresponding substantial Share price
decline, litigation, reputational harm or other negative results.
The registration statement of which this
prospectus forms a part is expected to become automatically effective by
operation of law pursuant to Section 8(a) of the Securities Act on the 20th
calendar day after the most recent amendment of the registration statement filed
with the SEC, in lieu of the SEC declaring the registration statement effective
following the completion of its review. Although our reliance on Section 8(a)
does not relieve us and other parties from the responsibility for the adequacy
and accuracy of the disclosure set forth in the registration statement and for
ensuring that the registration statement complies with applicable requirements,
use of Section 8(a) poses a risk that, after the date of this prospectus, we may
be required to file a post-effective amendment to the registration statement and
distribute an updated prospectus to investors, or otherwise abandon this
offering, if changes to the information in this prospectus are required, or if a
stop order under Section 8(d) of the Securities Act prevents continued use of
the registration statement. These or similar events could cause the price of the
Shares to decline substantially, result in securities class action or other
litigation, and subject us to significant monetary damages, reputational harm
and other negative results.
Risk Factors Related to
Potential Conflicts of Interest
Potential
conflicts of interest may arise among the Sponsor or its affiliates and the
Fund. The Sponsor and its affiliates have no fiduciary duties to the Fund or its
Shareholders, which may permit them to favor their own interests to the
detriment of the Fund and its Shareholders.
The Sponsor will manage the affairs of the
Fund. Conflicts of interest may arise among the Sponsor and its affiliates, on
the one hand, and the Fund and its Shareholders, on the other hand. As a result
of these conflicts, the Sponsor may favor its own interests and the interests of
its affiliates over the Fund and its Shareholders. These potential conflicts
include, among others, the following:
|
• |
the Sponsor has no fiduciary duties to, and is allowed to take into
account the interests of parties other than, the Fund and its Shareholders
in resolving conflicts of interest, provided the Sponsor does not act in
bad faith; |
|
• |
the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has agreed to indemnify the
officers, affiliates, directors, employees or agents of the Trustee and
the shareholders, members, directors, officers, employees, affiliates and
subsidiaries of the Sponsor pursuant to the Declaration of
Trust; |
|
• |
the Sponsor is responsible for allocating its own limited resources
(including the time and attention of management and business development)
among different clients and potential future business ventures, to each of
which it may owe fiduciary duties; |
|
• |
the Sponsor and its staff also service affiliates of the Sponsor and
their respective clients, and may also service other digital asset
investment vehicles (including serving as the sponsor of other digital
asset related exchange-traded products such as the Franklin Bitcoin ETF,
Franklin Ethereum ETF and Franklin Crypto Index ETF), and cannot devote
all of its, or their, respective time or resources to the management of
the affairs of the Fund; |
|
• |
the Sponsor’s trading decisions for the Fund may be influenced by the
effect they would have on the on the other funds and accounts it
manages; |
|
• |
the Sponsor, its affiliates and their officers and employees are not
prohibited from engaging in other businesses or activities, including
those that might be in direct competition with the
Fund; |
|
• |
affiliates of the Sponsor may have substantial direct investments in
XRP, stablecoins (such as USDC), or other digital assets or companies in
the digital assets ecosystem that they are permitted to manage taking into
account their own interests without regard to the interests of the Fund or
its Shareholders, and any increases, decreases or other changes in such
investments could affect the Index price and, in turn, the value of the
Shares; |
|
• |
The Sponsor’s and its affiliates’ positions on changes that should be
adopted in various XRP Ledgers could be adverse to positions that would
benefit the Fund or its shareholders. Additionally, before or after a hard
fork on the network of an XRP held by the Fund, the Sponsor’s and its
affiliates’ positions regarding which fork among a group of incompatible
forks of such network should be considered the “true” network could be
adverse to positions that would most benefit the
Fund; |
|
• |
the Sponsor decides whether to retain separate counsel, accountants
or others to perform services for the Fund, including vendors with respect
to valuation of the Fund’s assets; and |
|
• |
the Sponsor may appoint an agent to act on behalf of the
Shareholders, which may be the Sponsor or an affiliate of the
Sponsor. |
By purchasing the Shares,
Shareholders agree and consent to the provisions set forth in the Declaration of
Trust.
Investment
vehicles advised or managed by affiliates of the Sponsor may, from time to time,
hold an interest in Coinbase Global, the parent of Coinbase, Inc., which serves
as the Fund’s Prime Broker and operates one of the digital asset platforms
included in the Index price and is the parent of the XRP Custodian.
Investment vehicles advised or managed by
affiliates of the Sponsor own shares in many public companies listed in the
United States, and may take positions in Coinbase Global, the publicly traded
parent of Coinbase, Inc. which operates the Coinbase platform and serves as the
Fund’s Prime Broker. The Fund values its digital assets by reference to the
Index price. Coinbase is one of the digital asset platforms included in the
Index. The Sponsor values its digital assets by reference to the Index price.
Coinbase is one of the digital asset platforms included in the Index.
Although neither the Sponsor nor any affiliates
of the Sponsor nor any investment vehicles managed or advised by any of them
exercise control over Coinbase, it is possible that positions of investment
vehicles managed by affiliates of the Sponsor in Coinbase may present risks to
Shareholders to the extent affiliates of the Sponsor cause the Sponsor to favor
Coinbase’s interests over the interests of the Fund or its Shareholders with
respect to, for example, fees charged, and the quality of service provided by
Coinbase as Prime Broker. Similarly, investors could have concerns that the
Sponsor or affiliates of the Sponsor could influence market data provided by
Coinbase in a way that benefits the Sponsor, for example by artificially
inflating the values of XRP in order to increase the Sponsor’s Fee. This
could make the Fund’s Shares less attractive to
investors than the shares of similar vehicles that do not present these
concerns, adversely affect investor sentiment about the Fund and negatively
affect Share trading prices.
Coinbase Global is also
the parent company of the XRP Custodian, Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC.
The XRP Custodian serves as a fiduciary and custodian on the Fund’s behalf, and
is responsible for safeguarding digital assets held by the Fund, and holding the
private keys that provide access to the Fund’s digital wallets and vaults. The
positions of investment vehicles managed by affiliates of the Sponsor in the
parent company of the XRP Custodian may present risks to Shareholders to the
extent affiliates of the Sponsor cause the Sponsor to favor the XRP Custodian’s
interests over the interests of the Fund or its Shareholders with respect to,
for example, fees charged, and the quality of service provided by the XRP
Custodian. Similarly, it is possible that investors could have concerns that the
interests owned by investment vehicles managed by affiliates of the Sponsor in
Coinbase could cause it to refrain from taking actions that are in the best
interests of the Fund but that could harm the XRP Custodian. This could make the
Fund’s Shares less attractive to investors than the shares of similar vehicles
that do not present these concerns, adversely affect investor sentiment about
the Fund and negatively affect Share trading prices.
Shareholders cannot be assured of
the Sponsor’s
continued services, the discontinuance of which may be detrimental to the
Fund.
Shareholders cannot be assured that the Sponsor
will be willing or able to continue to serve as sponsor to the Fund for any
length of time. If the Sponsor discontinues its activities on behalf of the Fund
and a substitute sponsor is not appointed, the Fund will terminate and liquidate
its XRP.
Appointment of a substitute sponsor will not
guarantee the Fund’s continued operation, successful or otherwise. Because a
substitute sponsor may have no experience managing a digital asset financial
vehicle, a substitute sponsor may not have the experience, knowledge or
expertise required to ensure that the Fund will operate successfully or continue
to operate at all. Therefore, the appointment of a substitute sponsor may not
necessarily be beneficial to the Fund and the Fund may terminate.
Although the XRP Custodian is a
fiduciary with respect to the Fund’s assets, it could resign or be
removed by the Sponsor, which may trigger early dissolution of the
Fund.
The XRP Custodian has
represented that it is a fiduciary under Sec. 100 of the New York Banking
Law and a qualified custodian for purposes of Rule 206(4)-2(d)(6) under the
Investment Advisers Act and is licensed to custody the Fund’s XRP in trust on
the Fund’s behalf. However, the XRP Custodian may terminate the Custodian
Agreement for cause at any time, and the XRP Custodian can terminate the
Custodian Agreement for any reason upon providing the applicable notice provided
under the Custodian Agreement. If the XRP Custodian resigns, is removed, or is
prohibited by applicable law or regulation to act as custodian, and no successor
custodian has been employed, the Sponsor may terminate the Fund in accordance
with the terms of the Declaration of Trust.
Coinbase
serves as the XRP Custodian and prime execution agent for several competing
exchange-traded XRP products, which could adversely affect the Fund’s operations
and ultimately the value of the Shares.
The Prime Broker and XRP Custodian are both
affiliates of Coinbase Global. As of the date hereof, Coinbase Global is the
largest publicly traded cryptoasset company in the world by market
capitalization and is also the largest cryptoasset custodian in the world by
assets under custody. By virtue of its leading market position and capabilities,
and the relatively limited number of institutionally-capable providers of
cryptoasset brokerage and custody services, Coinbase serves as the XRP Custodian
and prime execution agent for several competing exchange-traded XRP products.
Therefore, Coinbase has a critical role in supporting the U.S. spot XRP
exchange-traded product ecosystem, and its size and market share creates the
risk that Coinbase may fail to properly resource its operations to adequately
support all such products that use its services that could harm the Fund, the
Shareholders and the value of the Shares. If Coinbase were to favor the
interests of certain products over others, it could result in inadequate
attention or comparatively unfavorable commercial terms to less favored
products, which could adversely affect the Fund’s operations and ultimately the
value of the Shares.
Shareholders
may be adversely affected by the lack of independent advisers representing
investors in the Fund.
The Sponsor has consulted with counsel,
accountants and other advisers regarding the formation and operation of the
Fund. No counsel was appointed to represent investors in connection with the
formation of the Fund or the establishment of the terms of the Declaration of
Trust and the Shares. Moreover, no counsel has been appointed to represent an
investor in connection with the offering of the Shares. Accordingly, an investor
should consult his, her or its own legal, tax and financial advisers regarding
the desirability of the value of the Shares. Lack of such consultation may lead
to an undesirable investment decision with respect to investment in the
Shares.
Shareholders
and Authorized Participants lack the right under the Custodian Agreement to
assert claims directly against the XRP Custodian, which significantly limits
their options for recourse.
Neither the Shareholders
nor any Authorized Participant have a right under the Custodian Agreement to
assert a claim against the XRP Custodian. Claims under the Custodian Agreement
may only be asserted by the Sponsor on behalf of the Fund.
Risk
Factors Related to ERISA
It is possible that the underlying assets of
the Fund will be deemed to include “plan assets” for the purposes of Title I of
ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code. If the assets of the Fund were deemed to be
“plan assets,” this could result in, among other things, (i) the application of
the prudence and other fiduciary standards of ERISA to investments made by the
Fund and (ii) the possibility that certain transactions in which the Fund might
otherwise seek to engage in the ordinary course of its business and operation
could constitute non-exempt “prohibited transactions” under Section 406 of ERISA
and/or Section 4975 of the Code, which could restrict the Fund from entering
into an otherwise desirable investment or from entering into an otherwise
favorable transaction. In addition, fiduciaries who decide to invest in the Fund
could, under certain circumstances, be liable for “prohibited transactions” or
other violations as a result of their investment in the Fund or as
co-fiduciaries for actions taken by or on behalf of the Fund or the Sponsor.
There may be other federal, state, local, non-U.S. law or regulation that
contains one or more provisions that are similar to the foregoing provisions of
ERISA and the Code that may also apply to an investment in the Fund.
The application of ERISA
(including the corresponding provisions of the Code and other relevant laws) may
be complex and dependent upon the particular facts and circumstances of the Fund
and of each Plan, and it is the responsibility of the appropriate fiduciary of
each investing Plan to ensure that any investment in the Fund by such Plan is
consistent with all applicable requirements. Each Shareholder, whether or not
subject to Title I of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, should consult its own
legal and other advisors regarding the considerations discussed above and all
other relevant ERISA and other considerations before purchasing the
Shares.
USE OF
PROCEEDS
The Fund will issue Creation Units in exchange
for XRP and/or cash. Proceeds received by the Fund from the issuance and
sale of Creation Units will consist of XRP deposits or an amount of cash equal
to the amount necessary to purchase the amount of XRP represented by the
Creation Unit being created. The Prime Broker or other executing
broker/agent facilitates purchases and sales of XRP on behalf of the Fund.
XRP deposits are held by the XRP Custodian or Prime Broker on behalf of the Fund
until (i) delivered to Authorized Participants and/or their designees in
connection with a redemption of Creation Units or (ii) sold (1) to pay the fee
due to the Sponsor and any Fund expenses or liabilities not assumed by the
Sponsor; or (2) to meet redemption requests effected in cash. See the “Business
of the Fund—Fund Expenses” and “Creations and Redemptions” sections
herein.
OVERVIEW OF
THE XRP INDUSTRY
Introduction
XRP is a digital asset
that is created and transmitted through the XRP Ledger, a decentralized ledger
upon which XRP transactions are processed and settled. XRP can be used to
pay for goods and services, or it can be converted to fiat currencies,
such as the U.S. dollar. The XRP Ledger is based on a shared public ledger
similar to the Bitcoin network. However, the XRP Ledger differentiates itself
from other digital asset networks in that its stated primary function is
transactional utility, not store of value. The XRP Ledger is designed to be a
global real-time payment and settlement system. As a result, the XRP Ledger and
XRP aim to improve the speed at which parties on the network may transfer value
while also reducing the fees and delays associated with the traditional methods
of interbank payments.
Ripple Labs and the XRP
Ledger Foundation play distinct yet interconnected roles within the XRP
ecosystem. Ripple Labs, a for-profit company, helped develop the XRP Ledger and
focuses on commercializing it through enterprise-grade financial products like
On-Demand Liquidity and Ripple’s stablecoin RLUSD, integrated via its RippleNet
network for global payments. Ripple Labs manages a large escrowed XRP supply,
releasing tokens periodically to fund ecosystem development, partnerships, and
liquidity initiatives. Through these efforts, Ripple Labs serves as the
commercial driver of XRP adoption, linking the protocol to traditional financial
institutions and payment networks.
In contrast, the XRP Ledger Foundation,
established in 2020 as a non-profit, seeks to ensure the XRP Ledger’s long-term
neutrality and decentralization. Its core mandate is to support the technical
development and governance of the XRP Ledger as open-source infrastructure,
leveraging its fast, low-cost consensus protocol. The XRP Ledger Foundation
maintains validator infrastructure, oversees network health, administers
developer grants, and promotes education and adoption among users and
developers. It acts as a neutral steward, coordinating upgrades, fostering
transparent governance, and ensuring decision making reflects the broader
community, including a diverse validator network, rather than a single corporate
interest.
Together, Ripple Labs and
the XRP Ledger Foundation form a complementary ecosystem. Ripple Labs advances
commercial adoption through financial products and partnerships, navigating
regulatory landscapes to build institutional trust, while the XRP Ledger
Foundation safeguards the open, decentralized nature of the XRP Ledger. This
separation allows Ripple Labs to focus on practical use cases for XRP in global
finance, while the XRP Ledger Foundation seeks to ensure the ledger remains a
public, permissionless network governed by its community. Their collaboration
continues to shape XRP’s role in bridging traditional finance and decentralized
blockchain infrastructure.
Unlike a centralized
system, no single entity controls the XRP Ledger. Instead, a network of
independent nodes validates transactions pursuant to a consensus-based
algorithm. It is this mechanism, as opposed to the proof-of-work mechanism
utilized by the Bitcoin blockchain, that allows the XRP Ledger to be fast,
energy-efficient and scalable, and therefore suitable for its most prominent use
case, the facilitation of cross-border financial transactions. Unlike
proof-of-work systems, which require massive computational power to secure the
network, the consensus-based algorithm utilized by the XRP Ledger is extremely
lightweight in terms of energy usage, as it relies on trusted validators rather
than mining. The XRP Ledger can handle up to 1,500 transactions per second, far
more than the Bitcoin or Ethereum blockchain. This makes the XRP Ledger suitable
for high-volume use cases, such as cross-border payments. Lastly, because
validators do not need to spend resources on mining, transaction fees are
extremely low (typically a fraction of a cent per transaction).
Although launched in 2012,
the concept for XRP and the XRP Ledger traces back to 2004 when a web developer
started work on a decentralized payment system that would enable users to create
and trade their own cryptocurrencies in a peer-to-peer manner. More of an
alternative payment system than a cryptocurrency itself, it laid the conceptual
foundation of what would become XRP and the XRP Ledger. The project was
eventually handed over to Jed McCaleb, Arthur Britto and David Schwartz in 2011
who were seeking to address some of their concerns related to the scalability of
bitcoin and the energy intensive nature of the “proof-of-work” validation
mechanism utilized by the Bitcoin network that relied on “mining.” Their goal
was to create a decentralized ledger that used a network of validators that
would agree on transactions in a fast and secure manner, without relying upon
mining. This led to the development of a consensus-based algorithm. It is this
mechanism, as opposed to the proof-of-work mechanism utilized by the Bitcoin
blockchain or the “proof-of-stake” mechanism utilized by the Ethereum network,
that allows the XRP Ledger to be fast, energy-efficient and scalable, and
therefore suitable for its most prominent use case, the facilitation of
cross-border financial transactions. Proponents of this mechanism often cite
several key advantages it offers. The first is near-instantaneous settlement of
transactions, which normally occurs within 3 – 5 seconds. The second is energy
efficiency. Unlike proof-of-work systems, which require massive computational
power to secure the network, the consensus-based mechanism is relatively light
in terms of energy usage, as it relies on trusted validators rather than mining.
A third advantage is scalability. The XRP Ledger can handle up to 1,500
transactions per second, far more than the Bitcoin or Ethereum blockchain. This
makes the XRP Ledger an attractive option for high-volume use cases, such as
cross-border payments. Lastly, because validators do not need to spend resources
on mining, transaction fees are extremely low (typically a fraction of a cent
per transaction).
Transactions are validated
on the XRP Ledger by a network of independent validator nodes. These nodes do
not mine new blocks but participate in a consensus process to ensure that
transactions are valid and correctly ordered on the ledger. Any node can be a
validator, but for practical purposes, the XRP Ledger depends on a list of
trusted validators known as the Unique Node List or “UNL.” Validators are
entities (which can be individuals, institutions or other organizations) that
run nodes to participate in the consensus process. These validators ensure the
integrity and accuracy of the ledger. Each node in the network maintains a
Unique Node List – a list of other validators that the node trusts to reliably
validate transactions. The XRP Ledger’s decentralized architecture means that
different nodes may maintain different UNLs, but there needs to be some overlap
in the UNLs for consensus to work effectively. Similar to the Bitcoin network, anyone can
join and start using the XRP Ledger; however, unlike the Bitcoin network, which
operates on a fully permissionless blockchain, the XRP Ledger is maintained by a
network of trusted nodes that accept or reject transactions on the XRP
Ledger. As of September 2025, the default
configuration for the XRP Ledger has two Trusted Nodes Lists: one published by
the XRP Foundation, and one published by Ripple Labs. Typically, these default
Trusted Nodes Lists are very similar to one another or even identical. As of
October 2025, Ripple Labs runs only 1 of the 35 validators in the default
Trusted Nodes Lists.
A transaction on the XRP Ledger begins when a
user submits a transaction to the XRP Ledger network. The submitted transaction
is broadcast to all validator nodes. Validators do not immediately confirm
transactions as final; instead, they go through a process of reaching consensus
on which transactions should be included in the next ledger version. Each
validator collects incoming transactions into a proposed ledger, called a
candidate ledger, and then exchanges their proposed candidate ledgers (also
known as proposals) with other validators. The actual consensus process happens
over several rounds. In each round, validators attempt to come to an agreement
on which transactions should be included in the next ledger version. In each
round, validators examine the transactions in the proposed ledger from the
previous round and compare it to the proposals from other validators in their
UNL. If the validator sees that a supermajority (typically 80% of validators) of
trusted validators have proposed the same set of transactions, the validator
updates its proposal to align with the majority. After a few rounds of
exchanging proposals, when a supermajority (typically 80%) of validators have
agreed on the same set of transactions, that version of the ledger is considered
valid. All participating validators then update their copy of the ledger with
the new, agreed-upon transactions. The final ledger version is broadcast to all
nodes, and it becomes the new “official” state of the ledger.
Prior to engaging in XRP
transactions directly on the XRP Ledger, a user generally must first install on
its computer or mobile device an XRP Ledger software program that will allow the
user to generate a private and public key pair associated with an XRP address.
The XRP Ledger software program and the XRP address also enable the user to
connect to the XRP Ledger and transfer XRP to, and receive XRP from, other
users.
Each XRP Ledger address,
or wallet, is associated with a unique “public key” and “private key” pair. To
receive XRP, the XRP recipient must provide its public key to the party
initiating the transfer. This activity is analogous to a recipient for a
transaction in U.S. dollars providing a routing address in wire instructions to
the payor so that cash may be wired to the recipient’s account. The payor
approves the transfer to the address provided by the recipient by “signing” a
transaction that consists of the recipient’s public key with the private key of
the address from where the payor is transferring the XRP. The recipient,
however, does not make public or provide to the sender its related private
key.
XRP can be held in
different types of wallets, including hardware wallets, software wallets and
custodial wallets provided by digital asset trading platforms. The wallet
essentially holds the private keys that control the account on the XRP Ledger.
The private key is crucial for signing transactions on the ledger. Whoever
possesses the private key associated with an XRP Ledger account effectively
controls the XRP held by that account. While XRP is the native asset, the XRP
Ledger also supports the holding and transferring of other assets (like USD,
EUR, or other digital assets) through a system of trust lines. However, these
other assets are not XRP itself; they are IOUs issued by institutions or
individuals on the ledger.
Neither the recipient nor
the sender reveal their private keys in a transaction, because the private key
authorizes transfer of the funds in that address to other users. Therefore, if a
user loses his or her private key, the user may permanently lose access to the
XRP contained in the associated address. Likewise, XRP is irretrievably lost if
the private key associated with them is deleted and no backup has been made.
When sending XRP, a user’s XRP Ledger software program must validate the
transaction with the associated private key. In addition, since every
computation on the XRP Ledger requires processing power, there is a transaction
fee involved with the transfer that is paid by the payor. The resulting
digitally validated transaction is sent by the user’s XRP Ledger software
program to the XRP Ledger validators to allow transaction confirmation.
Some XRP transactions are
conducted “off-blockchain” (i.e., through centralized book-entries) and are
therefore not recorded on the XRP Ledger. These “off-blockchain transactions”
involve the transfer of control over, or ownership of, a specific digital wallet
holding XRP or the reallocation of ownership of certain XRP in a
pooled-ownership digital wallet, such as a digital wallet owned by a digital
asset trading platform. In contrast to on-blockchain transactions, which are
publicly recorded on the XRP Ledger, information and data regarding
off-blockchain transactions are generally not publicly available. Therefore,
off-blockchain transactions are not truly XRP Ledger transactions in that they
do not involve the transfer of transaction data on the XRP Ledger and do not
reflect a movement of XRP between addresses recorded in the XRP Ledger. For
these reasons, off-blockchain transactions are subject to risks as any such
transfer of XRP ownership is not protected by the protocol behind the XRP Ledger
or recorded in, and validated through, the ledger mechanism.
XRP can also be held in
escrow on the XRP Ledger, meaning the XRP is locked up and released only when
certain conditions are met (e.g., at a specific time or when a particular event
occurs). This is a native feature of the ledger, providing flexibility for
complex financial contracts. XRP can also be held in payment channels, which
allow for off-ledger transactions to occur between two parties, with the final
balance being settled on the ledger later. Each XRP Ledger account must also
hold a minimum reserve of XRP (currently 10 XRP) which cannot be spent. This
ensures that only legitimate accounts are created and maintained. The XRP Ledger
supports multi-signature accounts, where multiple keys can be required to
authorize transactions. This adds an extra layer of security for holding and
transferring large amounts of XRP.
The initial creation of
XRP was controlled by Ripple Labs, and Ripple Labs retains a central role in
managing the supply and distribution of XRP due to the large quantity of XRP it
retains. Ripple Labs does not sell, exchange, transmit or retain custody of XRP
for consumers or the public at large, but rather commits XRP to the system so
that it can be used to facilitate payments among institutions as a “bridge
token” and for transaction fees.
The value of XRP is
determined by the supply of, and demand for, XRP on exchanges where XRP is
traded or in private end-user-to-end-user transactions, much of which is driven
by speculation.
Although Ripple Labs and
the XRP Ledger Foundation continue to exert significant influence over the
direction of the development of the XRP Ledger, like the Bitcoin network and the
Ethereum network, the XRP Ledger is decentralized and does not require
governmental authorities or financial institution intermediaries to create,
transmit or determine the value of XRP.
In total, as of October 9, 2025, at least 15
Dapps are currently built on the XRP Network.
Summary
of an XRP Transaction
The following is a summary
of a payment transaction of XRP on the XRP Ledger.
A transaction is initiated
by a user who holds an XRP Ledger account. The user uses their wallet (software,
hardware, or digital asset trading platform-based) to create a transaction. This
transaction includes details such as the destination address, the amount of XRP
to be transferred, and any additional flags or conditions (e.g., destination
tag, which is used for transactions to exchanges or multi-user platforms).
To authenticate the
transaction, the user’s wallet signs the transaction using the private key
associated with their XRP Ledger account. The private key is critical, as it
proves ownership of the account and authorizes the movement of funds. The
signing process involves creating a cryptographic signature unique to the
transaction details and the private key. This signature ensures that the
transaction cannot be altered after it is signed.
Once signed, the
transaction is submitted to the XRP Ledger network. This involves broadcasting
the transaction to a network of decentralized validator nodes. The transaction
is propagated across the network, where it is received by multiple validators.
Validators are independent nodes that maintain a copy of the XRP Ledger and
participate in the consensus process.
The XRP Ledger uses a
unique consensus algorithm rather than proof-of-work or proof-of-stake.
Validators participate in a consensus round, where they agree on the set of
transactions to be included in the next ledger version. During this process,
validators check the validity of each transaction (e.g., ensuring the sender has
sufficient funds, the transaction is correctly signed, etc.). If 80% or more of
the validators agree that the transaction is valid, it is included in the next
ledger update.
The XRP Ledger operates
in “ledger versions,” where each version is a new snapshot of the ledger’s
state, including all confirmed transactions since the last version. When a
transaction is confirmed through consensus, it is included in the next ledger
version. Once the ledger version is closed and published (which happens
approximately every 3-5 seconds), the transaction is considered final and
irreversible. The recipient’s balance is updated, and the sender’s balance is
deducted accordingly. In addition, a small transaction fee (measured in drops,
where 1 XRP = 1,000,000 drops) is deducted from the sender’s account. Each
transaction is assigned a unique transaction hash, which can be used to track
and verify the transaction on the XRP Ledger. Once recorded in the ledger, the
transaction is immutable, providing a permanent record of the transfer.
Limits
on XRP Supply
Unlike other digital
assets such as bitcoin or ether, XRP was not mined gradually over time. Instead,
all 100 billion XRP tokens were created at the time of the XRP Ledger’s launch
in 2012. This means that every XRP token that exists today was generated from
the outset, without the need for a mining process. Of the 100 billion XRP
generated by the XRP Ledger’s code, the founders of Ripple Labs retained 20
billion XRP and the rest, nearly 80 billion XRP, was provided to Ripple Labs.
Out of the 100 billion initially issued XRP, approximately 59.8 billion
XRP have entered circulation as of October 8, 2025.
In 2017, to address
concerns about the large portion of XRP held by Ripple Labs, the company
introduced an escrow mechanism to lock up a significant portion of its XRP
holdings. Under this mechanism, Ripple Labs placed 55 billion XRP (55% of the
total supply) into a series of time-locked escrow accounts. The escrow releases
1 billion XRP per month over 55 months. This process adds a level of
predictability and transparency about how much XRP can enter the market each
month. If Ripple Labs does not use all of the 1 billion XRP released in a given
month, the remaining amount is placed back into escrow for future release. The
purpose of this escrow system is to reassure the market that Ripple Labs will
not release too much XRP at once, which could potentially disrupt XRP’s price or
market dynamics.
Additionally, the fixed
supply of XRP, combined with the burning of XRP (permanently destroyed) as
transaction fees, could create deflationary pressure over time. A small amount
of XRP is burned with every transaction to prevent spam on the network. While
the amount of XRP burned per transaction is minuscule, over time, the total
supply of XRP will slowly decrease. This could lead to a deflationary
environment where the decreasing supply drives up the price of XRP, making it
less practical as a medium of exchange. Additionally, as the total supply of XRP
slowly shrinks due to burning, liquidity could become an issue in the distant
future, potentially making it harder for businesses and users to access
sufficient XRP for their transactions or for the Fund to operate.
See “Risk Factors Related to the Digital Asset
Markets—The fixed supply of XRP may negatively impact the operation of the XRP
Ledger”.
Modifications to the
XRP Ledger Protocol
Modifications to the XRP
Ledger protocol involves a structured process. The first step is identifying a
need or improvement that could benefit the XRP Ledger. This might be related to
performance, security, new features or other enhancements. The proposer drafts a
formal proposal outlining the suggested change. This proposal typically includes
technical details, rationale, potential benefits and any drawbacks or
risks.
The proposal is shared
with the XRP Ledger community, typically through forums such as the XRP Ledger
GitHub repository or community discussion platforms. This allows for initial
feedback, questions, and suggestions from developers, validators and other
stakeholders. During this phase, the proposer may refine the proposal based on
community input. Open dialogue is crucial to ensure the proposal addresses the
community’s needs and concerns.
If the proposal is
generally well-received, the next step involves writing the necessary code to
implement the change. This is often done by the proposer or a group of
developers with expertise in the XRP Ledger’s codebase. The new code is
rigorously tested in various environments. This might include test networks
(such as the XRP Ledger Testnet) to ensure that the change does not introduce
bugs or vulnerabilities and works as intended under different scenarios. The
code is then reviewed by other developers, especially those with a deep
understanding of the XRP Ledger. This peer review process is critical to
maintain the integrity and security of the ledger.
Once the code is developed
and tested, it is proposed as an “amendment” to the XRP Ledger. The
amendment process is a governance mechanism that allows validators to vote on
whether to adopt the proposed changes. Validators on the network signal their
approval or disapproval of the amendment by updating their validator
configuration. For the amendment to be activated, it must receive approval from
at least 80% of the validators on the network for two weeks continuously. If the
amendment meets the required threshold, it is automatically activated on the XRP
Ledger, and the new functionality or modification becomes part of the ledger’s
protocol.
Once activated, the
changes are deployed across the XRP Ledger. All nodes running the XRP Ledger
software must update to the latest version to remain compatible with the
network. Even after deployment, the change is monitored to ensure it behaves as
expected in the live environment. If any issues arise, the community may need to
address them through additional updates or modifications.
After the change is
implemented, the relevant documentation (such as the XRP Ledger technical
documentation, API references, etc.) is updated to reflect the new features or
modifications. The community is informed of the successful implementation
through official channels, including developer blogs, forums, and updates to the
GitHub repository.
There are currently
several amendments merged into development branches or in testing including
Permission Delegation (which will allow accounts to delegate some permissions to
other accounts) and Single Asset Vault (which allows for a pooling of assets
from multiple depositors into a single structure). Other updates, such as native
lending protocols, confidential multi-purpose tokens and zero-knowledge proof
protocols are contemplated for future amendments.
As of the end of the third quarter of 2025,
there were a total of 45 weekly core active developers. (Source: Artemis
Analytics).
Forms of Attack Against the
XRP Ledger
All networked systems are
vulnerable to various kinds of attacks. As with any computer network, the XRP
Ledger contains certain vulnerabilities. The XRP Ledger relies on a
decentralized network of validator nodes that agree on the order and validity of
transactions. These nodes form the backbone of the consensus process. Each
validator node maintains a Unique Node List, which is a list of other validators
it trusts. For a malicious actor to take over, they would need to control a
significant portion of the validators on the majority of these UNLs. To
successfully alter the ledger, the malicious actor would likely need to control
more than 80% of the validator nodes or the voting power on the most widely used
UNLs.
If the malicious actor
cannot control the validator nodes directly, they might attempt to compromise
the validators that are already trusted by the network (i.e., those on the
commonly used UNLs). This could involve hacking, bribery, deception or
coercion.
A malicious actor could
also conduct an “eclipse attack.” In an eclipse attack, a malicious actor could
isolate parts of the network so that the malicious actor’s nodes can influence
the consensus in isolated sections of the network, eventually leading to a split
or takeover.
The XRP Ledger has also been subject to supply
chain attacks, in which hackers target third-party components, services or
software that a digital asset network relies on instead of attacking the network
itself. For example, in April 2025, a malware attack was discovered in a widely
used open-source JavaScript library associated with the XRP Ledger. The
malicious code was inserted through a supply chain vulnerability and had the
potential to compromise applications built using the affected library. While the
core XRP Ledger protocol and validator infrastructure were not directly
compromised, some third-party applications that integrated the compromised
library may have been exposed to risks, including unauthorized access to user
data and disruption of application functionality. The vulnerability was
identified and remediated
by the developer community shortly after discovery, and no material exploitation
of the malware has been publicly confirmed. However, the incident highlights the
XRP Ledger’s reliance on third-party software components. Future incidents of a
similar nature could adversely affect confidence in the XRP Ledger, disrupt
applications that interface with the XRP Ledger, impair network reliability, or
otherwise negatively impact the value of the Shares or the Fund's ability to
operate.
This is not intended as an exhaustive list of
all forms of attack against the XRP Ledger. For additional information, see the
“RISK FACTORS” section of this prospectus.
Market
Participants
Validators
Validators are crucial to
the operation and security of the XRP Ledger. Validators participate in the
consensus process by validating and agreeing on the order and validity of
transactions. They ensure that transactions are consistent across the network,
which helps prevent issues like double-spending. Validators also maintain a copy
of the entire XRP Ledger and work together to decide which transactions are
included in each new ledger version. They confirm transactions approximately
every 3-5 seconds, making the ledger both fast and reliable. Validators vote on
proposed changes to the XRP Ledger protocol through the amendment process. If
80% or more of the validators agree on a proposed amendment for two weeks
continuously, the change is adopted and becomes part of the network’s code.
Validators contribute to the overall health and stability of the network. By
participating in the consensus process, they help secure the ledger against
attacks and ensure that it remains decentralized and trustworthy.
As of October 2025, Ripple
Labs runs only 1 of the 35 validators in the default Trusted Nodes List. Some
universities and research institutions operate validators as part of their
research into blockchain technology and to support the decentralization of the
network. Independent companies, developers, and other entities that support the
XRP Ledger’s ecosystem also run validators. These could include
blockchain-focused companies or other technology firms. Enthusiastic community
members and developers who are committed to the success and decentralization of
the XRP Ledger may also operate validators.
Unlike some other blockchain networks,
validators on the XRP Ledger are not directly compensated for their
participation in the consensus process. The XRP Ledger does not have a block
reward system like that of the Bitcoin network’s mining rewards or the Ethereum
Network’s staking rewards. Since the XRP Ledger is pre-mined and the total
supply of XRP was created at the outset, there is no ongoing issuance of XRP to
distribute as rewards. While validators play a crucial role in the network, they
do not receive the transaction fees that are burned as part of each transaction.
Instead, these fees are destroyed to reduce the overall supply of XRP, which
indirectly benefits all XRP holders by increasing the scarcity of the asset.
Running a validator on the XRP Ledger is generally considered a voluntary
contribution to the health and decentralization of the network. Participants run
validators for reasons other than direct financial gain, such as supporting the
network’s decentralization, ensuring its security, or for reputational benefits
within the XRP community. Institutions like banks, financial entities, or tech
companies might run validators because they use the XRP Ledger in their business
operations. By running a validator, they can have more influence over the
reliability and stability of the network they rely on.
Investment and Speculative
Sector
This sector includes the
investment and trading activities of both private and professional investors and
speculators. Historically, larger financial services institutions are publicly
reported to have limited involvement in investment and trading in digital
assets, although the participation landscape is beginning to change. Currently,
there is relatively limited use of digital assets in the retail and commercial
marketplace in comparison to relatively extensive use by speculators, and a
significant portion of demand for digital assets is generated by speculators and
investors seeking to profit from the short- or long-term holding of digital
assets.
Retail Sector
The retail sector includes users transacting in
direct peer-to-peer XRP transactions through the direct sending of XRP over the
XRP Ledger, as well as users accessing XRP through digital asset platforms. The
retail sector also includes transactions in which consumers pay for goods or
services from commercial or service businesses through direct transactions or
third-party service providers, although the use of XRP as a means of payment is
still developing and has not been accepted in the same manner as bitcoin or
ether due to XRP’s relative nascency and because XRP has a generally different
purpose than bitcoin. In addition, end users of DApps and smart contracts built
on the Layer 1 XRP Ledger can access many types of goods and services and engage
in a variety of transactions using the functionality of the relevant DApp or
smart contract.
Service Sector
This sector includes companies that provide a
variety of services including the buying, selling, payment processing and
storing of XRP. For example, Coinbase, Kraken, Bitstamp and LMAX Digital are
some of the larger XRP trading platforms by volume traded. Coinbase Custody
Trust Company, LLC, the XRP Custodian for the Fund, is a digital asset custodian
that provides custodial accounts that store XRP for users. If the XRP Ledger
grows in adoption, it is anticipated that service providers may expand the
currently available range of services and that additional parties will enter the
service sector for the XRP Ledger.
Competition
As of October 7, 2025,
more than 19,000 other digital assets, as tracked by CoinGecko.com, have been
developed since the inception of bitcoin, which is currently the most developed
digital asset because of the length of time it has been in existence, the
investment in the infrastructure that supports it, and the network of
individuals and entities that are using bitcoin in transactions. While XRP has
enjoyed some success in its limited history, the aggregate value of outstanding
XRP is smaller than that of bitcoin and may be eclipsed by the more rapid
development of other digital assets.
Regulation
of XRP and the XRP Ledger
In December 2020, the SEC
filed a complaint against Ripple Labs (the Ripple Complaint) and two of its
executives (the Ripple Defendants), in the United States District Court for the
Southern District of New York (the S.D.N.Y.) alleging that the Ripple Defendants
had conducted unregistered securities offerings by selling XRP in contravention
of Section 5 of the Securities Act. Under Section 5 of the Securities Act, it is
unlawful for any person, directly or indirectly to offer to sell, offer to buy
or purchase or sell a “security” unless a registration statement is in effect or
has been filed with the SEC as to the offer and sale of such security to the
public. The Ripple Defendants did not dispute that they had offered to sell and
sold XRP through interstate commerce and that they had not filed a registration
statement with the SEC for any offer or sale of XRP. Accordingly, the question
before the S.D.N.Y. was whether the Ripple Defendants offered to sell or sold
XRP as a security.
On July 13, 2023, the
S.D.N.Y. issued several key rulings in the case. Most notably, the court did not
find that XRP was inherently a security. The court distinguished between the XRP
token itself and the manner in which it was sold. This finding was contrary to
the SEC’s argument, which was that XRP, by its nature, was a security under the
definition provided by the Securities Act, notwithstanding the manner in which
it was sold. The court found that the direct sale of XRP by the Ripple
Defendants to certain sophisticated individuals and entities pursuant to written
contracts did constitute the unregistered offer and sale of securities in
violation of Section 5 of the Securities Act. However, the court also found that
the programmatic sale of XRP by the Ripple Defendants over digital asset trading
platforms in the secondary market did not constitute an unregistered sale of
securities. Similarly, the court found that the XRP that Ripple Defendants
granted to Ripple Labs employees as compensation or to third-party companies to
incentivize the development of new applications for XRP and the XRP Ledger also
did not constitute an unregistered sale of securities.
The S.D.N.Y. entered a
final judgment in the case on August 7, 2024 that imposed a $125 million civil
penalty against the Ripple Defendants (the “Final Judgment”). Following the
Final Judgment the SEC filed an appeal against the Final Judgement with the
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the Ripple Defendants
filed a cross-appeal. On August 7, 2025, the SEC announced that it filed a Joint
Stipulation of Dismissal entered into with the Ripple Defendants that dismissed
the cross-appeals, maintained the Final Judgment civil penalty and resolved the
Ripple Complaint.
If XRP is found by a court
or other regulatory body to be a security, the Fund could be considered an
unregistered “investment company” under the Investment Company Act, which could
necessitate the Fund’s liquidation under the terms of the Declaration of Trust.
Furthermore, the Fund could be considered to be engaged in a distribution (i.e.,
a public offering) of unregistered securities in violation of Section 5 of the
Securities Act, which could impose significant civil and criminal liability on
the Fund. There is no guarantee that a court of regulatory body will agree with
the Fund’s assessment of XRP as a non-security.
To the extent that XRP is
deemed to fall within the definition of a security under U.S. federal securities
laws, the Fund and the Sponsor may be subject to additional requirements under
the Investment Company Act and the Investment Advisers Act. The Sponsor or the
Fund may be required to register as an investment adviser under the Investment
Advisers Act. Such additional registration may result in extraordinary,
recurring and/or non-recurring expenses of the Fund, thereby materially and
adversely impacting the Shares. If the Sponsor and/or the Fund determines not to
comply with such additional regulatory and registration requirements, the
Sponsor may terminate the Fund. Any such termination could result in the
liquidation of the Fund’s XRP at a time that is disadvantageous to
Shareholders.
Regulation
of Digital Assets in General
As digital assets have grown in both popularity
and market size, the U.S. Congress and a number of U.S. federal and state
agencies (including FinCEN, SEC, OCC, CFTC, FINRA, the CFPB, the Department of
Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal
Bureau of Investigation,
the IRS, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the FDIC, the Federal
Reserve and state financial institution regulators) have been examining the
operations of digital asset networks, digital asset users and the digital asset
exchange markets, with particular focus on the extent to which digital assets
can be used to launder the proceeds of illegal activities or fund criminal or
terrorist enterprises and the safety and soundness of trading platforms or other
service providers that hold or custody digital assets for users. Many of these
state and federal agencies have issued consumer advisories regarding the risks
posed by digital assets to investors.
Recently, President Trump has issued executive
orders addressing the administration’s intention to establish a comprehensive
digital asset regulatory framework. For example, in July of 2025, President
Trump’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets released a report, “Strengthening
American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology”, which directed the SEC and
other government agencies to provide additional clarity on certain regulatory
considerations in U.S. digital asset markets. It is not possible to
predict whether, or when, any of these developments will lead to Congress
granting additional authorities to the SEC or other regulators, what the nature
of such additional authorities might be, how additional legislation and/or
regulatory oversight might impact the ability of digital asset markets to
function or how any new regulations or changes to existing regulations might
impact the value of digital assets generally and XRP held by the Fund
specifically. The consequences of increased federal regulation of digital assets
and digital asset activities could have a material adverse effect on the Fund
and the Shares.
In addition, the SEC, U.S.
state securities regulators and several foreign governments have issued warnings
and instituted legal proceedings in which they argue that certain digital assets
may be classified as securities and that both those digital assets and any
related initial coin offerings or other primary and secondary market
transactions are subject to securities regulations. For example, in June 2023,
the SEC brought charges against Binance and Coinbase, and in November 2023, the
SEC brought charges against Kraken, alleging that they operated unregistered
securities exchanges, brokerages and clearing agencies.
In its complaints, the SEC
asserted that several digital assets are securities under the federal securities
laws. In February 2025, a 60-day stay was granted in the SEC’s lawsuit against
Binance in response to a joint request by both the SEC and Binance, which
acknowledged that the SEC’s newly formed Crypto Task Force’s focus on developing
a federal securities law framework for digital assets may resolve the case. In
February 2025, March 2025 and May 2025, Coinbase, Kraken and Binance,
respectively, entered into a joint stipulation with the SEC to dismiss the SEC’s
lawsuit against them with prejudice. These dismissals do not mean that the SEC
has definitively determined that XRP is not a security and the ultimate impact
of these dismissals is yet unknown. Several other digital asset market
participants have also announced that the SEC informed them that the SEC was
terminating its investigation or enforcement action into their firm. The final
outcomes of these lawsuits (to the extent not yet dismissed), their effect on
the broader digital asset ecosystem and the reputational impact on the industry
participants, remain uncertain.
In January 2025, the SEC
launched a Crypto Task Force dedicated to developing a comprehensive and clear
regulatory framework for digital assets led by Commissioner Hester Peirce.
Subsequently, Commissioner Peirce announced a list of specific priorities to
further that initiative, which included pursuing final rules related to a
digital asset’s security status, a revised path to registered offerings and
listings for digital asset-based investment vehicles, and clarity regarding
digital asset custody, lending and staking. However, the efforts of the Crypto
Task Force have only recently begun, and how or whether the SEC regulates
digital asset activity in the future remains uncertain.
Additionally, U.S. state
and federal, and foreign regulators and legislatures have taken action against
virtual currency businesses or enacted restrictive regimes in response to
adverse publicity arising from hacks, consumer harm, or criminal activity
stemming from virtual currency activity.
The CFTC has regulatory
jurisdiction over the XRP futures markets. In addition, because the CFTC has
determined that XRP is a “commodity” under the CEA and the rules thereunder, it
has jurisdiction to prosecute fraud and manipulation in the cash, or spot,
market for XRP. The CFTC has pursued enforcement actions relating to fraud and
manipulation involving digital asset markets. Beyond instances of fraud or
manipulation, the CFTC generally does not oversee cash or spot market exchanges
or transactions involving XRP that do not use collateral, leverage, or
financing.
In May of 2025, the CME, a designated contract
market (“DCM”) registered with the CFTC, launched new contracts for XRP futures
products. DCMs are boards of trades (or exchanges) that operate under the
regulatory oversight of the CFTC, pursuant to Section 5 of the
Commodity Exchange Act. To obtain and maintain designation as a DCM, an
exchange must comply on an initial and ongoing basis with twenty-three Core
Principles established in Section 5(d) of the CEA. Among other things, DCMs are
required to establish self- regulatory programs designed to enforce the DCM’s
rules, prevent market manipulation and customer and market abuses, and ensure
the recording and safe storage of trade information. The CFTC engaged in a
“heightened review” of the self-certification of ether futures, which required
DCMs to enter direct or indirect information sharing agreements with spot market
platforms to allow access to trade and trader data; monitor data from cash
markets with respect to price settlements and other XRP prices more broadly, and
identify anomalies and disproportionate moves in the cash markets compared to
the futures markets; engage in inquiries, including at the trade
settlement
level when necessary; and
agree to regular coordination with CFTC surveillance staff on trade activities,
including providing the CFTC surveillance team with trade settlement data upon
request.
Various foreign
jurisdictions have, and may continue to, in the near future, adopt laws,
regulations or directives that may affect the XRP Ledger, digital asset
platforms, and their users, particularly digital asset platforms and service
providers that fall within such jurisdictions’ regulatory scope.
There remains significant
uncertainty regarding foreign governments’ future actions with respect to the
regulation of digital assets and digital asset platforms. Such laws, regulations
or directives may conflict with those of the United States and may negatively
impact the acceptance of XRP by users, merchants and service providers outside
the United States and may therefore impede the growth or sustainability of the
XRP economy in their jurisdictions or globally, or otherwise negatively affect
the value of XRP. The effect of any future regulatory change on the Fund or XRP
is impossible to predict, but such change could be substantial and adverse to
the Fund and the value of the Shares.
XRP
Futures and Spot XRP Markets
XRP spot markets typically permit investors to
open accounts with the market and then purchase and sell XRP via websites or
through mobile applications. Prices for trades on XRP spot markets are typically
reported publicly. An investor opening a trading account on a digital asset
trading platform must deposit an accepted government-issued currency into their
account with the trading platform, or a previously acquired digital asset,
before they can purchase or sell assets on the trading platform. The process of
establishing an account with a digital asset trading platform and trading XRP is
different from, and should not be confused with, the process of users sending
XRP from one XRP address to another XRP address on the XRP Ledger. This latter
process is an activity that occurs on the XRP Ledger, while the former is an
activity that occurs entirely within the order book operated by the digital
asset trading platform. The digital asset trading platform typically records the
investor’s ownership of XRP in its internal books and records, rather than on
the XRP Ledger. The digital asset trading platform ordinarily does not transfer
XRP to the investor on the XRP Ledger unless the investor makes a request to the
exchange to withdraw the XRP in their platform trading account to an
off-platform XRP wallet.
Outside of the spot
markets, XRP can be traded in the over the counter (“OTC”) market in
transactions that are not publicly reported. The OTC market is largely
institutional in nature, and OTC market participants generally consist of
institutional entities, such as firms that offer two-sided liquidity for XRP,
investment managers, proprietary trading firms, high-net-worth individuals that
trade XRP on a proprietary basis, entities with sizeable XRP holdings, and
family offices. The OTC market provides a relatively flexible market in terms of
quotes, price, quantity, and other factors, although it tends to involve large
blocks of XRP. The OTC market has no formal structure and no open-outcry meeting
place. Parties engaging in OTC transactions will agree upon a price — often via
phone or email — and then one of the two parties will then initiate the
transaction. For example, a seller of XRP could initiate the transaction by
sending the XRP to the buyer’s XRP address. The buyer would then wire U.S.
dollars to the seller’s bank account. OTC trades are sometimes hedged and
eventually settled with concomitant trades on digital asset trading
platforms.
Futures contracts are
financial contracts the value of which depends on, or is derived from, the
underlying reference asset. In the case of XRP futures, the underlying reference
asset is XRP. XRP futures trading occurs on exchanges in the U.S. regulated by
the CFTC. In addition, because the CFTC has determined that XRP is a “commodity”
under the CEA and the rules thereunder, it has jurisdiction to prosecute fraud
and manipulation in the cash, or spot, market for XRP. The CFTC has pursued
enforcement actions relating to fraud and manipulation involving digital asset
markets. Beyond instances of fraud or manipulation, the CFTC generally does not
oversee cash or spot market exchanges or transactions involving XRP that do not
use collateral, leverage, or financing.
In addition, XRP futures trading occurs on
exchanges in the United States regulated by the CFTC. The market for
CFTC-regulated trading of XRP is relatively new. As of September 30, 2025,
regulated XRP futures represented approximately $321 million per day on average
in notional trading volume on Chicago Mercantile Exchange (“CME”) in Q3 2025.
XRP futures on the CME traded around $227 million per day since inception, May
19, 2025 through September 30, 2025 and represented around $585 million in open
interest per day (source: Bloomberg). Through the common membership of the
Exchange and the CME XRP Futures market in the Intermarket Surveillance Group
(“ISG”), the Exchange may obtain information regarding trading in the XRP and
listed XRP derivatives from the CME XRP Futures market via the ISG and from
other exchanges who are members or affiliates of the ISG. Such an arrangement
with the ISG and the CME XRP Futures market allows for the surveillance of XRP
futures market conditions and price movements on a real-time and ongoing basis
in order to detect and prevent price distortions, including price distortions
caused by manipulative efforts. The sharing of surveillance information between
the Exchange and the CME XRP Futures market regarding market trading activity,
clearing activity and customer identity assists in detecting, investigating and
deterring fraudulent and manipulative misconduct, as well as violations of the
Exchange’s rules and the applicable federal securities laws and rules. The
Exchange has also implemented surveillance procedures to monitor the trading of
the Shares on the Exchange during all trading sessions and to deter and detect
violations of Exchange rules and the applicable federal securities laws.
Futures contracts may be physically-settled or
cash-settled. XRP futures are generally traded on commodity exchanges registered
with the CFTC. “Cash-settled” means that when the relevant futures contract
expires, if the value of the underlying asset exceeds the futures contract
price, the seller pays to the purchaser cash in the amount of that excess, and
if the futures contract price exceeds the value of the underlying asset, the
purchaser pays to the seller cash in the amount of that excess. In a
cash-settled futures contract on XRP, the amount of cash to be paid is equal to
the difference between the value of the XRP underlying the futures contract at
the close of the last trading day of the contract and the futures contract price
specified in the agreement. The CME has specified that the value of XRP
underlying XRP Futures traded on the CME will be determined by reference to a
volume-weighted average of XRP trading prices on multiple digital asset trading
platforms. Futures contracts exhibit “futures basis,” which refers to the
difference between the current market value of the underlying XRP (the “spot”
price) and the price of the cash-settled futures contracts.
BUSINESS
OF THE FUND
The activities of the Fund
are limited to (1) issuing Creation Units in exchange for XRP and/or cash and
(2) selling or delivering XRP as necessary to cover the Sponsor’s Fee, Fund
expenses not assumed by the Sponsor and other liabilities, and/or in connection
with Creation Unit redemption transactions.
The Fund is not actively
managed. It does not engage in any activities designed to obtain a profit from,
or to mitigate losses caused by, changes in the price of XRP.
Fund
Objective
The Fund seeks to reflect generally the
performance of the price of XRP. The Fund seeks to reflect such performance
before payment of the Fund’s expenses and liabilities. The Shares are intended
to constitute a simple means of making an investment similar to an investment in
XRP rather than by acquiring, holding and trading XRP directly on a peer-to-peer
or other basis or via a digital asset platform. The Shares have been designed to
remove the obstacles represented by the complexities and operational burdens
involved in a direct investment in XRP, while at the same time having an
intrinsic value that reflects, at any given time, the investment exposure to the
XRP owned by the Fund at such time, less the Fund’s expenses and
liabilities. Although the Shares are not the exact equivalent of a direct
investment in XRP, they provide investors with an alternative method of
achieving investment exposure to XRP through the securities market, which may be
more familiar to them.
An investment in Shares is:
Backed by XRP held by the
XRP Custodian on behalf of the Fund.
The Shares are backed by the assets of the
Fund. The XRP Custodian will keep custody of all of the Fund’s XRP, other than
that which is maintained in the Trading Balance with the Prime Broker, in the
Vault Balance. The XRP Custodian will keep the private keys associated with the
Fund’s XRP in the Vault Balance. The hardware, software, systems, and procedures
of the XRP Custodian may not be available or cost-effective for many investors
to access directly. A portion of the Fund’s XRP holdings and cash holdings from
time to time may temporarily be held with the Prime Broker, an affiliate of the
XRP Custodian, in the Trading Balance, in connection with creations and
redemptions of Creation Units and the sale of XRP to pay the Sponsor’s Fee and
Fund expenses not assumed by the Sponsor, to the extent applicable, and in
extraordinary circumstances, in connection with the liquidation of the Fund’s
XRP. These periodic holdings held in the Trading Balance with the Prime Broker
represent an omnibus claim on the Prime Broker’s XRP held on behalf of clients;
these holdings exist across a combination of omnibus hot wallets, omnibus cold
wallets or in accounts in the Prime Broker’s name on a trading venue (including
third-party venues and the Prime Broker’s own execution venue) where the Prime
Broker executes orders to buy and sell XRP on behalf of clients.
As convenient and easy to
handle as any other investment in shares.
Investors may purchase and sell Shares through
traditional securities brokerage accounts, and can avoid the complexities of
handling XRP directly (e.g., managing wallets and public and private keys
themselves, or interfacing with a trading platform), which some investors may
not prefer or may find unfamiliar.
Exchange listed.
Although there can be no assurance that an
actively traded market in the Shares will develop, the Shares will be listed and
traded on the NYSE under the ticker symbol “XRPZ.”
Competition
The Fund and the Sponsor
face competitive pressures with respect to the creation of similar
exchange-traded XRP products. There can be no assurance that the Fund will
achieve market acceptance and scale.
Secondary Market
Trading
While the Fund seeks to reflect generally the
performance of the price of XRP before the payment of the Fund’s expenses and
liabilities, Shares may trade at, above or below their NAV. The NAV will
fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s assets. The trading
prices of Shares will fluctuate in accordance with changes in their NAV as well
as market supply and demand. The amount of the discount or premium in the
trading price relative to the NAV may be influenced by non-concurrent trading
hours between the major XRP markets and NYSE. While the Shares will trade on
NYSE until 4:00 p.m. ET, liquidity in the market for XRP may be reduced,
negatively affecting the trading volume; alternatively, developments in XRP
markets (which operate around the clock), including the price volatility,
declines in trading volumes, and the closing of XRP trading platforms due to
fraud, failures, security breaches or otherwise that occur outside of the NYSE
trading hours will not be reflected in trading prices of the Shares until
trading on the NYSE opens. As a result, during this time, trading spreads, and
the resulting premium or discount, on Shares may widen. However, the Sponsor
believes that the Creation Unit size of 50,000 shares will enable Authorized
Participants to manage inventory and facilitate an effective arbitrage mechanism
for the Fund. The Sponsor believes that the arbitrage opportunities may provide
a mechanism to mitigate the effect of such premium or discount.
The Fund is not registered as an investment
company for purposes of U.S. federal securities laws, and is not subject to
regulation by the SEC as an investment company. Consequently, the owners of
Shares do not have the regulatory protections provided to investors in
registered investment companies. For example, the provisions of the Investment
Company Act that limit transactions with affiliates, prohibit the suspension of
redemptions (except under certain limited circumstances) or limit sales loads,
among others, do not apply to the Fund. The Sponsor is not registered with the
SEC as an investment adviser and is not subject to regulation by the SEC as such
in connection with its activities with respect to the Fund. Consequently, the
owners of Shares do not have the regulatory protections provided to advisory
clients of SEC-registered investment advisers.
The Fund does not hold or trade in commodity
futures contracts or any other instruments regulated by the Commodity Exchange
Act as administered by the CFTC. Furthermore, the Fund is not a commodity pool
for purposes of the CEA. Consequently, the Trustee, Marketing Agent and the
Sponsor are not subject to registration as commodity pool operators or commodity
trading advisors with respect to the Fund. The owners of Shares do not receive
the CEA disclosure document and certified annual report required to be delivered
by the registered commodity pool operator with respect to a commodity pool, and
the owners of Shares do not have the regulatory protections provided to
investors in commodity pools operated by registered commodity pool
operators.
Net Asset Value
The net asset value of the Fund will be equal
to the total assets of the Fund, which consist solely of all XRP and cash less
total liabilities of the Fund, each determined by the Sponsor pursuant to
policies or desktop procedures established from time to time by the Sponsor or
otherwise described herein. The methodology used to calculate the Index price to
value XRP in determining the net asset value of the Fund may not be deemed
consistent with GAAP.
The Sponsor has the exclusive authority to
determine the net asset value of the Fund. The Sponsor has delegated to the
Administrator the responsibility to calculate the net asset value of the Fund,
based on a pricing source selected by the Sponsor. The Administrator will
determine the net asset value of the Fund each Business Day. In determining the
net asset value of the Fund, the Administrator values the XRP held by the Fund
based on the Index, unless the Sponsor in its sole discretion determines that
the Index is unreliable. The CF Benchmarks Index shall constitute the Index,
unless the CF Benchmarks Index is not available or the Sponsor in its sole
discretion determines CF Benchmarks Index is unreliable as the Index and
therefore determines not to use the CF Benchmarks Index as the Index. If the CF
Benchmarks Index is not available or the Sponsor determines, in its sole
discretion, that the CF Benchmarks Index is unreliable (together a “Fair Value
Event”), the Fund’s holdings may be fair valued by the Sponsor. Additionally,
the Administrator will monitor for unusual prices, and escalate to the Sponsor
if detected. The Sponsor reserves the right to change, in its full discretion,
either the index used for calculating NAV or the Index Administrator.
Notification of a material change to the Index or Index Administrator will be
made via a prospectus supplement and/or in the Fund’s periodic reports, will
comport with applicable listing exchange notice requirements and will occur in
advance of any such change. Shareholder approval is not required.
The Administrator
calculates the NAV of the Fund once each Business Day. The NAV for a normal
trading day will be released after 4:00 p.m. ET. Trading during the core trading
session on the Exchange typically closes at 4:00 p.m. ET. However, NAVs are not
officially released until after the completion of a comprehensive review of the
NAV and prices utilized to determine the NAV of the Fund by the Administrator.
Upon the completion of the end of day reviews by the Administrator the NAV is
released to the public typically by 5:30 p.m. ET and generally no later than
8:00 p.m. ET. The period between 4:00 p.m. ET and the NAV release after 5:30
p.m. ET (or later) provides an opportunity for the Administrator and the Sponsor
to detect, flag, investigate, and correct unusual pricing should it occur and
implement a Fair Value Event, if necessary. Any such correction could adversely
affect the value of the Shares.
A Fair Value Event value
determination will be based upon all available factors that the Sponsor deems
relevant at the time of the determination, and may be based on analytical values
determined by the Sponsor using third-party valuation models.
The Sponsor will seek to
determine the fair value price that the Fund might reasonably expect to receive
from the current sale of that asset or liability in an arm’s-length transaction
on the date on which the asset or liability is being valued consistent with
Relevant Transactions. In the instance of a Fair Value Event, an alternate index
selected by the Sponsor, the Lukka Digital Asset Reference Rate – Ripple
(the “Secondary Index”), may be utilized as a secondary pricing source. The Secondary Index is available pursuant
to a license agreement with the Sponsor on behalf of the Fund. If the Secondary
Index is not available or the Sponsor in its sole discretion determines the
Secondary Index is unreliable then the price set by the Fund’s principal market
as of 4:00 p.m. ET, on the valuation date would be utilized. In the event the
principal market price is not available or the Sponsor in its sole discretion
determines the principal market valuation is unreliable the Sponsor will use its
best judgement to determine a good faith estimate of fair value.
The Lukka Digital Asset
Reference Rate – Ripple provides a reference rate for the U.S. dollar price of
XRP (XRP/USD), calculated as of 4:00 p.m. ET. The Lukka Digital Asset Reference
Rate - Ripple aggregates executed transactions from several trading venues,
during a calculation window between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET and produces a
U.S. Dollar price of XRP at 4:00 p.m. ET. Specifically, the Lukka Digital Asset
Reference Rate - Ripple is calculated based on eligible transactions from all of
the eligible exchanges, which are currently Bitfinex, Bitstamp, Coinbase,
Crypto.com, Gemini, Kraken, LMAX Digital, and OKX, and which may change from
time to time as approved by Lukka’s Price Integrity Oversight Board.
Methodology.
In determining the value
of XRP, Lukka applies a multi-step process for aggregating executed transactions
for XRP from several trading venues during a calculation window between 3:00
p.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET to produce an XRP price as of 4:00 p.m. ET.
Step 1: Executed
transactions from eligible exchanges are collected by Lukka.
Step 2: The calculation
window is sectioned into equal time intervals, called partitions.
Step 3: For each
combination of partition, exchange and currency-pair, a Volume Weighted Average
Price (“VWAP”) is calculated.
Step 4: For each partition
and currency pair, the median of these VWAP’s by exchange is calculated.
Step 5: The Lukka
Reference Rate for XRP is then calculated as the simple average of the partition
medians calculated in the previous step.
For financial reporting
purposes only, the Sponsor utilizes the following methodology for valuing the
Fund’s assets and for determining the principal market (or in the absence of a
principal market, the most advantageous market) in accordance with ASC 820-10.
The Sponsor (or its delegate) will determine the Fund’s principal market (or in
the absence of a principal market the most advantageous market) at least
quarterly to determine whether any changes have occurred in XRP markets and the
Fund’s operations that would require a change in the Sponsor’s determination of
the Fund’s principal market.
The Sponsor identifies and
determines the Fund’s principal market (or in the absence of a principal market,
the most advantageous market) for XRP consistent with the application of fair
value measurement framework in FASB ASC 820-10. The principal market is the
market where the reporting entity would normally enter into a transaction to
sell the asset or transfer the liability. The principal market must be available
to and be accessible to the reporting entity. The reporting entity is the
Trust, on behalf of the Fund.
Under ASC 820-10, a principal market is
generally the market with the greatest volume and activity level for the asset
or liability. The determination of the principal market will generally be based
on the market with the greatest volume and level of activity that can be
accessed.
ASC 820-10 determines fair value to be the
price that would be received for XRP in a current sale, which assumes an exit
price resulting from an orderly transaction between market participants on the
measurement date. ASC 820-10 requires the assumption that XRP is sold in its
principal market to market participants (or in the absence of a principal
market, the most advantageous market). Market participants are defined as buyers
and sellers in the principal or most advantageous market that are independent,
knowledgeable, and willing and able to transact.
The Fund expects to transact in an exchange
market, when necessary, to buy and sell XRP in association with cash creations
and redemptions and to sell XRP to satisfy the Fund’s operating liabilities. As
such, the Fund expects to use an exchange market (as defined by ASC 820-10) as
the principal market. Although Authorized Participants (and their liquidity
providers) may transact in other XRP markets, their market accessibility is not
considered because they are not part of the reporting entity.
The Sponsor intends to engage a third-party
vendor to obtain a price from the Fund’s principal market for XRP. The
third-party vendor is expected to follow the Sponsor’s valuation policies and
obtain relevant reliable volume and relevant activity information to identify
the principal market. The information will be reviewed in the following
order:
|
1. |
First, a list of exchange markets operating in compliance with
applicable laws and regulations are scoped into the principal market
determination. Market accessibility and transactability are considered as
part of this process. |
|
2. |
Second, the remaining exchange markets are sorted from high to low
based on relevant reliable volume and activity information of XRP traded
on these exchange markets. |
|
3. |
Third, pricing fluctuations and the degree of variances in price on
exchange markets are reviewed to identify any material notable variances
that may impact the volume or price information of a particular exchange
market. |
|
4. |
Fourth, an exchange market is selected as the principal market based
on the highest relevant market-based volume, level of activity, and price
stability in comparison to the other exchange markets on the list. In
comparison to other markets, exchange markets have the greatest reliable
volume and level of activity for XRP. As a result, an exchange market will
be the Trust’s principal market as opposed to a brokered market, a dealer
market, and principal-to-principal market. |
For purposes of the Fund’s
periodic financial statements, it is expected that an exchange-traded price from
the Fund’s principal market for XRP will be utilized on the Fund’s financial
statement measurement date.
The website for the Fund, which will be
publicly accessible at no charge, will contain the following information: (a)
the current NAV daily and the prior Business Day’s NAV; (b) the prior Business
Day’s NYSE official closing price; (c) the NYSE official closing price in
relation to the NAV as of the time the NAV is calculated and a calculation of
the premium or discount of such NYSE official closing price against such NAV;
(d) data in chart form displaying the frequency distribution of discounts and
premiums of the NYSE official closing price against the NAV, within appropriate
ranges for each of the four previous calendar quarters (or for the life of the
Fund, if shorter); (e) the prospectus; and (f) other applicable quantitative
information. The Fund will also disseminate its holdings on a daily basis on the
Fund’s website. The NAV for the Fund will be calculated by the Administrator
once a day and will be disseminated daily to all market participants at the same
time. Quotation and last sale information regarding the Shares will be
disseminated through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association
(“CTA”).
Valuation of
XRP; The CF Benchmarks Index
On each Business Day, as soon as practicable
after 4:00 p.m. ET, the Administrator evaluates the XRP held by the Fund as
reflected by the CF Benchmarks Index and determines the net asset value of the
Fund. For purposes of making these calculations, a Business Day means any day
other than a day when the NYSE is closed for regular trading.
CF Benchmarks Index is calculated as of 4:00
p.m. ET. The CF Benchmarks Index is regulated under the UK Benchmarks Regulation
(“UK BMR”). The Index Administrator is CF Benchmarks Ltd., a U.K. incorporated
company authorized and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (the
“FCA”) as a registered Benchmark Administrator (FRN 847100) under the UK
BMR.
The CF Benchmarks Index was created to
facilitate financial products based on XRP. It serves as a once-a-day benchmark
rate of the U.S. dollar price of XRP (USD/XRP), calculated as of 4:00 p.m. ET.
The CF Benchmarks Index aggregates spot transactions of XRP in U.S. dollars from
several Constituent Platforms that facilitate trading, during an observation
window between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET into the U.S. dollar price of one XRP
at 4:00 p.m. ET. Specifically, the CF Benchmarks Index is calculated based on
the “Relevant Transactions” (as defined below) of all of its Constituent
Platforms, as follows:
|
• |
All Relevant Transactions are added to a joint list, recording the
time of execution, and trade price for each
transaction. |
|
• |
The list is partitioned by timestamp into 12 equally-sized time
intervals of 5 (five) minute length. |
|
• |
For each partition separately, the volume-weighted median trade price
is calculated from the trade prices and sizes of all Relevant
Transactions, i.e., across all Constituent Platforms. A volume-weighted
median differs from a standard median in that a weighting factor, in this
case trade size, is factored into the
calculation. |
|
• |
The XRPUSD_NY is then determined by the equally-weighted average of
the volume medians of all partitions. |
The CF Benchmarks Index is
solely calculated from spot XRP-USD transactions conducted on Constituent
Platforms within the observation window of 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, it does
not include any futures prices in its methodology. A “Relevant Transaction” is
any cryptocurrency versus U.S. dollar spot trade that occurs during the
observation window between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET on a Constituent Platform
in the XRP/USD pair that is reported and disseminated by a Constituent Platform
through its publicly available Application Programming Interface (“API”) and
observed by the Index Administrator. Although the CF Benchmarks Index is
intended to accurately capture the market price of XRP, third parties may be
able to purchase and sell XRP on public or private markets and such transactions
may take place at prices materially higher or lower than the CF Benchmarks Index
price.
The following provides a
hypothetical example of the CF Benchmarks Index calculation*:
| 1. |
On a given calculation day, the below Relevant Transactions are
observed in Constituent Platform APIs by the CF Benchmarks at 4:01 p.m.
ET: |
|
Partition |
Time |
Price |
Size |
Constituent Platform |
|
1 |
15:02:33 |
2.0529 |
5,005 |
Coinbase |
|
1 |
15:03:21 |
2.0533 |
16,004 |
Kraken |
|
1 |
15:03:55 |
2.0572 |
6,123 |
Crypto.com |
|
1 |
15:04:11 |
2.0598 |
31,554 |
Kraken |
|
2 |
15:06:02 |
2.0677 |
10,067 |
LMAX Digital |
|
2 |
15:08:35 |
2.0622 |
23,000 |
LMAX Digital |
|
3 |
15:12:55 |
2.0811 |
20,019 |
Coinbase |
|
3 |
15:13:08 |
2.0856 |
8,491 |
Crypto.com |
|
3 |
15:14:14 |
2.0891 |
33,000 |
Bitstamp |
|
4 |
15:19:01 |
2.1102 |
55,120 |
Coinbase |
|
4 |
15:19:29 |
2.12 |
17,213 |
Crypto.com |
|
4 |
15:19:33 |
2.1301 |
1,601 |
LMAX Digital |
|
5 |
15:21:22 |
2.1412 |
229 |
Kraken |
|
5 |
15:21:44 |
2.1399 |
11,000 |
Bitstamp |
|
5 |
15:24:09 |
2.1321 |
17,025 |
Kraken |
|
6 |
15:26:11 |
2.1611 |
1,811 |
Kraken |
|
6 |
15:28:07 |
2.1682 |
19,231 |
Kraken |
|
7 |
15:31:01 |
2.1792 |
17,638 |
LMAX Digital |
|
8 |
15:36:24 |
2.1788 |
201,281 |
LMAX Digital |
|
8 |
15:37:21 |
2.1822 |
39,643 |
Coinbase |
|
8 |
15:39:01 |
2.1801 |
21,763 |
Coinbase |
|
8 |
15:39:56 |
2.1911 |
39,862 |
Coinbase |
|
9 |
15:41:00 |
2.1934 |
9,187 |
Bitstamp |
|
10 |
15:47:32 |
2.1966 |
12,700 |
Kraken |
|
10 |
15:48:11 |
2.1988 |
40,129 |
LMAX Digital |
|
10 |
15:48:27 |
2.1911 |
17,967 |
Crypto.com |
|
10 |
15:48:32 |
2.1811 |
75,104 |
Kraken |
|
11 |
15:51:32 |
2.1801 |
85,281 |
Coinbase |
|
11 |
15:52:16 |
2.1816 |
8,801 |
Coinbase |
|
12 |
15:55:01 |
2.1721 |
16,710 |
Bitstamp |
|
12 |
15:55:42 |
2.1707 |
7,092 |
Bitstamp |
|
12 |
15:57:02 |
2.1701 |
202 |
Coinbase |
|
12 |
15:58:01 |
2.1698 |
4,617 |
Kraken |
| 2. |
The Index Administrator segments these transactions by their
timestamp into 12 partitions of equal 5-minute length as shown in the
first column in the above table. |
| 3. |
The Index Administrator calculates the volume weighted median price
for each partition, the result of which is shown
below: |
|
Partition |
Volume (XRP) |
Volume Weighted Median
Price ($) |
|
1 |
58,686 |
2.0598 |
|
2 |
33,067 |
2.0622 |
|
3 |
61,510 |
2.0891 |
|
4 |
73,934 |
2.1102 |
|
5 |
28,254 |
2.1321 |
|
6 |
21,042 |
2.1682 |
|
7 |
17,638 |
2.1792 |
|
8 |
302,549 |
2.1788 |
|
9 |
9,187 |
2.1934 |
|
10 |
145,900 |
2.1811 |
|
11 |
94,082 |
2.1801 |
|
12 |
28,621 |
2.1721 |
| 4. |
The average of the 12 volume weighted medians is calculated to be
$2.14219 |
| 5. |
The volume weighted median for all transactions observed from each
Constituent Platform is then calculated individually, the median of these
five volume weighted medians and the percentage deviation of each
Constituent Platform volume weighted median from this median is also
calculated to determine whether the deviation is greater than 5% (where in
accordance with the potentially erroneous data provisions of the Index
Methodology the transaction data for any Constituent Platform that
exhibits this is removed from the calculation). As shown in the below
table, the deviation exhibited by each Constituent Platform is well within
10% and hence all Constituent Platform transaction data is used to
determine the Index: |
|
Constituent Platform
Volume Weighted Median vs. Potentially Erroneous Data Threshold
(5%) |
| |
Bitstamp |
Coinbase |
Kraken |
LMAX Digital |
Crypto.com |
Median of VWMs |
|
Volume Weighted Median ($) |
2.1399 |
2.1801 |
2.1682 |
2.1788 |
2.12 |
2.1682 |
|
Deviation to Median |
1.31% |
0.55% |
0.00% |
0.49% |
2.22% |
N/A |
6. The Index price for this given calculation
date is $2.14219.
* Source: CF Benchmarks
In seeking to ensure that the CF Benchmarks
Index is administered through the Index Administrator’s codified policies for CF
Benchmarks Index integrity, the Index is subject to oversight by the CME CF
Oversight Committee, whose Founding Charter and quarterly meeting minutes are
publicly available.
As of October 31, 2025, the Constituent
Platforms included in the CF Benchmarks Index that is utilized by the Fund are
Bitstamp, Coinbase, Kraken, LMAX Digital, and Crypto.com.
Bitstamp: A Europe based platform founded in
2011, with presence in the USA since 2019 licensed under NY DFS Bitlicense,
registered as an MSB with FinCEN and holds Money Transmission Licenses in
various U.S. states. Since June 2025 Bitstamp has been a wholly owned subsidiary
of Robinhood Markets Inc. of the U.S.
Coinbase: A U.S.-based platform registered as
an MSB with FinCEN and licensed as a virtual currency business under the NYDFS
BitLicense as well as a money transmitter in various U.S. states. Coinbase also holds a variety of other
licenses and regulatory approvals to operate in jurisdictions such as Australia,
Europe, U.K., Singapore and Bermuda.
Kraken:
A U.S.-based platform that is registered as an MSB with FinCEN in various U.S.
states. Kraken also holds a variety of other licenses and regulatory approvals
to operate in in jurisdictions such as Australia, British Virgin Islands,
Canada, Europe, Singapore and U.K.
LMAX Digital: A Gibraltar based platform
regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (‟GFSCˮ) as a DLT
provider for execution and custody services. It is part of LMAX Group, a
U.K-based operator of an FCA regulated Multilateral Trading Facility and
Broker-Dealer.
Crypto.com Exchange is the product name
of FORIS DAX, a Singapore based company that is licensed as a Major Payment
Institution by the Monetary Authority of Singapore and E-Money Institution by
the UK FCA. Within the U.S. it operates as a Money Services Business registered
with FinCEN and holds Money Transmission Licenses in various U.S. states
The domicile, regulation and legal compliance
of the XRP platforms included in the CF Benchmarks Index varies. Further
information regarding each XRP platform may be found, where available, on the
websites for such XRP platforms and public registers for compliance with local
regulations, among other places.
The five Constituent Platforms that contribute
transaction data to the CF Benchmarks Index with the aggregate volumes traded on
their respective XRP/USD markets over the preceding four calendar quarters
listed in the table below:
|
Aggregate Trading
Volume of XRP-USD Amongst CME CF Constituent Platforms |
|
Period |
Bitstamp |
Crypto.com
|
Coinbase |
Kraken |
LMAX Digital |
Others* |
|
2024 Q4 |
3,041,430,171 |
N/A |
31,368,749,105 |
6,391,528,706 |
2,394,271,308 |
10,152,768,018 |
|
2025 Q1 |
4,065,856,175 |
N/A |
41,673,973,223 |
9,319,490,767 |
3,367,171,133 |
11,051,309,333 |
|
2025 Q2 |
1,872,031,783 |
4,076,942,014 |
17,477,545,955 |
3,938,366,778 |
4,790,242,877 |
794,028,761 |
|
2025 Q3 |
4,289,893,060 |
3,424,920,990 |
25,139,164,126 |
8,223,421,131 |
1,786,478,612 |
3,019,715,213 |
*Includes: Binanceusa; Bitfinex; Bullish;
Cexio; Coinjar; Cryptology; Currency; Edxmarkets; Hashkey; Independentreserve;
Inx; Itbit; Okex; Whitebit; Zonda
The market share for XRP/USD trading of the five Constituent Platforms over
the past four calendar quarters is shown in the table below:
|
Market Share of XRP-USD
Trading Amongst CME CF Constituent Platforms |
|
Period |
Bitstamp |
Crypto.com
|
Coinbase |
Kraken |
LMAX Digital |
Others* |
|
2024 Q4 |
5.70% |
N/A |
58.80% |
11.98% |
4.49% |
19.03% |
|
2025 Q1 |
5.85% |
N/A |
59.98% |
13.41% |
4.85% |
15.91% |
|
2025 Q2 |
5.68% |
12.37% |
53.04% |
11.95% |
14.54% |
2.41% |
|
2025 Q3 |
9.35% |
7.46% |
54.79% |
17.92% |
3.89% |
6.58% |
** Source: CF Benchmarks
The list of platforms on which the Fund
executes transactions may change from time to time, and the Index Administrator
may make changes to the Constituent Platforms comprising the Index from time to
time. The platforms on which the Fund executes transactions do not impact the
Constituent Platforms. Once the Fund has actual knowledge of material changes to
the Constituent Platforms used to calculate the Index or the CF Benchmarks
Index’s methodology to calculate the Index price, the Fund will notify
Shareholders in a prospectus supplement, in its periodic Exchange Act reports
and/or on the Fund’s website.
The selection of platforms
for use in the CF Benchmarks Index is approved by the Oversight Committee of the
Index Administrator (the “Oversight Committee”). A trading platform is eligible
as a “Constituent Platform” in any of the CME CF Cryptocurrency Pricing Products
if it offers a market that facilitates the spot trading of the relevant
cryptocurrency base asset against the corresponding quote asset, including
markets where the quote asset is made fungible with accepted assets (the
“Relevant Pair”) and makes trade data and order data available through an API
with sufficient reliability, detail and timeliness. The Oversight Committee
considers a trading venue to offer sufficiently reliable, detailed and timely
trade data and order data through an API when: (i) the API for the “Constituent
Platform” does not fall or become unavailable to a degree that impacts the
integrity of the Index given the frequency of calculation; (ii) the data
published is at the resolution required so that the benchmark can be calculated,
with the frequency and dissemination precision required; and (iii) the data is
broadcast and available for retrieval at the required frequency (and not
negatively impacted by latency) to allow the methodologies to be applied as
intended.
Furthermore, it must, in the opinion of the
Oversight Committee, fulfill the following criteria:
1. The platform’s Relevant Pair spot trading
volume for an index must meet the minimum thresholds as detailed below for it to
be admitted as a constituent platform: The average daily volume the venue would
have contributed during the observation window for the XRPUSD_NY of the Relevant
Pair exceeds 3% for two consecutive calendar quarters.
2. The platform has policies to ensure fair and
transparent market conditions at all times and has processes in place to
identify and impede illegal, unfair or manipulative trading practices.
3. The platform does not impose undue barriers
to entry or restrictions on market participants, and utilizing the venue does
not expose market participants to undue credit risk, operational risk, legal
risk or other risks.
4. The platform complies with applicable law
and regulations, including, but not limited to capital markets regulations,
money transmission regulations, client money custody regulations, KYC
regulations and anti-money-laundering regulations.
5. The venue cooperates with inquiries and
investigations of regulators and CF Benchmarks upon request and must execute
data sharing agreements with CME Group.
Once admitted, a
Constituent Platform must demonstrate that it continues to fulfil the criteria 2
- 5. Should the average daily contribution of a Constituent Platform fall below
3% for any XRPUSD_NY then the continued inclusion of the venue as a Constituent
Platform to the Relevant Pair shall be assessed by the CME CF Oversight
Committee.
The Index Administrator
may make changes to the Constituent Platforms comprising the Index from time to
time. Once it has actual knowledge of material changes to the Constituent
Platforms used to calculate the Index, the Fund will notify Shareholders in a
prospectus supplement, in its periodic reports, and/or on the Fund’s
website.
The Sponsor believes that the use of the CF
Benchmarks Index is reflective of a reasonable valuation of the spot price of
XRP and that resistance to manipulation is a priority aim of its design
methodology. The methodology: (i) takes an observation period and divides it
into equal partitions of time; (ii) then calculates the volume-weighted median
of all transactions within each partition; and (iii) the value is determined
from the arithmetic mean of the volume-weighted medians, equally weighted. By
employing the foregoing steps and specifically doing so over a one hour period,
the CF Benchmarks Index thereby seeks to ensure that transactions in XRP
conducted at outlying prices do not have an undue effect on the Index value,
large trades or clusters of trades transacted over a short period of time will
not have an undue influence on the Index value, and the effect of large trades
at prices that deviate from the prevailing price are mitigated from having an
undue influence on the benchmark level.
In addition, the Sponsor
notes that to ensure the integrity of the CF Benchmarks Index, it is subject to
the UK BMR regulations, compliance with which regulations has been subject to a
Reasonable Assurance Audit under the ISAE 3000 standard for the period of
September 12, 2022 to September 12, 2024, which is publicly available
www.cfbenchmarks.com.
The CF Benchmarks Index is administered under
the CF Benchmarks Control Framework to ensure compliance with UK BMR.
Specifically, provisions within the following the policies in combination are
designed to ensure the integrity of its benchmarks, including the CF Benchmarks
Index:
|
• |
CF Benchmarks Input Data Policy - Governs CF Benchmarks use of input
data, input data sources, the determination of data sufficiency and
relevant controls that are applied to ensure the integrity of its
benchmarks. |
|
• |
CF Benchmarks Surveillance Policy - Governs the aims, design,
potential susceptibility and implementation of the measures CF Benchmarks
has in place in impede, detect and report on potential and actual
benchmark manipulation and ensure the integrity of its
benchmarks. |
|
• |
CF Benchmarks Conflict of Interest Policy and CME CF Conflicts of
Interest Policy - Governs the measures by which CF Benchmarks identifies,
records, mitigates and escalates potential and actual conflicts of
interest that might impact the integrity of its
benchmarks. |
|
• |
CF Benchmarks Governance & Oversight Framework - Lays out the
measures by which CF Benchmarks manages the benchmark life cycle including
the relevant junctures where Oversight Committee notification, escalation,
review and resolution is relevant and required including the manner in
which CF Benchmarks identifies risks to benchmark integrity and the
processes and procedures it follows to mitigate and eliminate such
risks. |
CF BENCHMARKS LTD LICENSOR PRODUCT(S) IS USED
UNDER LICENSE AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION. CF BENCHMARKS LTD, ITS LICENSORS AND
AGENTS HAVE NO OTHER CONNECTION TO THE FUND OR THE SPONSOR AND DO NOT SPONSOR,
ENDORSE, RECOMMEND OR PROMOTE ANY PRODUCTS OR SERVICES INCLUDING AS DESCRIBED
HEREIN. CF BENCHMARKS ITS LICENSORS AND AGENTS HAVE NO OBLIGATION OR LIABILITY
IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING AND SALE OF THE FUND. CF BENCHMARKS ITS
LICENSORS AND AGENTS DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF
ANY INDEX LICENSED TO THE FUND OR THE SPONSOR AND SHALL NOT HAVE ANY LIABILITY
FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN.
Fund Expenses
The Fund’s only ordinary recurring expense is
expected to be the Sponsor’s Fee. In exchange for the Sponsor’s Fee, the Sponsor
has agreed to assume the marketing and the following administrative expenses of
the Fund: the fees charged by the Administrator, the Marketing Agent. the
Custodians, and the Trustee, NYSE listing fees, SEC registration fees, printing
and mailing costs, tax reporting fees, audit fees, license fees and expenses and
up to $500,000 per annum in ordinary legal fees and expenses. The Sponsor may
determine in its sole discretion to assume legal fees and expenses of the Fund
in excess of the $500,000 per annum stipulated in the Sponsor Agreement. There
are no set circumstances in which the Sponsor has determined to assume legal
fees and expenses in excess of the amount stipulated in the Sponsor Agreement,
but such expenses may be assumed by the Sponsor, for example, to help the Fund
achieve scale (i.e., by ensuring that the Fund’s expenses remain competitive
with similar products offered by competitors to help the Fund to gain sufficient
assets such that the continued operation of the Fund by the Sponsor is
economically viable). To the extent that the Sponsor does not voluntarily assume
such fees and expenses, they will be the responsibility of the Fund.
Additionally, there is no cap on the aggregate amount of expenses that could be
assumed by the Sponsor each year, except as otherwise described herein. The
Sponsor will also pay the costs of the Trust’s and Fund’s organization and the
initial offering costs.
The Sponsor’s Fee, which
is compensation for the Sponsor’s services rendered to the Fund, is calculated
and accrued daily at an annualized rate of 0.19% (i.e., 0.19%/365 days) of the
net asset value of the Fund and is payable at least quarterly in arrears in U.S.
dollars. The Sponsor may, at its sole discretion and from time to time, waive
all or a portion of the Sponsor’s Fee for stated periods of time. The Sponsor is
under no obligation to waive any portion of its fees and any such waiver shall
create no obligation to waive any such fees during any period not covered by the
waiver.
For a period commencing on the day the Shares
are initially listed on the Exchange to May 31, 2026, the Sponsor will waive the
entire Sponsor’s Fee on the first $5.0 billion of the Fund’s assets. In the
future, if the Sponsor decides to waive all or a portion of the Sponsor’s Fee,
Shareholders will be notified in a prospectus supplement, in the Fund’s periodic
reports and/or on the Sponsor’s website for the Fund.
The net asset value of the Fund will be equal
to the total assets of the Fund, which consist solely of XRP and cash, less
total liabilities of the Fund, each determined by the Administrator as described
herein. The methodology used to calculate an index (the “Index”) price to value
XRP in determining the net asset value of the Fund may not be deemed consistent
with U.S. GAAP.
The Sponsor has the exclusive authority to
determine the Fund’s net asset value. The Sponsor has delegated to the
Administrator the responsibility to calculate the net asset value of the Fund,
based on a pricing source selected by the Sponsor. In determining the Fund’s net
asset value, the Administrator values the XRP held by the Fund based on the
Index, unless the Sponsor in its sole discretion determines that the index is
unreliable. The CF Benchmarks Index shall constitute the Index, unless the CF
Benchmarks Index is not available or the Sponsor in its sole discretion
determines the CF Benchmarks Index is unreliable as the Index and therefore
determines not to use the CF Benchmarks Index as the Index. If the CF Benchmarks
Index is not available or the Sponsor determines, in its sole discretion, that
the CF Benchmarks Index is unreliable (referred to herein as a “Fair Value
Event”), the Fund’s holdings may be fair valued by the Sponsor. Additionally,
the Administrator will monitor for unusual prices and escalate to the Sponsor if
detected. Notification of a material change to the Index or Index Administrator
will be made via a prospectus supplement and/or in the Fund’s periodic reports,
will comport with applicable listing exchange notice requirements and will occur
in advance of any such change. Shareholder approval is not required.
The Administrator calculates the NAV of the
Fund once each Business Day. The NAV for a normal trading day will be released
after 4:00 p.m. ET. Trading during the core trading session on the Exchange
typically closes at 4:00 p.m. ET. However, NAVs are not officially released
until after the completion of a comprehensive review of the NAV and prices
utilized to determine the NAV of the Fund by the Administrator. Upon the
completion of the end of day reviews by the Administrator, the NAV is released
to the public typically by 5:30 p.m. ET and generally no later than 8:00 p.m.
ET. The period between 4:00 p.m. ET and the NAV release after 5:30 p.m. ET (or
later) provides an opportunity for the Administrator and the Sponsor to detect,
flag, investigate, and correct unusual pricing should it occur and implement a
Fair Value Event, if necessary. Any such correction could adversely affect the
value of the Shares.
The Fund may incur certain extraordinary,
non-recurring expenses that are not assumed by the Sponsor, including but not
limited to, taxes and governmental charges, any applicable brokerage
commissions, XRP Ledger fees and similar transaction fees that qualify as
extraordinary or non-routine expenses as described above, financing fees,
expenses and costs of any extraordinary services performed by the Sponsor (or
any other service provider) on behalf of the Fund to protect the Fund or the
interests of Shareholders (including, for example, in connection with any fork
of the XRP Ledger, any Incidental Rights and any IR Virtual Currency), any
indemnification of the Cash Custodian, XRP Custodian, Prime Broker,
Administrator or other agents, service providers or counterparties of the
Fund, and extraordinary legal fees and expenses, including any legal fees and
expenses incurred in connection with litigation, regulatory enforcement or
investigation matters. The Fund will need to sell XRP to cover the Sponsor’s Fee
and expenses not assumed by the Sponsor, if any. Fund expenses not assumed by
the Sponsor shall accrue daily and be payable by the Fund to the Sponsor at
least quarterly in arrears. The Fund may also be subject to other liabilities
(for example, as a result of litigation) that have also not been assumed by the
Sponsor. The only source of funds to cover those liabilities will be sales of
XRP held by the Fund. Even if there are no expenses other than those assumed by
the Sponsor, and there are no other liabilities of the Fund, the Fund will still
need to sell XRP to pay the Sponsor’s Fee. The Fund bears transaction costs,
including any XRP Ledger fees or other similar transaction fees, in connection
with any sales of XRP necessary to pay the Sponsor’s Fee, as well as other Fund
expenses (if any) that are not assumed by the Sponsor. The result of these sales
is a decrease in the amount of XRP represented by each Share. Any XRP Ledger
fees and similar transaction fees incurred in connection with the creation or
redemption of Creation Units are borne by the Authorized Participant.
To cover the Sponsor’s Fee and expenses not
assumed by the Sponsor, the Sponsor or its delegate will cause the Fund to
convert XRP into U.S. dollars generally at the price available through the Prime
Broker’s Coinbase Prime service (less applicable trading fees) through the
Trading Platform which the Sponsor is able to obtain using commercially
reasonable efforts. The number of XRP represented by a Share will decline each
time the Fund pays the Sponsor’s Fee or any Fund expenses not assumed by the
Sponsor by transferring or selling XRP. The Fund cannot reinvest any cash
received from such sales into XRP, and must use that cash to pay the Sponsor’s
Fee and/or other Fund expenses not assumed by the Sponsor, and/or distribute any
excess cash to investors. In the event of the liquidation of the Fund, the Fund
will bear any expenses, including transaction costs such as network fees or
other similar transaction fees.
The quantity of XRP to be sold to permit
payment of the Sponsor’s Fee or Fund expenses not assumed by the Sponsor, will
vary from time to time depending on the level of the Fund’s expenses and the
value of XRP held by the Fund. Assuming that the Fund is a grantor trust for
U.S. federal income tax purposes, each delivery or sale of XRP by the Fund for
the payment of expenses generally will be a taxable event to Shareholders. See
“U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences.”
In the event that any of the foregoing fees and
expenses are incurred with respect to the Fund and other Client Accounts (as
defined in “Conflicts of Interest”), the Sponsor will allocate the costs across
the entities on a pro rata basis, except to the extent that certain expenses are
specifically attributable to the Fund or another Client Account. The Fund expects that any trading
commissions associated with block trading, if applicable, will be allocated
across the relevant entities on a pro rata basis.
Impact of Fund
Expenses on the Fund’s Net Asset
Value
The Fund sells XRP to
raise the funds needed for the payment of the Sponsor’s Fee and all Fund
expenses or liabilities not assumed by the Sponsor. See “The Sponsor—The
Sponsor’s Fee.” The purchase price received as consideration for such sales is
the Fund’s sole source of funds to cover its liabilities. The Fund does not
engage in any activity designed to derive a profit from changes in the price of
XRP. As a result of the recurring sales of XRP necessary to pay the Sponsor’s
Fee and the Fund expenses or liabilities not assumed by the Sponsor, the net
asset value of the Fund and, correspondingly, the fractional amount of XRP
represented by each Share will decrease over the life of the Fund. Creation
transactions in the Fund do not reverse this trend.
Intraday
Indicative Value (IIV)
In order to provide
updated information relating to the Fund for use by Shareholders, an IIV will be
disseminated using the XRPUSD_RTI. One or more major market data vendors will
make an IIV available, updated every 15 seconds, as calculated by the Exchange
or a third-party financial data provider during the Regular Market Session. The
IIV will be calculated by using the prior day’s closing NAV as a base and
updating that value during the Regular Market Session to reflect changes in the
value of the Fund’s NAV during the trading day.
The IIV’s dissemination
during the Regular Market Session should not be viewed as an actual real time
update of the NAV, which will be calculated only once at the end of each trading
day. The IIV will be widely disseminated every 15 seconds during the Regular
Market Session by one or more major market data vendors, and through the
facilities of the consolidated tape association and consolidated quotation
system high speed lines. In addition, the IIV will be available through online
information services, such as Bloomberg and Reuters.
All aspects of the Index Methodology are
publicly available at the website of the Index Administrator, CF Benchmarks
(www.cfbenchmarks.com). The CME CF XRP-Dollar Real Time Index is calculated once
per second, in real time by utilizing the Order Books of XRP - U.S. dollar
trading pairs operated by all Constituent Platforms. An “Order Bookˮ is a list
of buy and sell orders with associated limit prices and sizes that have not yet
been matched, that is reported and disseminated by CF Benchmarks Ltd., as the
XRPUSD_RTI calculation agent. The Order Books are aggregated into one
consolidated order book by the XRPUSD_RTI calculation agent. The mid-price
volume curve, which is the average of the bid price-volume curve (which maps
transaction volume to the marginal price per cryptocurrency unit a seller is
required to accept in order to sell this volume to the consolidated order book)
and the ask price-volume curve (which maps a transaction volume to the marginal
price per cryptocurrency unit a buyer is required to pay in order to purchase
this volume from the consolidated order book). The mid price-volume curve is
weighted by the normalized probability density of the exponential distribution
up to the utilized depth (utilized depth being calculated as the maximum
cumulative volume for which the mid spread-volume curve does not exceed a
certain percentage deviation from the mid price). The XRPUSD_RTI is then given
by the sum of the weighted mid price-volume curve obtained in the previous
step.
DESCRIPTION
OF THE SHARES AND THE TRUST
The Trust was formed on
February 28, 2025. As of the date of this prospectus, the Trust has established
one series, Franklin XRP ETF, which is offered pursuant to this prospectus. The
Fund issues common units of beneficial interest, or Shares, which represent
units of fractional undivided beneficial interest in and ownership of the net
assets of the Fund. The Trust is governed by the Declaration of Trust and sets
out the rights of registered holders of Shares and the rights and obligations of
the Sponsor and the Trustee. Delaware law governs the Declaration of Trust, the
Fund and the Shares. The following is a summary of material provisions of the
Declaration of Trust. It is qualified by reference to the entire Declaration of
Trust, which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which the
prospectus is a part.
The Trust was formed and is operated in a
manner such that a series is liable only for obligations attributable to such
series. This means that Shareholders of the Fund are not subject to the losses
or liabilities of any other series as may be created from time to time and
shareholders of any such other series are not subject to the losses or
liabilities of the Fund. Accordingly, the debts, liabilities, obligations and
expenses (collectively, “Claims”) incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing
solely with respect to the Fund are enforceable only against the assets of the
Fund and not against any other series as may be established or the Trust
generally. This limitation on liability is referred to as the “Inter-Series
Limitation on Liability.” The Inter-Series Limitation on Liability is expressly
provided for under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, which provides that if
certain conditions are met, then the debts of any particular series will be
enforceable only against the assets of such series and not against the assets of
any other series or the Trust generally. For the avoidance of doubt, the
Inter-Series Limitation on Liability applies to each series of the Trust,
including the Fund and any other series that may be established.
Each Share represents a fractional undivided
beneficial interest in the net assets of the Fund. Upon redemption of the
Shares, the applicable Authorized Participant shall be paid solely out of the
funds and property of the Fund. All Shares are transferable, fully paid and
non-assessable. The assets of the Fund consist primarily of XRP held by the XRP
Custodian on behalf of the Fund and cash. Creation
Units currently may be
redeemed by the Fund in exchange for an amount of XRP or cash equal to the
amount of XRP represented by the aggregate number of Shares redeemed. The Trust
is not a registered investment company under the Investment Company Act and is
not required to register under such act. The Sponsor is not registered with the
SEC as an investment adviser and is not subject to regulation by the SEC as such
in connection with its activities with respect to the Fund.
The Shares represent units
of fractional undivided beneficial interest in and ownership of the Fund. The
Fund is not managed like a corporation or an active investment vehicle. The XRP
held by the Fund will only be sold (1) on an as-needed basis to pay the Fund’s
expenses and to meet redemption requests, (2) in the event the Fund terminates
and liquidates its assets, or (3) as otherwise required by law or regulation.
The sale of XRP by the Fund is a taxable event to Shareholders. See “U.S.
Federal Income Tax Consequences — Taxation of U.S. Shareholders.”
Voting Rights
Under the Declaration of
Trust, Shareholders have no voting rights except as the Sponsor may consider
desirable and so authorize in its sole discretion.
Termination of the Trust or
The Fund
The Sponsor may terminate
the Trust or the Fund in its sole discretion. The Sponsor will give written
notice of the termination of the Trust or the Fund, specifying the date of
termination, to Shareholders of the Trust or the Fund, as applicable, at least
30 days prior to the termination of the Trust or the Fund. The Sponsor will,
within a reasonable time after such termination, sell all of the Fund’s XRP not
already distributed to Authorized Participants and/or their designees redeeming
Creation Units, if any, in such a manner so as to effectuate orderly sales. The
Sponsor shall not be liable for or responsible in any way for depreciation or
loss incurred by reason of any sale or sales made in accordance with the
provisions of the Declaration of Trust. The Sponsor may suspend its sales of the
Fund’s XRP upon the occurrence of unusual or unforeseen
circumstances.
Amendments
to Declaration of Trust
The Declaration of Trust
can be amended by the Sponsor in its sole discretion and without the
Shareholders’ consent by making an amendment, a supplement thereto, or an
amended and restated declaration of trust. Any such restatement, amendment
and/or supplement hereto shall be effective on such date as designated by the
Sponsor in its sole discretion. Shareholders will be notified in a prospectus
supplement, in the Fund’s periodic reports, and/or on the Sponsor’s website for
the Fund of a material amendment to the Declaration of Trust.
The Declaration of Trust
and the rights of the Sponsor, the Trustee, DTC (as registered owner of the
Trust’s global certificates for Shares) and the Shareholders under the
Declaration of Trust are governed by the laws of the State of
Delaware.
Venue Provision
The Declaration of Trust provides that the
courts of the state of Delaware and any federal courts located in Wilmington,
Delaware will be the non-exclusive jurisdiction for any claims, suits, actions
or proceedings, provided that suits brought to enforce a duty or liability
created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have
exclusive jurisdiction and the federal district courts of the United States of
America shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint
asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act, or the rules and
regulations promulgated thereunder. Investors cannot waive compliance with the
federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.
Waiver of Jury Trial
Provision
The Declaration of Trust also waives the right
to trial by jury in any such claim, suit, action or proceeding, including any
claim under the U.S. federal securities laws, to the fullest extent permitted by
applicable law.
Limitations on the Right to
Bring Derivative Actions
Pursuant to the terms of the Declaration of
Trust, Shareholders’ statutory right under Delaware law to bring a derivative
action (i.e., to initiate a lawsuit in the name of the Trust in order to assert
a claim belonging to the Trust against a fiduciary of the Trust or against a
third-party when the Trust’s management has refused to do so) is restricted.
Under Delaware law, a shareholder may bring a derivative action if the
shareholder is a shareholder at the time the action is brought and either (i)
was a shareholder at the time of the transaction at issue or (ii) acquired the
status of shareholder by operation of law or the Trust’s governing instrument
from a person who was a shareholder at the time of the transaction at issue.
Additionally, Section 3816(e) of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act specifically
provides that a “beneficial owner’s right to bring a derivative action may be
subject to such additional standards and restrictions, if any, as are set forth
in the governing instrument of the statutory trust, including, without
limitation, the requirement that beneficial owners owning a specified beneficial
interest in the statutory trust join in the bringing of the derivative action.”
In addition to the requirements of applicable law and in accordance with Section
3816(e), the Declaration of Trust includes conditions that require (1) a
Shareholder or Shareholders to make a pre-suit demand upon the Sponsor to bring
the subject action unless an effort to cause the Sponsor to bring such an action
is not likely to succeed (a demand on the Sponsor shall only be deemed not
likely to succeed and therefore excused if the Sponsor has a personal financial
interest in the transaction at issue) and (2) Shareholders eligible to bring a
derivative action under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act who hold at least 10%
of the outstanding Shares of the Trust, or 10% of the outstanding Shares of the
Series or Class to which such action relates, must join in a request for the
Sponsor to commence such action. This provision applies to any derivative
actions brought in the name of the Trust other than claims under the federal
securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.
Due to these requirements,
a Shareholder attempting to bring or maintain a derivative action in the name of
the Trust will be required to have sufficient Shares to meet the 10% threshold
based on the number of Shares outstanding on the date the claim is brought and
thereafter throughout the duration of the action, suit or proceeding. This may
be difficult and may result in increased costs to a Shareholder attempting to
seek redress in the name of the Trust in court. Moreover, if Shareholders
bringing a derivative action, suit or proceeding pursuant to this provision of
the Declaration of Trust do not hold 10% of the outstanding Shares on the date
such an action, suit or proceeding is brought, or such Shareholders are unable
to maintain Share ownership meeting the 10% threshold throughout the duration of
the action, suit or proceeding, such Shareholders’ derivative action may be
subject to dismissal.
Limitations
on Obligations and Liability
The Sponsor has no
liability to the Trust, the Trustee or any shareholder for any action taken or
for refraining from the taking of any action in good faith pursuant to the
Declaration of Trust, or for errors in judgment or for depreciation or loss
incurred by reason of the sale of any XRP or other Digital Assets or other
assets held in trust under the Declaration of Trust; provided, however, that the
Sponsor is not protected against any liability to which it would otherwise be
subject by reason of its own gross negligence, bad faith, or willful misconduct.
The Sponsor may rely in good faith on any paper, order, notice, list, affidavit,
receipt, evaluation, opinion, endorsement, assignment, draft or any other
document of any kind prima facie properly executed and submitted to it by the
Trustee, the Trustee’s counsel or by any other person for any matters arising
thereunder.
The Trustee is not liable
for (a) the acts or omissions of the Sponsor or (b) supervising or monitoring
the performance and the duties and obligations of the Sponsor or the Trust under
the Declaration of Trust, except as otherwise provided in the Declaration of
Trust. The Trustee is not liable under any circumstances, except for a breach of
its obligations pursuant to the Declaration of Trust or its own willful
misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence. In particular, but not by way of
limitation:
(i) the
Trustee is not liable for any error of judgment made in good faith, except to
the extent such error of judgment constitutes gross negligence on its
part;
(ii) the
Trustee is not required to expend or risk its personal funds or otherwise incur
any financial liability in the performance of its rights or powers under the
Declaration of Trust, if the Trustee has reasonable grounds for believing that
the payment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability
is not reasonably assured or provided to it;
(iii) under
no circumstances is the Trustee liable for any representation, warranty,
covenant, agreement, or indebtedness of the Trust;
(iv) the
Trustee will not incur any liability to anyone in acting upon any signature,
instrument, notice, resolution, request, consent, order, certificate, report,
opinion, bond or other document or paper reasonably believed by it to be genuine
and reasonably believed by it to be signed by the proper party or parties;
(v) in
the exercise or administration of the Trust under the Declaration of Trust, the
Trustee (a) may act directly or through agents or attorneys pursuant to
agreements entered into with any of them, and the Trustee shall not be liable
for the default or misconduct of such agents or attorneys if such agents or
attorneys shall have been selected by the Trustee in good faith and with
due
care; and (b) may
consult with counsel, accountants and other skilled persons to be selected by it
in good faith and with due care and employed by it, and it shall not be liable
for anything done, suffered or omitted in good faith by it in accordance with
the advice or opinion of any such counsel, accountants or other skilled
persons;
(vi) the
Trustee is not liable for punitive, exemplary, consequential, special or other
similar damages for a breach of the Declaration of Trust under any
circumstances;
(vii) the
Trustee is not obligated to give any bond or other security for the performance
of any of its duties under the Declaration of Trust.
CREATIONS
AND REDEMPTIONS
The Fund expects to create
and redeem Shares on a continuous basis but only in Creation Units consisting of
50,000 Shares or multiples thereof. Only Authorized Participants, which are
registered broker-dealers who have entered into written agreements with the
Sponsor and the Administrator, can place orders.
For cash transactions,
the Fund will engage in XRP transactions for converting cash into XRP (in
association with purchase orders) and XRP into cash (in association with
redemption orders). The Fund will conduct its XRP purchase and sale transactions
by, in its sole discretion, choosing to trade directly with third parties (each,
a “XRP Trading Counterparty”), which are not registered broker-dealers, pursuant
to written agreements between such XRP Trading Counterparties and the Fund, or
choosing to trade through the Prime Broker acting in an agency capacity with
third parties through its Coinbase Prime service pursuant to the Prime Broker
Agreement. An XRP Trading Counterparty may be an affiliate of an Authorized
Participant. As of November 4, 2025, in addition to the Prime Broker described
above, the Trust on behalf of the Fund has entered into a Master Purchase and
Sale Agreement for Digital Assets (the “Master Agreement”) with Jane Street and
a Liquidity Provider Agreement with Virtu Financial Singapore Pte., Ltd.
(“Virtu”) to allow the Fund to enter into spot purchase or sale transactions in
XRP on a principal to principal basis. Additional XRP Trading Counterparties may
be added in the future, subject to the discretion of the Sponsor. Virtu is under
common control and ownership with Virtu Americas LLC and Jane Street is under
common control and ownership with Jane Street Capital, LLC. Both Virtu Americas
LLC and Jane Street Capital, LLC serve as an Authorized Participant of the Fund
as of November 4, 2025.
Cash
Creation Procedures
The Fund issues Shares
only in Creation Units of 50,000 or multiples thereof, based on the quantity of
XRP attributable to each Share (net of accrued but unpaid Sponsor’s Fee and any
accrued but unpaid expenses or liabilities), which may be in exchange for cash.
On any Business Day, an Authorized Participant may place an order with the
Transfer Agent to create one or more Creation Units. Purchase orders must be
placed by 2:00 p.m. Eastern time, or the close of regular trading on the
Exchange, whichever is earlier. The day on which an order is received properly
by the Transfer Agent is considered the purchase order date.
A creation transaction fee
is imposed to offset the transfer and other transaction costs associated with
the issuance of Creation Units. The Authorized Participant shall pay to the
Administrator (1) a transaction fee on each purchase order and (2) the transfer,
processing and other transaction costs charged by the XRP Custodian in
connection with the issuance of Creation Units for such purchase order
(including XRP Ledger fees) (“Custody Transaction Costs”). The Administrator
will reimburse any Custody Transaction Costs to the XRP Custodian according to
the amounts invoiced by the XRP Custodian. Any XRP Ledger fees and similar
transaction fees incurred in connection with the creation of Creation Units are
borne by the Authorized Participant.
The date the order is
received will determine the estimated cash amount (the “Creation Unit Deposit
Amount”) the Authorized Participant needs to deposit and the XRP amount (the
“Creation XRP Amount”) the Fund needs to purchase from the XRP Trading
Counterparty or through the Prime Broker. The final cash amounts will be
determined after the net asset value of the Fund is struck and the Fund’s XRP
transactions have settled. Orders received after the order cutoff time on a
Business Day will not be accepted and should be resubmitted on the following
Business Day. Fractions of an XRP smaller than 0.00000001 are disregarded for
purposes of the computation of the Creation XRP Amount.
If the Sponsor (or its designee) accepts the
purchase order, it will transmit to the Authorized Participant, via electronic
mail message or other electronic communication, no later than 2:45 p.m. ET on
the date such purchase order is received, or deemed received, a copy of the
purchase order endorsed “Accepted” by the Sponsor (or its designee) and
indicating the Creation Unit Deposit Amount that the Authorized Participant must
deliver to the Cash Custodian or Prime Broker in exchange for each Creation
Unit. Prior to the Sponsor’s acceptance as specified above, a purchase order
will only represent the Authorized Participant’s unilateral offer to deposit
cash in
exchange for Creation
Units and will have no binding effect upon the Fund, the Sponsor, the Transfer
Agent, the XRP Custodian or any other party.
The Creation Unit Deposit Amount necessary for
the creation of a Creation Unit changes from day to day. On each day that the
Exchange is open for regular trading, the Administrator will adjust the cash
amount constituting the Creation Unit Deposit Amount and the quantity of XRP
constituting the Creation XRP Amount as appropriate to reflect sales of XRP, any
loss of XRP that may occur, and accrued expenses. The computation is made by the
Administrator as promptly as practicable after 4:00 p.m. ET. See “Business of
the Fund —Net Asset Value” and “Business of the Fund —Valuation of XRP; the CF
Benchmarks Index” for a description of how the CF Benchmarks Index is
determined, and description of how the Administrator determines the NAV. The
Administrator will determine the Creation Unit Deposit Amount for a given day by
multiplying the NAV by the number of Shares in each Creation Unit (50,000) and
determine the Creation XRP Amount for a given day by dividing the Creation Unit
Deposit Amount for that day by that day’s CF Benchmarks Index. The Creation Unit
Deposit Amount and the Creation XRP Amount so determined will be made available
to all Authorized Participants and XRP Transaction Counterparties, and will be
made available on the Sponsor’s website for the Shares.
On the date of the purchase order, the Fund
will choose, in its sole discretion, to enter into a transaction with an XRP
Trading Counterparty or the Prime Broker to buy XRP in exchange for the cash
proceeds from such purchase order. For settlement of a creation (which is
generally expected to be the trade date plus one (T+1) Business Day), the Fund
delivers Shares to the Authorized Participant in exchange for cash received from
the Authorized Participant. Meanwhile, the XRP Trading Counterparty or Prime
Broker, as applicable, delivers the required XRP pursuant to its trade with the
Fund into the Fund’s Trading Balance with the Prime Broker in exchange for cash.
In the event the Fund has not been able to successfully execute and complete
settlement of an XRP transaction by the settlement date of the purchase order,
settlement may be delayed. With respect to a purchase order, as between the Fund
and the Authorized Participant, the Authorized Participant is responsible for
the dollar cost of the difference between the XRP price utilized in calculating
NAV on trade date and the price at which the Fund acquires the XRP to the extent
the price realized in buying the XRP is higher than the XRP price utilized in
the NAV. To the extent the price realized in buying the XRP is lower than the
price utilized in the NAV, the Authorized Participant shall keep the dollar
impact of any such difference.
Whether the purchase of XRP was entered into
with an XRP Trading Counterparty or via the Prime Broker, such party will
deliver XRP related to such transaction to the Fund’s Trading Balance. This
transfer is an “off-chain” transaction that is recorded in the books and records
of the Prime Broker.
Because the Fund’s Trading Balance may not be
funded with cash on trade date for the purchase of XRP associated with the
purchase order, the Fund may borrow Trade Credits in the form of cash from the
Trade Credit Lender pursuant to the Trade Financing Agreement or may require the
Authorized Participant to deliver the required cash for the purchase order on
trade date. The extension of Trade Credits on trade date allows the Fund to
purchase XRP through the Prime Broker on trade date, with such XRP being
deposited in the Fund’s Trading Balance. For settlement of a creation, the Fund
delivers Shares to the Authorized Participant in exchange for cash received from
the Authorized Participant. To the extent Trade Credits were utilized, the Fund
uses the cash to repay the Trade Credits borrowed from the Trade Credit Lender.
Any financing fee owed to the Trade Credit Lender is deemed part of trade
execution costs and embedded in the trade price for each transaction. Any trade
financing fees incurred in connection with the creation of Creation Units are
borne by the Authorized Participant.
Upon the deposit by the XRP Trading
Counterparty or the Prime Broker of the corresponding amount of XRP with the
Fund’s account at the Prime Broker, and the payment of the applicable
transaction fee, Custody Transaction Costs, and of any expenses, taxes or
charges (such as stamp taxes or stock transfer taxes or fees), the Transfer
Agent will deliver the appropriate number of Creation Units to the DTC account
of the depositing Authorized Participant. As of November 4, 2025 Virtu Americas LLC and Jane Street Capital,
LLC have each executed an Authorized Participant Agreement and are the only
Authorized Participants. Additional Authorized Participants may be added at any
time, subject to the discretion of the Sponsor.
In connection with the paragraph above, when
the Fund purchases XRP, the deposit of XRP will initially be credited to the
Fund’s Trading Balance with the Prime Broker before being swept to the Fund’s
Vault Balance with the XRP Custodian pursuant to a regular end-of-day sweep
process. Transfers of XRP into the Fund’s Trading Balance are off-chain
transactions and transfers from the Fund’s Trading Balance to the Fund’s Vault
Balance are “on-chain” transactions represented on the XRP Ledger. Any costs
related to transactions and transfers from the Fund’s Trading Balance to the
Fund’s Vault Balance are borne by the Authorized Participant (and not the Fund
or its Shareholders).
The Sponsor intends to cause the Administrator
to make available on each Business Day an indicative Creation Unit Deposit
Amount for the next Business Day. Authorized Participants may use that
indicative Creation Unit Deposit Amount as guidance regarding the amount of cash
that they may expect to have to deposit with the Administrator in respect of
purchase orders placed by them on such next Business Day and accepted by the
Sponsor. The agreement entered into with each Authorized Participant provides,
however, that
once a purchase order has been accepted by the
Sponsor, the Authorized Participant will be required to deposit with the
Administrator the Creation Unit Deposit Amount as determined by the Sponsor on
the effective date of the purchase order.
No Shares will be issued unless and until the
Prime Broker has informed the Sponsor that the corresponding amount of XRP has
been received in the Fund’s account. Disruption of services at the Prime Broker
or XRP Custodian would have the potential to delay settlement of the XRP related
to Share creations.
XRP transactions that occur on the blockchain
are susceptible to delays due to XRP Ledger outage, congestion, spikes in
transaction fees demanded by validators, or other problems or disruptions. To
the extent that XRP transfers from the Fund’s Trading Balance to the Fund’s
Vault Balance are delayed due to congestion or other issues with the XRP Ledger,
such XRP will not be held in cold storage in the Vault Balance until such
transfers can occur.
The Fund may, and upon the
direction of the Sponsor shall, suspend the acceptance of purchase orders or the
delivery or registration of transfers of Shares, or may, and upon the direction
of the Sponsor shall, refuse a particular purchase order, delivery or
registration of Shares (i) during any period when the transfer books of the
Transfer Agent are closed or (ii) at any time, if the Sponsor thinks it
advisable for any reason.
In-Kind
Creation Procedures
The Fund issues Shares
only in Creation Units of 50,000 or multiples thereof, based on the quantity of
XRP attributable to each Share (net of accrued but unpaid Sponsor’s Fee and any
accrued but unpaid expenses or liabilities), which may be in-kind in exchange
for XRP (including any portion for which cash may be substituted, which will be
conducted pursuant to the “Cash Creation Procedures” described above). On any
Business Day, an Authorized Participant may place an order with the Transfer
Agent to create one or more Creation Units. Purchase orders must be placed by
2:00 p.m. Eastern time, or the close of regular trading on the Exchange,
whichever is earlier. The day on which an order is properly received by the
Transfer Agent is considered the purchase order date.
A creation transaction fee
is imposed to offset the transfer and other transaction costs associated with
the issuance of Creation Units. The Authorized Participant shall pay to the
Administrator (1) a transaction fee on each purchase order and (2) the transfer,
processing and other transaction costs charged by the XRP Custodian in
connection with the issuance of Creation Units for such purchase order
(including XRP Ledger fees) (“Custody Transaction Costs”). The Administrator
will reimburse any Custody Transaction Costs to the XRP Custodian according to
the amounts invoiced by the XRP Custodian. Any XRP Ledger fees and similar
transaction fees incurred in connection with the creation of Creation Units are
borne by the Authorized Participant.
The date the order is
received will determine the amount of XRP the Authorized Participant and/or its
designee needs to deposit. Orders received after the order cutoff time on a
Business Day will not be accepted and should be resubmitted on the following
Business Day. Fractions of an XRP smaller than 0.00000001 are disregarded for
purposes of the computation of the XRP deposit amount.
If the Sponsor (or its
designee) accepts the purchase order, it will transmit to the Authorized
Participant, via electronic mail message or other electronic communication, no
later than 2:45 p.m. Eastern time on the date such purchase order is received,
or deemed received, a copy of the purchase order endorsed “Accepted” by the
Sponsor (or its designee) and indicating the amount of XRP that the Authorized
Participant and/or its designee must deliver to the Prime Broker in exchange for
each Creation Unit. Prior to the Sponsor’s acceptance as specified above, a
purchase order will only represent the Authorized Participant’s and/or its
designee’s unilateral offer to deposit XRP in exchange for Creation Units and
will have no binding effect upon the Fund, the Sponsor, the Transfer Agent, the
XRP Custodian or any other party.
The amount of XRP
necessary for the creation of a Creation Unit changes from day to day. On each
day that the Exchange is open for regular trading, the Administrator will adjust
the amount of XRP constituting the XRP deposit amount as appropriate to reflect
sales of XRP, any loss of XRP that may occur, and accrued expenses. The
Administrator determines the quantity of XRP associated with a creation unit for
a given day by dividing the number of XRP held by the Fund as of the opening of
business on that Business Day, adjusted for the amount of XRP constituting
estimated accrued but unpaid fees and expenses of the Fund as of the opening of
business on that Business Day, by the quotient of the number of Shares
outstanding at the opening of business divided by 50,000. The XRP deposit
amount so determined will be made available to all Authorized Participants, and
will be made available on the Sponsor’s website for the Shares.
For settlement of an
in-kind creation (which is generally expected to be the trade date plus one
(T+1) Business Day), the Fund delivers Shares to the Authorized Participant in
exchange for XRP received from the Authorized Participant and/or its designee.
Upon the deposit of the corresponding amount of
XRP with the Fund’s account at the Prime Broker, and the payment of the
applicable transaction fee, Custody Transaction Costs, and of any expenses,
taxes or charges (such as stamp taxes or stock transfer taxes or fees),
the Transfer Agent will deliver the appropriate
number of Creation Units to the DTC account of the depositing Authorized
Participant. As of November 4, 2025, Virtu Americas LLC and Jane Street Capital,
LLC have each executed an Authorized Participant Agreement and are the only
Authorized Participants. Additional Authorized Participants may be added at any
time, subject to the discretion of the Sponsor.
In connection with the above, the deposit of
XRP will initially be credited to the Fund’s Trading Balance with the Prime
Broker before being swept to the Fund’s Vault Balance with the XRP Custodian
pursuant to a regular end-of-day sweep process. Transfers of XRP into the Fund’s
Trading Balance may be “on-chain” or “off-chain” transactions, and transfers
from the Fund’s Trading Balance to the Fund’s Vault Balance are “on-chain”
transactions represented on the XRP Ledger. Any costs related to transactions
and transfers to the Fund’s Trading Balance, as well as from the Fund’s Trading
Balance to the Fund’s Vault Balance, are borne by the Authorized Participant
(and not the Fund or its Shareholders).
The agreement entered into
with each Authorized Participant provides that once a purchase order has been
accepted by the Sponsor, the Authorized Participant and/or its designee will be
required to deposit the Creation Unit XRP deposit amount as determined by the
Sponsor on the effective date of the purchase order.
No Shares will be issued unless and until the
Prime Broker has informed the Sponsor that the corresponding amount of XRP has
been received in the Fund’s account. Disruption of services at the Prime Broker
or XRP Custodian would have the potential to delay settlement of the XRP related
to Share creations.
XRP transactions that occur on the blockchain
are susceptible to delays due to XRP Ledger outage, congestion, spikes in
transaction fees demanded by validators, or other problems or disruptions. To
the extent that XRP transfers from the Fund’s Trading Balance to the Fund’s
Vault Balance are delayed due to congestion or other issues with the XRP Ledger,
such XRP will not be held in cold storage in the Vault Balance until such
transfers can occur.
The Fund may, and upon the
direction of the Sponsor shall, suspend the acceptance of purchase orders or the
delivery or registration of transfers of Shares, or may, and upon the direction
of the Sponsor shall, refuse a particular purchase order, delivery or
registration of Shares (i) during any period when the transfer books of the
Transfer Agent are closed or (ii) at any time, if the Sponsor thinks it
advisable for any reason.
Rejection of
Purchase Orders
The Sponsor or its
designee has the absolute right, but does not have any obligation, to reject any
purchase order if the Sponsor determines that:
|
• |
the purchase order is not in proper form; |
|
• |
it would not be in the best interest of the Shareholders of the
Fund; |
|
• |
the acceptance of the purchase order would have adverse tax
consequences to the Fund or its Shareholders; |
|
• |
the acceptance or receipt of the purchase order would, in the opinion
of counsel to the Sponsor, be unlawful; or |
|
• |
circumstances outside the control of the Fund, the Sponsor, the
Marketing Agent or the XRP Custodian or Cash Custodian make it, for all
practical purposes, not feasible to process the order (including if the
Sponsor determines that the investments available to the Fund at that time
will not enable it to meet its investment
objective). |
None of the Sponsor, the
Transfer Agent, the XRP Custodian or the Cash Custodian will be liable for the
rejection of any purchase order. The Fund may reject any purchase order that is
not in proper form.
Cash
Redemption Procedures
For cash redemptions, the Fund redeems Creation
Units in exchange for cash proceeds from selling the amount of XRP represented
by the aggregate number of Shares redeemed. On any Business Day, an Authorized
Participant may place an order with the Transfer Agent to redeem one or more
Creation Units. Redemption orders must be placed by 2:00 p.m. Eastern time, or
the close of regular trading on the Exchange, whichever is earlier. The day on
which an order is received properly by the Transfer Agent is considered the
redemption order date.
A redemption transaction
fee is imposed to offset transfer and other transaction costs that may be
incurred by the Fund. The Authorized Participant shall pay to the Administrator
(1) a transaction fee on each redemption order and (2) the transfer, processing
and other transaction costs charged by the XRP Custodian in connection with the
redemption of Creation Units for such redemption order (including XRP Ledger
fees) (“Custody Transaction Costs”). The Administrator will reimburse any
Custody Transaction Costs to the XRP Custodian according to the amounts invoiced
by the XRP Custodian. Any XRP Ledger fees and similar transaction fees incurred
in connection with the redemption of Creation Units are borne by the Authorized
Participant.
On the date of the
redemption order, the Fund may choose, in its sole discretion, to enter into a
transaction with an XRP Trading Counterparty or the Prime Broker, to sell XRP in
exchange for cash. Also on the date of the redemption order, the Fund instructs
the XRP Custodian to prepare to move the associated XRP from the Fund’s Vault
Balance with the XRP Custodian to the Fund’s Trading Balance with the Prime
Broker. For settlement of a redemption (which is generally expected to be the
trade date plus one (T+1) Business Day), the Authorized Participant delivers the
necessary Shares to the Fund, an XRP Trading Counterparty or the Prime Broker,
as applicable, delivers the cash to the Fund associated with the Fund’s sale of
XRP, XRP is delivered to the XRP Trading Counterparty’s account at the Prime
Broker or directly to the Prime Broker, as applicable, and the Fund delivers
cash to the Authorized Participant. In the event the Fund has not been able to
successfully execute and complete settlement of an XRP transaction by the
settlement date of the redemption order, settlement may be delayed. With respect
to a redemption order, between the Fund and the Authorized Participant, the
Authorized Participant will be responsible for the dollar cost of the difference
between the XRP price utilized in calculating the NAV on trade date and the
price realized in selling the XRP to raise the cash needed for the cash
redemption order to the extent the price realized in selling the XRP is lower
than the XRP price utilized in the NAV. To the extent the price realized from
selling the XRP is higher than the price utilized in the NAV, the Authorized
Participant shall get to keep the dollar impact of any such difference.
The transfers of XRP from the Fund’s Trading
Balance to the XRP Trading Counterparty’s account at the Prime Broker or to the
Prime Broker is an “off-chain” transaction that is recorded in the books and
records of the Prime Broker.
The Fund’s Trading Balance
with the Prime Broker may not be funded with XRP on trade date for the sale of
XRP in connection with the redemption order, when XRP remains in the Fund’s
Vault Balance with the XRP Custodian at the point of intended execution of a
sale of XRP. In those circumstances the Fund may borrow Trade Credits in the
form of XRP from the Trade Credit Lender, which allows the Fund to sell XRP
through the Prime Broker on trade date, and the cash proceeds are deposited in
the Fund’s Trading Balance with the Prime Broker. For settlement of a redemption
where Trade Credits were utilized, the Fund delivers cash to the Authorized
Participant in exchange for Shares received from the Authorized Participant. In
the event Trade Credits were used, the Fund will use the XRP moved from the
Fund’s Vault Balance with the XRP Custodian to the Trading Balance with the
Prime Broker to repay the Trade Credits borrowed from the Trade Credit Lender.
Any trade financing fees incurred in connection with the redemption of Creation
Units are borne by the Authorized Participant.
Transfers of XRP from the Fund’s Vault Balance
to the Fund’s Trading Balance are “on-chain” transactions represented on the XRP
Ledger.
XRP transactions that occur on the blockchain
are susceptible to delays due to XRP Ledger outages, congestion, spikes in
transaction fees demanded by validators, or other problems or disruptions. To
the extent that XRP transfers from the Fund’s Vault Balance to the Fund’s
Trading Balance are delayed due to congestion or other issues with the XRP
Ledger or the Fund’s operations, redemptions in the Fund could be delayed.
Disruption of services at the Prime Broker, XRP
Custodian, Cash Custodian or the Authorized Participant’s banks would have the
potential to delay settlement of the XRP related to Share redemptions.
Upon the surrender of such
Shares and the payment of the applicable transaction fee, Custody Transaction
Costs and of any expenses, taxes or charges (such as stamp taxes or stock
transfer taxes or fees) by the redeeming Authorized Participant, and the
completion of the sale of XRP for cash by the Fund, the Sponsor (or its
designee) will instruct the delivery of cash to the Authorized Participant. As
noted above, the Authorized Participant is responsible for the dollar cost of
the difference between the value of XRP calculated by the Administrator for the
applicable NAV per Share of the Fund and the price at which the Fund sells XRP
to raise the cash needed for the cash redemption order to the extent the price
realized in selling the XRP is lower than the XRP price utilized in the NAV. To
the extent the price realized from selling the XRP is higher than the price
utilized in the NAV, the Authorized Participant shall get to keep the dollar
impact of any such difference.
The redemption distribution due from the Fund
will be delivered once the Transfer Agent notifies the Sponsor or its delegate
that the Authorized Participant has delivered the Shares represented by the
Creation Units to be redeemed to the Fund’s DTC account. If the Fund’s DTC
account has not been credited with all of the Shares of the Creation Units
requested to be redeemed, the redemption distribution will be delayed until such
time as the Transfer Agent confirms receipt of all such Shares. Once the
Transfer Agent notifies the Sponsor or its delegate that the Shares have been
received in the Fund’s DTC account, the Administrator instructs the Cash
Custodian
to transfer the cash
amount from the Fund’s Cash Custodian account to the Authorized Participant. The
redemption distribution due from the Fund will generally be delivered on the
next business day following the redemption order date if the Fund’s DTC account
has been credited with the Creation Units to be redeemed. Shares can only be
surrendered for redemption in Creation Units of 50,000 Shares each.
The date the order is received determines the
cash to be received in exchange. Orders received after the order cutoff time on
a Business Day will not be accepted and should be resubmitted on the following
Business Day.
All taxes incurred in
connection with the delivery of cash to the Cash Custodian in exchange for
Creation Units (including any applicable value added tax) will be the sole
responsibility of the Authorized Participant making such delivery.
In-Kind
Redemption Procedures
For in-kind redemptions,
the Fund redeems Creation Units in exchange for XRP (including any portion for
which cash may be substituted, which will be conducted pursuant to the “Cash
Redemption Procedures” described above) represented by the aggregate number of
Shares redeemed. On any Business Day, an Authorized Participant may place an
order with the Transfer Agent to redeem one or more Creation Units. Redemption
orders must be placed by 2:00 p.m. Eastern time, or the close of regular trading
on the Exchange, whichever is earlier. The day on which an order is received
properly by the Transfer Agent is considered the redemption order date.
A redemption transaction
fee is imposed to offset transfer and other transaction costs that may be
incurred by the Fund. The Authorized Participant shall pay to the Administrator
(1) a transaction fee on each redemption order and (2) the transfer, processing
and other transaction costs charged by the XRP Custodian in connection with the
redemption of Creation Units for such redemption order (including XRP Ledger
fees) (“Custody Transaction Costs”). The Administrator will reimburse any
Custody Transaction Costs to the XRP Custodian according to the amounts invoiced
by the XRP Custodian. Any XRP Ledger fees and similar transaction fees incurred
in connection with the redemption of Creation Units are borne by the Authorized
Participant.
On the date of the
redemption order, the Fund instructs the XRP Custodian to prepare to move the
associated XRP from the Fund’s Vault Balance with the XRP Custodian to the
Fund’s Trading Balance with the Prime Broker. For settlement of a redemption
(which is generally expected to be the trade date plus one (T+1) Business Day),
the Authorized Participant delivers the necessary Shares to the Fund, and the
Fund delivers XRP to the Authorized Participant and/or its designee.
Transfers of XRP from the
Fund’s Vault Balance to the Fund’s Trading Balance are “on-chain” transactions
represented on the XRP Ledger.
XRP transactions that occur on the blockchain
are susceptible to delays due to XRP Ledger outages, congestion, spikes in
transaction fees demanded by validators, or other problems or disruptions. To
the extent that XRP transfers from the Fund’s Vault Balance to the Fund’s
Trading Balance, or to the Authorized Participant and/or its designee are
delayed due to congestion or other issues with the XRP Ledger or the Fund’s
operations, redemptions in the Fund could be delayed.
Disruption of services at the Prime Broker, XRP
Custodian, Cash Custodian or the Authorized Participant’s and/or its designee’s
accounts/digital wallets would have the potential to delay settlement of the XRP
related to Share redemptions.
Upon the surrender of such
Shares and the payment of the applicable transaction fee, Custody Transaction
Costs and of any expenses, taxes or charges (such as stamp taxes or stock
transfer taxes or fees) by the redeeming Authorized Participant, the Sponsor (or
its designee) will instruct the delivery of XRP to the Authorized Participant
and/or its designee.
The redemption
distribution due from the Fund will be delivered once the Transfer Agent
notifies the Sponsor or its delegate that the Authorized Participant has
delivered the Shares represented by the Creation Units to be redeemed to the
Fund’s DTC account. If the Fund’s DTC account has not been credited with all of
the Shares of the Creation Units requested to be redeemed, the redemption
distribution will be delayed until such time as the Transfer Agent confirms
receipt of all such Shares. Once the Transfer Agent notifies the Sponsor or its
delegate that the Shares have been received in the Fund’s DTC account, the
Administrator instructs the Prime Broker to transfer the XRP amount from the
Fund’s Trading Balance to the Authorized Participant and/or its designee. The
redemption distribution due from the Fund will generally be delivered on the
next Business Day (T+1) following the redemption order date if the Fund’s DTC
account has been credited with the Creation Units to be redeemed. Shares can
only be surrendered for redemption in Creation Units of 50,000 Shares
each.
The date the order is received determines the
XRP to be received in exchange. Orders received after the order cutoff time on a
Business Day will not be accepted and should be resubmitted on the following
Business Day.
All taxes incurred in
connection with the delivery of XRP in exchange for Creation Units (including
any applicable value added tax) will be the sole responsibility of the
Authorized Participant.
Suspension
of Creation or Redemption Orders
As described above, the
Fund may, and upon the direction of the Sponsor shall, suspend the acceptance of
purchase orders or the delivery or registration of transfers of Shares, or may,
and upon the direction of the Sponsor shall, refuse a particular purchase order,
delivery or registration of Shares (i) during any period when the transfer books
of the Transfer Agent are closed or (ii) at any time, if the Sponsor thinks it
advisable for any reason.
The Fund may, in its
discretion, and will, when directed by the Sponsor, suspend the right of
redemption, generally or with respect to a particular redemption order as
follows: (1) during any period in which regular trading on the NYSE is suspended
or restricted, or the Exchange is closed (other than scheduled weekend or
holiday closings), (2) during any period when the Sponsor determines that
delivery, disposal or evaluation of XRP is not reasonably practicable (for
example, as a result of an interruption in services or availability of the Prime
Broker, XRP Custodian, Cash Custodian, Administrator, or other service providers
to the Fund, act of God, catastrophe, civil disturbance, government prohibition,
war, terrorism, strike or other labor dispute, fire, force majeure, interruption
in telecommunications, order entry systems, Internet services, or network
provider services, unavailability of Fedwire, SWIFT or banks’ payment processes,
significant technical failure, bug, error, disruption or fork of the XRP Ledger,
hacking, cybersecurity breach, or power, Internet, or XRP Ledger outage, or
similar event), (3) during such other period as the Sponsor determines to be
necessary for the protection of the Shareholders or (4) as otherwise provided in
the Authorized Participant Agreement or in the Declaration of Trust. None of the
Fund, the Sponsor or the Administrator will not be liable to any person or
liable in any way for any loss or damages that may result from any such
rejection, suspension or postponement.
The Fund may reject any
redemption order that is not in proper form.
If the Fund suspends
creations or redemptions, Shareholders will be notified in a prospectus
supplement, in the Fund’s periodic reports, and/or on the Fund’s website.
Suspension of the creation or redemption of Shares could negatively impact the
Shares’ liquidity and/or cause the Shares to trade at premiums and discounts,
and otherwise have a negative impact on the value of the Shares.
The Prime Broker
Pursuant to the Prime Broker Agreement, a
portion of the Fund’s XRP holdings and cash holdings from time to time may be
temporarily held with the Prime Broker, an affiliate of the XRP Custodian, in
the Trading Balance, for certain limited purposes, in connection with creations
and redemptions of Creation Units and the sale of XRP to pay the Sponsor’s Fee
and Fund expenses not assumed by the Sponsor. The Sponsor may, in its sole
discretion, add or terminate prime brokers at any time. The Sponsor may, in its
sole discretion, change the prime broker for the Fund, but it will have no
obligation whatsoever to do so or to seek any particular terms for the Fund from
other such prime brokers.
Within the Fund’s Trading
Balance, the Prime Broker Agreement provides that the Fund does not have an
identifiable claim to any particular XRP (and cash). Instead, the Fund’s Trading
Balance represents an entitlement to a pro
rata share of the XRP (and cash) the Prime Broker holds on behalf of
customers who hold similar entitlements against the Prime Broker. In this way,
the Fund’s Trading Balance represents an omnibus claim on the Prime Broker’s XRP
(and cash) held on behalf of the Prime Broker’s customers. The Prime Broker
holds the XRP associated with customer entitlements across a combination of
omnibus cold wallets, omnibus “hot walletsˮ (meaning wallets whose private keys
are generated and stored online, in Internet-connected computers or devices) or
in omnibus accounts in the Prime Broker’s name on a trading venue (including
third-party venues and the Prime Broker’s own execution venue) where the Prime
Broker executes orders to buy and sell XRP on behalf of its clients. There are
no policies that would limit the amount of XRP that can be held temporarily in
the Trading Balance maintained by the Prime Broker. However, XRP is only moved
into the Trading Balance in connection with and to the extent of purchases and
sales of XRP by the Fund and such XRP is swept from the Fund’s Trading Balance
to the Fund’s Vault Balance each trading day pursuant to a regular end-of-day
sweep process. The Fund’s use of Trade Credits and early order cutoffs are also
designed to limit the amount of time that any of the Fund’s XRP is held in the
Fund’s Trading Balance.
Within such omnibus hot and cold wallets and
accounts, the Prime Broker has represented to the Sponsor that it keeps the
majority of assets in cold wallets, to promote security, while the balance of
assets are kept in hot wallets to facilitate rapid withdrawals. However, the
Sponsor has no control over, and for security reasons the Prime Broker does not
disclose to the Sponsor, the percentage of XRP that the Prime Broker holds for
customers holding similar entitlements as the Fund which are kept in omnibus
cold wallets, as compared to omnibus hot wallets or omnibus accounts in the
Prime Broker’s name on a trading venue. The Prime Broker has represented to the
Sponsor that the percentage of assets maintained in cold versus hot storage is
determined by ongoing risk analysis and market dynamics,
in which the Prime Broker
attempts to balance anticipated liquidity needs for its customers as a class
against the anticipated greater security of cold storage.
The Prime Broker is not
required by the Prime Broker Agreement to hold any of the XRP in the Fund’s
Trading Balance in cold storage or to hold any such XRP in segregation, and
neither the Fund nor the Sponsor can control the method by which the Prime
Broker holds the XRP credited to the Fund’s Trading Balance.
The Prime Broker holds
Fund cash credited to the Trading Balance in one of three ways: (i) in one or
more omnibus accounts in Prime Broker’s name for the benefit of customers at one
or more U.S. insured depository institutions (each, an “FBO account”); (ii) with
respect to US dollars, liquid investments, which may include but are not limited
to U.S. treasuries and Money Market Funds, in accordance with state money
transmitter laws; and (iii) in the Prime Broker’s omnibus accounts at Connected
Trading Venues. The Prime Broker will title the FBO accounts it maintains with
U.S. depository institutions and maintain records of Fund’s interest in a manner
designed to enable receipt of FDIC deposit insurance, where applicable and up to
the deposit insurance limits applicable under FDIC regulations and guidance, on
Fund cash for the Fund’s benefit on a passthrough basis. The Prime Broker does
not guarantee that pass-through FDIC deposit insurance will apply to Fund cash,
since such insurance is dependent in part on compliance of the depository
institutions. The Prime Broker may also title its accounts at some or all
Connected Trading Venues and maintain records of Fund interests in those
accounts in a manner consistent with FDIC requirements for passthrough deposit
insurance, but availability of pass-through deposit insurance, up to the deposit
insurance limits applicable under FDIC regulations and guidance, is also
dependent on the actions of the Connected Trading Venues and any depository
institutions they use, which may not be structured to provide pass-through
deposit insurance. FDIC insurance applies to cash deposits at banks and other
insured depository institutions in the event of a failure of that institution,
and does not apply to Coinbase Entities or to any digital asset held by the
Prime Broker on Fund’s behalf.
To the extent the Fund
sells XRP through the Prime Broker, the Fund’s orders will be executed at
Connected Trading Venues that have been approved in accordance with the Prime
Broker’s due diligence and risk assessment process. The Prime Broker has
represented that its due diligence on Connected Trading Venues include reviews
conducted by the legal, compliance, security, and finance and credit-risk teams.
The Connected Trading Venues, which are subject to change from time to time,
currently include Bitstamp, LMAX, Kraken, the exchange operated by the Prime
Broker, as well as four non-bank market makers (“NBMMs”). The Prime Broker has
represented to the Fund that it is unable to name the NBMMs due to
confidentiality restrictions.
Pursuant to the Prime Broker Agreement, the
Fund may engage in purchases or sales of XRP by placing orders with the Prime
Broker. The Prime Broker will route orders placed by the Sponsor through the
prime broker execution platform (the “Trading Platform”) to a Connected Trading
Venue where the order will be executed. Each order placed by the Sponsor will be
sent, processed and settled at each Connected Trading Venue to which it is
routed. The Prime Broker Agreement provides that the Prime Broker is subject to
certain conflicts of interest, including: (i) the Fund’s orders may be routed to
the Prime Broker’s own execution venue where the Fund’s orders may be executed
against other customers of the Prime Broker, (ii) the beneficial identity of the
counterparty purchaser or seller with respect to the Fund’s orders may be
unknown and therefore may inadvertently be another client of the Prime Broker,
(iii) the Prime Broker does not engage in front running, but is aware of the
Fund’s orders or imminent orders and may execute a trade for its own inventory
(or the account of an affiliate) while in possession of that knowledge and (iv)
the Prime Broker may act in a principal capacity with respect to certain orders
to fill residual order size for client orders. As a result of these and other
conflicts, the Prime Broker may have an incentive to favor its own interests and
the interests of its affiliates over the Fund’s interests.
Subject to the foregoing, and to certain
policies and procedures that the Prime Broker Agreement requires the Prime
Broker to have in place to mitigate conflicts of interest when executing the
Fund’s orders, the Prime Broker Agreement provides that the Prime Broker shall
have no liability, obligation, or responsibility whatsoever for the selection or
performance of any Connected Trading Venue, and that other Connected Trading
Venues and/or trading venues not used by Coinbase may offer better prices and/or
lower costs than the Connected Trading Venue used to execute the Fund’s
orders.
Coinbase Global currently maintains a
commercial crime insurance policy. Coinbase Global has maintained a commercial
crime insurance policy since 2013, which is designed to be comprehensive and
intended to cover the loss of client assets held by Coinbase Insureds, including
from employee collusion or fraud, theft, damage of key material, security breach
or hack, and fraudulent transfer. The commercial crime insurance policy is
intended to provide the Coinbase Insureds and their clients with some of the
broadest and deepest insurance coverage in the crypto industry, with
comprehensive coverage terms and conditions. This policy is renewed annually and
the insurance amounts are subject to review and change. The XRP Custodian has
advised the Sponsor that this insurance is maintained at a commercially
reasonable amount for the digital assets custodied on behalf of the Coinbase
Insureds’ clients, including the Fund’s XRP custodied by the XRP
Custodian. The insurance maintained by Coinbase Global is shared among all
of the Coinbase Insured’s customers, is not specific to the Fund or to customers
holding XRP with the XRP Custodian or Prime Broker, and may not be available or
sufficient to protect the Fund from all possible losses or sources of losses.
Further, the coverage will not be sufficient to fully cover losses for the Fund
in the event of a catastrophic, large scale or simultaneous incident affecting
multiple Coinbase clients.
Coinbase Global may choose
not to renew, or may be unable to renew any portion or all of these insurance
policies, which may further expose the Trust and its Shareholders to the risk of
loss.
Once the Sponsor places
an order to purchase or sell XRP on the Trading Platform, the associated XRP or
cash used to fund or fill the order, if any, will be placed on hold and will
generally not be eligible for other use or withdrawal from the Fund’s Trading
Balance. The Fund’s Vault Balance may be used directly to fund orders. With each
Connected Trading Venue, the Prime Broker shall establish an account in the
Prime Broker’s name, or in its name for the benefit of clients, to trade on
behalf of its clients, including the Fund, and the Fund will not, by virtue of
the Trading Balance the Fund maintains with the Prime Broker, have a direct
legal relationship, or account with, any Connected Trading Venue.
The Prime Broker does not
guarantee uninterrupted access to the Trading Platform or the services it
provides to the Fund. Under certain circumstances, the Prime Broker is permitted
to halt or suspend trading on the Trading Platform, or impose limits on the
amount or size of, or reject, the Fund’s orders.
The XRP Custodian may not,
directly or indirectly, lend, pledge, hypothecate or re-hypothecate any Fund
assets in the Vault Balance and no Coinbase Entity may sell, transfer, loan,
rehypothecate or otherwise alienate the Fund’s assets credited to Fund’s Trading
Balance unless instructed by Client. The Vault Balance and Trading Balance are
subject to the lien to secure outstanding Trade Credits in favor of the Trade
Credit Lender discussed below.
Under the Prime Broker
Agreement, the Prime Broker’s liability is limited to the greater of (a) the
aggregate amount of fees paid by a Fund to the Prime Broker in respect of the
prime broker services in the 12-month period prior to the event giving rise to
such liability or (b) the value of the supported digital assets giving rise to
such liability. In addition, the Prime Broker’s defense and indemnity
obligations under the Prime Broker Agreement will be limited, in the aggregate,
to an amount equal to $2,000,000. Notwithstanding the foregoing, there is no
liability limit for losses arising from the Prime Broker’s fraud or willful
misconduct. The Prime Broker is not liable for delays, suspension of operations,
failure in performance, or interruption of service to the extent it is directly
or indirectly due to a cause or condition beyond the reasonable control of the
Prime Broker. Both the Fund and the Prime Broker and its affiliates (including
the XRP Custodian) are required to indemnify each other under certain
circumstances. The Prime Broker Agreement is governed by New York law and
provides that disputes arising under it are subject to arbitration.
The Prime
Broker Agreement may be terminated in its entirety by the Fund or Prime Broker
for any reason and without Cause by providing at least 30 days’ prior written
notice to the other party; provided, however, the Fund’s termination of this
Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement shall not be effective until the Fund has fully
satisfied its material obligations under the Agreement. The Coinbase Entities
(defined in the Prime Broker Agreement as the Prime Broker, XRP Custodian and
Trade Credit Lender) may, in their sole discretion, suspend, restrict or
terminate the Fund’s “Prime Broker Services”, including by suspending,
restricting or closing the Fund’s Prime Broker Account and/or any associated
trading account, custodial account or any credit account (as applicable), for
“Cause,” at any time and with prior notice to the Fund if permitted by
applicable law. The Fund may, in its sole discretion, terminate this Agreement
for “Coinbase Cause,” at any time and with prior notice to Coinbase and the
Coinbase Entities if permitted by applicable law. In the event that the Prime
Broker or Fund terminates the Prime Broker Agreement by providing at least 30
days’ prior written notice, the Prime Broker shall use reasonable efforts to
assist Fund to transfer any digital assets, fiat currency or funds associated
with the digital assets wallet(s) or fiat wallet(s) as applicable to another
provider within ninety (90) days of receipt of the Fund’s termination
notice.
“Prime Broker Services” in
the Prime Broker Agreement means: services relating to custody, trade execution,
lending or post-trade credit and other services for certain digital
assets.
“Cause” in the Prime Broker Agreement means:
(i) Fund materially breaches any provision of the Prime Broker Agreement; (ii)
Fund takes any action to dissolve or liquidate, in whole or part; (iii) Fund
becomes insolvent, makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors, becomes
subject to direct control of a trustee, receiver or similar authority; (iv) Fund
becomes subject to any bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding under any applicable
laws, rules and regulations, such termination being effective immediately upon
any declaration of bankruptcy; (v) Prime Broker becomes aware of any facts or
circumstances with respect to the Fund’s financial, legal, regulatory or
reputational position which may affect Fund’s ability to comply with its
obligations under the Prime Broker Agreement; (vi) termination is required
pursuant to a facially valid subpoena, court order or binding order of a
government authority; (vii) Fund’s Prime Broker Account is subject to any
pending litigation, investigation or government proceeding and/or Prime Broker
reasonably perceives a heightened risk of legal regulatory non-compliance
associated with Fund’s use of Prime Broker Services; or (viii) Prime Broker
reasonably suspects Fund of attempting to circumvent Prime Broker’s controls or
uses the Prime Broker Services in a manner Prime Broker otherwise deems
inappropriate or potentially harmful to itself or third parties.
“Coinbase Cause” in the
Prime Broker Agreement means: (i) Prime Broker takes any action to dissolve or
liquidate, in whole or part; (ii) Prime Broker becomes insolvent, makes an
assignment for the benefit of creditors, becomes subject to direct control of a
trustee, receiver or similar authority; (iii) Prime Broker becomes subject to
any bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding under any applicable laws, rules and
regulations, such termination being effective immediately upon any declaration
of bankruptcy; or (iv) Prime Broker materially breaches any provision of the
Prime Broker Agreement.
The Prime Broker Agreement
provides that the Coinbase Entities may have actual or potential conflicts of
interest in connection with providing the Prime Broker Services including that
(i) orders to buy or sell XRP may be routed to the Prime Broker’s exchange
platform (“Coinbase Exchange”) where such orders may be executed against other
Coinbase customers, (ii) the beneficial identity of the purchaser or seller with
respect to an order is unknown and therefore may inadvertently be another
Coinbase customer, (iii) the Prime Broker does not engage in front running, but
is aware of orders or imminent orders and may execute a trade for its own
inventory (or the account of an affiliate) while in possession of that knowledge
and (iv) Coinbase may act in a principal capacity with respect to certain orders
(e.g., to fill residual order size when a portion of an order may be below the
minimum size accepted by the Connected Trading Venues). As a result of these and
other conflicts, when acting as principal, the Coinbase Entities may have an
incentive to favor their own interests and the interests of their affiliates
over the Fund’s interests and have in place certain policies and procedures that
are designed to mitigate such conflicts. The Prime Broker will maintain
appropriate and effective arrangements to eliminate or manage conflicts of
interest, including segregation of duties, information barriers and
training.
The Coinbase Entities
shall execute trades pursuant to such policies and procedures; provided that the
Coinbase Entities (a) shall execute (i) any marketable orders sent by the Fund
and (ii) any other pending Fund orders received by the Coinbase Entities that
become marketable, and (b) shall not knowingly enter into a transaction for the
benefit of (x) the Coinbase Entities, or (y) any other client received after the
Fund’s order, ahead of any order received from the Fund. For purposes of the
foregoing, a marketable order is a sell order equivalent to or better than the
best bid price or a buy order equivalent to or better than the best ask price on
any Connected Trading Venue (or any venue that a Coinbase Entity may use) at a
given moment.
Pursuant to the Prime
Broker Agreement, the Fund compensates the Prime Broker through (i) a
“Settlement Fee” assessed per settlement in the Fund’s Trading Balance, (ii) a
“Prime Broker Custody ETP Services Fee” assessed as a tiered rate of the Fund’s
assets under custody in its custodial account, and (iii) a “Trading Account Fee”
assessed as a fixed percentage rate of each executed order. The Prime Broker
will invoice the Fund for the Settlement Fee and the Prime Broker Custody ETP
Services Fee on a monthly basis and the Fund shall pay all amounts to the Prime
Broker within 15 days of the Fund’s receipt of an invoice for such fees.
The Trade Credit
Lender
The Sponsor does not
intend to fund the Trading Balance at the Prime Broker with sufficient XRP to
pay fees and expenses and instead intends to utilize the Trade Financing
Agreement for such fees and expenses. To avoid having to pre-fund purchases or
sales of XRP in connection with cash creations and redemptions and sales of XRP
(e.g., to pay the Sponsor’s Fee and any other Fund expenses not assumed by the
Sponsor, to the extent applicable), the Fund may borrow XRP or cash as Trade
Credit from the Trade Credit Lender on a short-term basis. This allows the Fund
to buy or sell XRP through the Prime Broker in an amount that exceeds the cash
or XRP credited to the Fund’s Trading Balance at the Prime Broker at the time
such order is submitted to the Prime Broker, which, for example, is expected to
facilitate the Fund’s ability to process cash creations and redemptions and pay
the Sponsor’s Fee and any other Fund expenses not assumed by the Sponsor, to the
extent applicable, in a timely manner by seeking to lock in the XRP price on the
trade date for creations and redemptions or the payment date, for payment of the
Sponsor’s Fee or any other Fund expenses not assumed by the Sponsor, rather than
waiting for the funds associated with the creation to be transferred by the Cash
Custodian to the Prime Broker prior to purchasing the XRP or for the XRP held in
the Vault Balance to be transferred to a Trading Balance prior to selling the
XRP. The Fund is required by the terms of the Coinbase Credit Trade Financing
Agreement, which is part of the Prime Broker Agreement, to repay any extension
of Trade Credit by the Trade Credit Lender by 6:00 p.m. ET on the Business Day
following the day that the Trade Credit was extended to the Fund.
The Trade Credit Lender has established a
maximum amount of Trade Credits that the Fund may have outstanding at any one
time. A Trade Credit may not be in an amount that would cause the US dollar
notional amount of all Trade Credits outstanding to exceed the maximum
authorized amount. The Fund is required to maintain its Trading Balance to be
equal to or greater than the US dollar notional value of all outstanding Trade
Credits at the time of execution of trades on the trading platform, by asset,
until such Trade Credits have been repaid. In connection with a creation
transaction, to the extent that the execution price of XRP acquired exceeds the
cash deposit amount, the Authorized Participant (and not the Fund) bears the
responsibility for this difference. In addition, for creation and redemption
transactions, the interest payable on Trade Credits utilized under the Trade
Financing Agreement are included in the execution price and, therefore, are the
responsibility of the Authorized Participant (and not the Fund).
The Trade Credit Lender is
not obligated to continue to provide Trade Credits to the Fund and may in its
sole discretion impose black-out periods during which Trade Credits for any or
all XRP or cash may be unavailable, provided, however, that the Trade Credit
Lender will provide the Fund advance notice of such black-out periods if
feasible to do so.
To secure the repayment of
Trade Credits, the Fund has granted a first-priority lien to the Trade Credit
Lender over the assets in its Trading Balance and Vault Balance. If the Fund
fails to repay a Trade Credit within the required deadline, the Trade Credit
Lender is permitted to take control of XRP or cash credited to the Fund’s
Trading Balance and Vault Balance (though it is required to exhaust the Trading
Balance prior to taking control of assets in the Vault Balance) and liquidate
them to repay the outstanding Trade Credit. Trade Credits bear interest. If the
Fund fails to make payment of Trade Credits by any applicable settlement
deadline or pay any other amounts due under the Trade Financing Agreement when
due, Coinbase may freeze the Fund’s ability to use the Trading Platform.
Interest rates on Trade
Credits will be an amount to be determined, on a daily basis, based on the Trade
Credit Lender’s sole discretion considering factors including, but not limited
to, availability of financing, market prices, and credit due diligence of the
Fund.
The Fund’s XRP holdings
are maintained with the XRP Custodian rather than the Prime Broker, except in
the limited circumstances of XRP that is held temporarily in the Trading Balance
for purchases and sales of XRP in connection with the settlement of cash
creations and redemptions, or the payment of Sponsor’s Fee and any other Fund
expenses not assumed by the Sponsor to the extent applicable. In connection with
a redemption order or to pay the Sponsor’s Fee and expenses not assumed by the
Sponsor, the Fund will first borrow XRP from the Trade Credit Lender using the
Trade Financing Agreement, and then sell this XRP. In connection with a purchase
order, the Fund will first borrow cash from the Trade Credit Lender using the
Trade Financing Agreement, and then purchase XRP. The purpose of borrowing the
XRP or cash used in connection with cash creation and redemption or to pay these
fees and expenses from the Trade Credit Lender is to lock in the XRP price on
the trade date or the payment date, as applicable, rather than waiting for the
funds associated with the creation to be transferred by the Cash Custodian and
Prime Broker to purchasing the XRP or for the XRP held in the Vault Balance to
be transferred to a Trading Balance prior to selling the XRP (a process which
may take up to twenty four hours, or longer if the XRP blockchain is
experiencing delays in transaction confirmation, or if there are other
delays).
In the event Trade Credits
are unavailable from the Trade Credit Lender or become exhausted, the Sponsor
would require the Authorized Participant to deliver cash on the trade date so
that a purchase order can be settled in a timely manner. In the event Trade
Credits are unavailable or become exhausted in this situation, the Sponsor would
instruct the XRP Custodian to move XRP out of the Vault Balance into the Trading
Balance so that it could be sold directly in response to a redemption order or
to pay fees and expenses. Under these circumstances, the Fund may not be able to
lock in the XRP price on the trade date or the payment date, as applicable, and
would instead have to wait until the transfer from the Vault Balance to the
Trading Balance was completed before selling the XRP.
This could cause the
execution price associated with such trades, following the completion of the
transfer, to materially deviate from the execution price that would have existed
on the original trade or payment date, which could negatively impact
Shareholders. In addition, to the extent that the execution price for purchases
and sales of XRP related to creations and redemptions and sales of XRP in
connection with paying the Sponsor’s Fee and any other Fund expenses, to the
extent applicable, deviate significantly from the Index price used to determine
the NAV of the Fund, the Shareholders may be negatively impacted.
The Trade Financing
Agreement continues in effect until terminated in accordance with the provisions
of the Trade Financing Agreement. The Trust and Coinbase Credit, Inc. may
terminate the Trade Financing Agreement immediately upon giving the other
non-terminating party written notice. Upon notice of termination, all
outstanding extensions of Trade Credits will become due and payable
immediately.
Trading
Counterparties
In addition to the Prime Broker described
above, the Trust on behalf of the Fund has entered into a Master Agreement with
JSCT, LLC (“Jane Street”) to allow the Fund to enter into spot purchase or sale
transactions in XRP on a principal to principal basis. Under the Master
Agreement, Jane Street has no liability: (i) with respect to any breach of the
Master Agreement which does not arise from its fraud, willful misconduct, bad
faith or gross negligence, (ii) for any act or omission (including insolvency)
or delay of any third-party, including any bank, digital wallet provider or
digital currency exchange or any of their agents or subcontractors, (iii) for
any interruption or delays of service, system failure, or errors in the design
or functioning of any electronic system, or (iv) for any consequential,
indirect, incidental, or any similar damages (such damages, “Special Damages”)
(even if informed of the possibility or likelihood of such Special Damages).
Under the Master Agreement the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the Sponsor
will each, on a several basis, indemnify, defend and hold Jane Street harmless
together with its officers, directors, members, affiliates, employees, agents
and licensors from and against all losses, liabilities, judgments, proceedings,
claims, damages and costs (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) resulting from
any third-party action related to: (i) the Fund or the Sponsor’s breach of the
terms of the Master Agreement, (ii) the Fund’s or the Sponsor’s violation of any
applicable law, rule or regulation, (iii) Jane Street reliance on any
instruction (in whatever form delivered)
which it reasonably
believed to have been given by the Fund, or (iv) other acts or omissions in
connection with the execution or settlement of transactions with Jane Street.
The Master Agreement continues in effect until terminated in writing by either
party.
The Trust on behalf of the
Fund has also entered into a Liquidity Provider Agreement with Virtu whereby
Virtu is a liquidity provider in connection with cash orders from authorized
participants to create or redeem Fund shares and, in that capacity, Virtu
delivers XRP to the Fund, or delivers cash to the Fund and receives XRP from the
Fund, in each case, at the direction of the Sponsor. Under the Liquidity
Provider Agreement, each of the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the Sponsor,
severally and not jointly, (each such party, individually and not collectively,
a “Fund Indemnifying Party”) will indemnify and hold harmless Virtu, its affiliates (other than the Trust
or any of its representatives or agents (in their capacities as such)),
subsidiaries, directors, officers, employees and agents, and each person, if
any, who controls such persons within the meaning of Section 15 of the
Securities Act (each a “Virtu Indemnified Party”) from and against any claim,
loss, liability, cost and expense (including, without limitation, reasonable
attorneys’ fees) incurred by such Virtu Indemnified Party as a result of: (i)
any material breach by such Fund Indemnifying Party of any provision of the
Liquidity Provider Agreement that relates to such Fund Indemnifying Party; (ii)
any failure by such Fund Indemnifying Party to perform any of its obligations
set forth in the Liquidity Provider Agreement applicable to it; (iii) any
failure on the part of such Fund Indemnifying Party to comply in all material
respects with applicable laws, including, without limitation, rules and
regulations of any regulatory or self-regulatory organizations to the extent
such laws, rules and regulations are applicable to the transactions being
undertaken pursuant to the Liquidity Provider Agreement; (iv) actions of such
Virtu Indemnified Party taken in reliance upon any instructions issued or
representations made in accordance with the Liquidity Provider Agreement; (v)
gross negligence, fraud, bad faith, reckless or willful misconduct of the Trust,
on behalf of the Fund, or Sponsor; or (vi) any untrue statement or alleged
untrue statement of a material fact contained in the registration statement of
the Trust as originally filed with the SEC or in any amendment thereof, or in
any prospectus, or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or any omission
or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except those
statements in the registration statement or the prospectus based on information
furnished in writing by or on behalf of an Authorized Participant expressly for
use in the registration statement or the prospectus.
The indemnification shall
not apply to the extent any such losses, liabilities, damages, costs, and
expenses are incurred as a result of any fraud, gross negligence, bad faith or
reckless or willful misconduct on the part of a Virtu Indemnified Party. The
Liquidity Provider Agreement may be terminated at any time by any party upon
sixty days prior written notice delivered to the other parties and may be
terminated earlier by any party to the Liquidity Provider Agreement at any time
on the event of a material breach by any other party hereto of any provision of
the Liquidity Provider Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any party may,
by prior written notice to the other party, terminate the Liquidity Provider
Agreement at any time if: (i) required by applicable law, (ii) the other party
terminates or suspends its business, becomes insolvent, makes an assignment for
the benefit of creditors, becomes subject to direct control of a trustee,
receiver or similar authority, (iii) the other party becomes subject to any
bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding under applicable law, such termination being
effective immediately upon any declaration of bankruptcy, or (iv) a party is in
breach of any material term, condition, or provision of this Agreement, and such
breach cannot be or has not been cured within thirty days after the giving of
written notice specifying such breach.
There is no set term for
the agreements with the XRP Trading Counterparties and such parties are not
obligated to participate in transactions with the Fund. The Sponsor conducts due
diligence on potential XRP Trading Counterparties, with entities being added or
removed from consideration on an ongoing basis. Each XRP Trading Counterparty
must undergo onboarding by the Sponsor prior to entering into XRP transactions
on behalf of the Fund. The Sponsor will not place orders with any XRP Trading
Counterparty that is an affiliate of the Fund, the Trust or the Sponsor. Each of
the XRP Trading Counterparties are, and any other XRP Trading Counterparty that
the Sponsor, on behalf of the Fund, places orders with in the future, will be
subject to U.S. federal and/or state licensing requirements or similar laws in
non-U.S. jurisdictions, and maintain practices and policies designed to comply
with anti-money laundering (“AML”) and know your customer (“KYC”) regulations or
similar laws in non-U.S. jurisdictions.
Certificates
Evidencing the Shares
The Shares are evidenced by certificates
executed and delivered by the Administrator on behalf of the Fund. It is
expected that DTC will accept the Shares for settlement through its book-entry
settlement system. So long as the Shares are eligible for DTC settlement, there
will be only one global certificate evidencing Shares that will be registered in
the name of a nominee of DTC. Investors will be able to own Shares only in the
form of book-entry security entitlements with DTC or direct or indirect
participants (the “Indirect Participant”) in DTC. No investor will be entitled
to receive a separate certificate evidencing Shares. Because Shares can only be
held in the form of book-entries through DTC and its participants (“DTC
Participants”), investors must rely on DTC, a DTC Participant and any other
financial intermediary through which they hold Shares to receive the benefits
and exercise the rights described in this section. Investors should consult with
their broker or financial institution to find out about the procedures and
requirements for securities held in DTC book-entry form.
Cash
and Other Distributions
If the Sponsor and the
Administrator determine that there is more cash being held in the Fund than is
needed to pay the Fund’s expenses for the next month (or, if later, the end of
the current calendar quarter), the Administrator will distribute the extra cash
to DTC.
If the Fund receives cash (other than in
connection with purchase orders), or any property other than XRP or cash (other
than any Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency), the Administrator may
distribute that property to DTC by any means the Sponsor thinks is lawful,
equitable and feasible. If it cannot make the distribution in that way, the
Administrator may (at the instruction of the Sponsor) sell the property and
distribute the net proceeds, in the same way as it does with cash. The
Administrator and the Sponsor shall not be liable for any loss or depreciation
resulting from any sale or other disposition of property made by the
Administrator pursuant to the Sponsor’s instruction or otherwise made by the
Administrator in good faith. With respect to any non-XRP crypto asset (including
Incidental Rights or IR Virtual Currency), the Sponsor will cause the Fund to
irrevocably abandon such non-XRP crypto asset.
Registered holders of Shares are entitled to
receive these distributions in proportion to the number of Shares owned. Before
making a distribution, the Administrator may deduct any applicable withholding
taxes and any fees and expenses of the Fund that have not been paid. The
Administrator distributes only whole U.S. dollars and cents and is not required
to round fractional cents to the nearest whole cent. The Sponsor is not
responsible if it decides that it is unlawful or impractical to make a
distribution available to registered holders.
Share Splits
If the Sponsor believes that the per Share
price in the secondary market for Shares has fallen outside a desirable trading
price range or if the Sponsor determines that it is advisable for any reason,
the Sponsor may cause the Fund to declare a split or reverse split in
the number of Shares outstanding and to make a corresponding change in the
number of Shares constituting a Creation Unit.
Management of the Trust and
the Fund
The Sponsor manages the Fund’s business and
affairs. The Trust does not have a board of directors or an audit committee
but certain oversight functions with respect to the Trust are performed by
certain executive officers of the Sponsor. See “The Sponsor—Key Personnel of the
Sponsor.”
Fees and Expenses of the
Administrator
Each purchase order for the creation of
Creation Units and each surrender of Creation Units for a redemption must be
accompanied by a payment to BNYM of the applicable transaction fees.
The Administrator is entitled to reimbursement
from the assets of the Fund for all expenses and disbursements incurred by it
for extraordinary services it may provide to the Fund or in connection with any
discretionary action the Administrator may take to protect the Fund or the
interests of the holders.
Fund Expenses and XRP
Sales
In addition to the fee
payable to the Sponsor (See “The Sponsor—The Sponsor’s Fee”), the following
expenses will be paid out of the assets of the Fund:
|
• |
any expenses or liabilities of the Fund that are not assumed by the
Sponsor; |
|
• |
any taxes and other governmental charges that may fall on the Fund or
its property; |
|
• |
any expenses or costs of any extraordinary services performed by the
Sponsor on behalf of the Fund or expenses of any action taken by the
Sponsor to protect the Fund or the rights and interests of holders of
Shares (including, for example, in connection with any fork of the XRP
Ledger, any Incidental Rights and any IR Virtual
Currency); |
|
• |
any indemnification of the Sponsor or other Fund service providers as
described below; and |
|
• |
extraordinary legal fees and expenses, including any legal fees and
expenses incurred in connection with litigation, regulatory enforcement or
investigation matters. |
The Administrator will,
when directed by the Sponsor, sell the Fund’s XRP from time to time as necessary
to permit payment of the fees and expenses that the Fund is required to pay. See
“Business of the Fund—Fund Expenses.”
To cover the Sponsor’s Fee
and expenses not assumed by the Sponsor, the Sponsor or its delegate will cause
the Fund to convert XRP into U.S. dollars generally at the price available
through the Prime Execution Agent’s Coinbase Prime service (less applicable
trading fees) through the Trading Platform which the Sponsor is able to obtain
using commercially reasonable efforts. The Fund bears transaction costs
(including XRP Ledger fees and other similar transaction costs) in connection
with payment of the Sponsor Fee and other Fund expenses not assumed by the
Sponsor (if any). The number of XRP represented by a Share will decline each
time the Fund pays the Sponsor’s Fee or any Fund expenses not assumed by the
Sponsor by transferring or selling XRP. The Fund bears transaction costs,
including any XRP Ledger fees or other similar transaction fees, in connection
with any sales of XRP necessary to pay the Sponsor’s Fee. In the event of the
liquidation of the Fund, the Fund will bear any liquidation-related expenses
(including any transaction costs such as any XRP Ledger fees or other similar
transaction fees in connection with the liquidation of the Fund’s
portfolio).
The Administrator is not responsible for any
depreciation or loss incurred by reason of sales of XRP made in compliance with
the terms of the Administration Agreement.
Payment of Taxes
The Administrator may
deduct the amount of any taxes owed from any distributions it makes. It may also
sell Fund assets, by public or private sale, to pay any taxes owed. Registered
holders of Shares will remain liable if the proceeds of the sale are not enough
to pay the taxes.
Evaluation of XRP and the Fund Assets
See “Business of the Fund—Net Asset Value” and “Business of the
Fund—Valuation of XRP; the CF Benchmarks Index.”
THE
TRUSTEE
This section summarizes
some of the important provisions of the Declaration of Trust which apply to the
Trustee. For a general description of the Trustee’s role concerning the Trust,
see the section “Prospectus Summary—Key Service Providers.”
Liability of
the Trustee and indemnification
The Trustee will not be
liable for the acts or omissions of the Sponsor, nor shall the Trustee be liable
for supervising or monitoring the performance and the duties and obligations of
the Sponsor or the Fund under the Declaration of Trust, except as otherwise set
forth therein. The Trustee will not be liable under any circumstances, except
for a breach of its obligations pursuant to the Declaration of Trust or its own
willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence. The Trustee or any officer,
affiliate, director, employee, or agent of the Trustee (each an “Indemnified
Person”) shall be entitled to indemnification from the Fund, to the fullest
extent permitted by law, from and against any and all losses, claims, taxes,
damages, reasonable expenses, and liabilities (including liabilities under state
or federal securities laws) of any kind and nature whatsoever (collectively,
“Expenses”), to the extent that such Expenses arise out of or are imposed upon
or asserted against such Indemnified Persons with respect to the creation,
operation or termination of the Trust, the execution, delivery or performance of
the Declaration of Trust or the transactions contemplated thereby; provided,
however, that the Fund shall not be required to indemnify any Indemnified Person
for any expenses which are a result of the willful misconduct, bad faith or
gross negligence of such Indemnified Person.
The Trustee will have none
of the duties or liabilities of the Sponsor. The duties of the Trustee shall be
limited to (i) accepting legal process served on the Trust in the State of
Delaware, (ii) the execution of any certificates required to be filed with the
Secretary of State of the State of Delaware which the Trustee is required to
execute under Section 3811 of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act,
(iii) taking such action under the Declaration of Trust as it may be
directed in writing by the Sponsor from time to time; provided, however, that
the Trustee shall not be required to take any such action if it shall have
determined, or shall have been advised by counsel, that such performance is
likely to involve the Trustee in personal liability or is contrary to the terms
of the Declaration of Trust or of any document contemplated hereby to which the
Trust or the Trustee is a party or is otherwise contrary to law; and (iv) any
other duties specifically allocated to the Trustee in the Declaration of Trust
or agreed in writing with the Sponsor from time to time.
Resignation, discharge
or removal of Trustee; successor trustees
The Trustee may resign at any time by giving at
least 60 days written notice to the Sponsor, provided that such resignation will
not become effective until such time as a successor Trustee has accepted
appointment as Trustee of the Trust. The Sponsor may remove a Trustee at any
time by giving at least 60 days written notice to the Trustee, provided that
such removal will not become effective until such time as a successor Trustee
has accepted appointment as Trustee of the Trust. Upon effective resignation or
removal, the Trustee will be discharged of its duties and
obligations.
STATEMENTS,
FILINGS AND REPORTS
Proper books of account
for the Fund shall be kept and shall be audited annually by an independent
certified public accounting firm selected by the Sponsor in its sole discretion,
and there shall be entered therein all transactions, matters and things relating
to each fund’s business as are required by the Securities Act, as amended, and
all other applicable rules and regulations, and as are usually entered into
books of account kept by persons engaged in a business of like character. The
books of account shall be kept at the principal office of the Trust.
FISCAL
YEAR
The fiscal year of the Fund will initially be the period ending March 31 of
each year. The Sponsor has the continuing right to select an alternate fiscal
year.
THE
SECURITIES DEPOSITORY; BOOK-ENTRY-ONLY SYSTEM; GLOBAL SECURITY
DTC will act as
securities depository for the Shares. DTC is a limited-purpose trust company
organized under the laws of the State of New York, a member of the Federal
Reserve System, a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of the New York
Uniform Commercial Code, and a “clearing agency” registered pursuant to the
provisions of Section 17A of the Exchange Act. DTC was created to hold
securities of DTC Participants and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of
transactions in such securities among the DTC Participants through electronic
book-entry changes. This eliminates the need for physical movement of securities
certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks,
trust companies, clearing corporations, and certain other organizations, some of
whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. Access to the DTC system is also
available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that
clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant,
either directly or indirectly. DTC is expected to agree with and represent to
the DTC Participants that it will administer its Book-Entry System in accordance
with its rules and bylaws and the requirements of law
Individual certificates
will not be issued for the Shares. Instead, one or more global certificates will
be signed by the Administrator and the Sponsor on behalf of the Fund, registered
in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee for DTC, and deposited with the
Administrator on behalf of DTC. The global certificates will evidence all of the
Shares outstanding at any time. The representations, undertakings and agreements
made on the part of the Fund in the global certificates are made and intended
for the purpose of binding only the Fund and not the Administrator or the
Sponsor individually.
Upon the settlement date
of any creation, transfer or redemption of Shares, DTC will credit or debit, on
its book-entry registration and transfer system, the amount of the Shares so
created, transferred or redeemed to the accounts of the appropriate DTC
Participants. The Administrator and the Authorized Participants will designate
the accounts to be credited and charged in the case of creation or redemption of
Shares.
Beneficial ownership of
the Shares will be limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants and
persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants.
Owners of beneficial interests in the Shares will be shown on, and the transfer
of ownership will be effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with
respect to DTC Participants), the records of DTC Participants (with respect to
Indirect Participants), and the records of Indirect Participants (with respect
to Shareholders that are not DTC Participants or Indirect Participants).
Shareholders are expected to receive from or through the DTC Participant
maintaining the account through which the Shareholder has purchased their Shares
a written confirmation relating to such purchase.
Shareholders
that are not DTC Participants may transfer the Shares through DTC by instructing
the DTC Participant or Indirect Participant through which the Shareholders hold
their Shares to transfer the Shares. Shareholders that are DTC Participants may
transfer the Shares by instructing DTC in accordance with the rules of DTC.
Transfers will be made in accordance with standard securities industry
practice.
DTC may
decide to discontinue providing its service with respect to Creation Units
and/or the Shares by giving notice to the Administrator and the Sponsor. Under
such circumstances, the Administrator and the Sponsor will either find a
replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if a
replacement is unavailable, terminate the Fund.
The rights
of the Shareholders generally must be exercised by DTC Participants acting on
their behalf in accordance with the rules and procedures of DTC. Because the
Shares can only be held in book-entry form through DTC and DTC Participants,
investors must rely on DTC, DTC Participants and any other financial
intermediary through which they hold the Shares to receive the benefits and
exercise the rights described in this section. Investors should consult with
their broker or financial institution to find out about procedures and
requirements for securities held in book-entry form through DTC.
THE
SPONSOR
The Sponsor of the Trust and Fund is Franklin
Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and an indirect subsidiary
of Franklin. The Sponsor’s principal office is located at One Franklin Parkway,
San Mateo, CA 94403-1906.
The Sponsor and its staff service affiliates of
the Sponsor and their respective clients, and may also service other digital
asset investment vehicles (including serving as the sponsor of other digital
asset related exchange-traded products such as the Franklin Bitcoin ETF, the
Franklin Ethereum ETF and the Franklin Crypto Index ETF).
The
Sponsor’s Role
The Sponsor will arrange for the creation of
the Fund, the registration of the Shares for their public offering in the United
States and the listing of the Shares on the NYSE. The Sponsor has agreed to
assume the marketing and the following administrative and marketing expenses
incurred by the Fund: the fees charged by the Administrator, the Marketing
Agent, the Custodians and the Trustee, NYSE listing fees, SEC registration fees,
printing and mailing costs, tax reporting fees, audit fees, license fees and
expenses and up to $500,000 per annum in ordinary legal fees and expenses. The
Sponsor may determine in its sole discretion to assume legal fees and expenses
of the Fund in excess of the $500,000 per annum stipulated in the Sponsor
Agreement. There are no set circumstances in which the Sponsor has determined to
assume legal fees and expenses in excess of the amount stipulated in the Sponsor
Agreement, but such expenses may be assumed by the Sponsor, for example, to help
the Fund achieve scale. To the extent that the Sponsor does not voluntarily
assume such fees and expenses, they will be the responsibility of the Fund.
Additionally, there is no cap on the aggregate amount of expenses that could be
assumed by the Sponsor each year, except as otherwise described herein. The
Sponsor will also pay the costs of the Trust’s and Fund’s organization and the
initial offering costs.
The Fund may incur certain extraordinary,
non-recurring expenses that are not assumed by the Sponsor, including but not
limited to, taxes and governmental charges, any applicable brokerage
commissions, XRP Ledger fees and similar transaction fees that qualify as
extraordinary or non-routine expenses as described above, financing fees,
expenses and costs of any extraordinary services performed by the Sponsor (or
any other service provider) on behalf of the Fund to protect the Fund or the
interests of Shareholders (including, for example, in connection with any fork
of the XRP blockchain, any Incidental Rights and any IR Virtual Currency), any
indemnification of the Cash Custodian, XRP Custodian, Prime Broker,
Administrator or other agents, service providers or counterparties of the Fund,
and extraordinary legal fees and expenses, including any legal fees and expenses
incurred in connection with litigation, regulatory enforcement or investigation
matters.
The Sponsor is a Delaware limited liability
company formed on July 21, 2021. The Sponsor is responsible for establishing the
Trust and for the registration of the Shares. The Sponsor generally oversees the
performance of the Fund’s principal service providers, but does not exercise
day-to-day oversight over such service providers. The Sponsor, with assistance
and support from the Administrator, is responsible for preparing and filing
periodic reports on behalf of the Fund with the SEC and will provide any
required certification for such reports. The Sponsor will designate the
independent registered public accounting firm of the Fund and may from time to
time employ legal counsel for the Fund. The Marketing Agent assists the Sponsor
in marketing the Shares. The Marketing Agent is an affiliate of the Sponsor. See
“—The Marketing Agent” for more information about the Marketing Agent.
The Sponsor will maintain a public website on
behalf of the Fund, containing information about the Fund and the Shares. The
Fund’s website is
https://www.franklintempleton.com/investments/options/exchange-traded-funds/products/47318/SINGLCLASS/franklin-xrpz-etf/XRPZ.
This website is only provided here as a convenience to you, and the information
contained on or connected to the Fund’s website is not considered part of this
prospectus.
The Sponsor Agreement provides that the Sponsor
will not be liable for losses to the Fund, and Sponsor shall be indemnified, to
the extent provided in Section 4.05 of the Declaration of Trust. Section 4.05 of
the Declaration of Trust provides that the Sponsor and its
shareholders, members,
directors, officers, employees, affiliates and subsidiaries (each a “Sponsor
Indemnified Party”) shall be indemnified by the Fund and held harmless against
any loss, liability or expense incurred thereunder without gross negligence, bad
faith, or willful misconduct on the part of such Sponsor Indemnified Party
arising out of or in connection with the performance of its obligations
hereunder or any actions taken in accordance with the provisions of the
Declaration of Trust.
The Sponsor Agreement may be terminated: (i) by
the Sponsor at any time upon 30 days’ prior written notice; or (ii) by either
party upon discovery of acts of fraud or willful malfeasance of the other party
in performing its duties thereunder.
Key Personnel of the
Sponsor
The Trust does not have any directors, officers
or employees. The following persons, in their respective capacities as executive
officers of the Sponsor, a Delaware limited liability company, perform certain
functions with respect to the Trust that, if the Trust had directors or
executive officers, would typically be performed by them.
David Mann – President and
Chief Executive Officer
Matthew Hinkle – Chief Financial Officer
Vivek Pai – Chief Accounting Officer and
Treasurer
Todd Mathias – Vice President
Julie Patel – Vice President and
Secretary
Navid Tofigh – Vice President and Assistant
Secretary
Lindsey Hicks – Assistant Treasurer
Ajay Narayan – Assistant Treasurer
Jeff White – Assistant Treasurer
The Executive Officers of
the Sponsor serve for an indefinite term.
David
Mann, 51, has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the
Sponsor since July 2021. Mr. Mann is head of ETF Product & Capital Markets
for Franklin Templeton since 2016.
Matthew
Hinkle, 54, has served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of
the Sponsor since July 2021. Mr. Hinkle is President of Franklin Templeton
Services, LLC, responsible for Franklin Templeton’s middle and back office
services, and has served as an officer of various entities within Franklin
Templeton during at least the past five years.
Vivek
Pai, 54, has served as Treasurer and Chief Accounting Officer of the
Sponsor since July 2021. Mr. Pai is a Treasurer, U.S. Fund Administration &
Oversight for Franklin Templeton Services, LLC and has served as an officer of
various entities within Franklin Templeton during at least the past five
years.
The Sponsor’s
Fee
The Sponsor’s Fee, which is compensation for
the Sponsor’s services rendered to the Fund, is calculated and accrued daily at
an annualized rate of 0.19% (i.e., 0.19%/365 days) of the net asset value of the
Fund and is paid at least quarterly in arrears in U.S. dollars. The Sponsor may,
at its discretion and from time to time, waive all or a portion of the Sponsor’s
Fee for stated periods of time. The Sponsor is under no obligation to waive any
portion of its fees and any such waiver shall create no obligation to waive any
such fees during any period not covered by the waiver. For a period commencing
on the day the Shares are initially listed on the Exchange to May 31, 2026, the
Sponsor will waive the entire Sponsor’s Fee on the first $5.0 billion of the
Fund’s assets. In the future, if the Sponsor decides to waive all or a portion
of the Sponsor’s Fee, Shareholders will be notified in a prospectus supplement,
in the Fund’s periodic reports, and/or on the Sponsor’s website for the Fund.
See “Risk Factors—The Sponsor may amend the Declaration of Trust without the
consent of the Shareholders.”
THE
TRUSTEE
CSC Delaware Trust Company, a subsidiary of the
Corporation Service Company, serves as Trustee of the Trust. The Trustee’s
principal offices are located at 251 Little Falls Drive, Wilmington, DE 19808.
The structure of the Trust and the number and/or identity of the Trustee may be
amended in the future via amendments to the Trust’s Certificate of Trust and the
Declaration of Trust.
Under the Declaration of Trust, the Sponsor has
exclusive control of the management of all aspects of the activities of the
Trust and the Trustee has only nominal duties and liabilities to the Trust. The
Trustee accepts service of legal process on behalf of the Trust and
the
Fund in the State of Delaware and will make
certain filings under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act (“DSTA”) and may perform
certain other limited administrative services pursuant to the Declaration of
Trust. The Trustee does not owe any other duties to the Trust or the
Shareholders. The Declaration of Trust provides that the Trustee is compensated
by the Sponsor. The Sponsor has the discretion to replace the Trustee. The
rights and duties of the Shareholders are governed by the provisions of the
Delaware Statutory Trust Act and by the Declaration of Trust. The Shareholders
have no voice in the day-to-day management of the business and operations of the
Fund and the Trust.
To the extent the Trustee has duties (including
fiduciary duties) and liabilities to the Trust or the Shareholders under the
Delaware Statutory Trust Act, such duties and liabilities are replaced by the
duties and liabilities of the Trustee expressly set forth in the Declaration of
Trust. The Trustee will have no obligation to supervise, nor will they be liable
for, the acts or omissions of the Sponsor, Transfer Agent, Prime Broker,
Custodians or any other person. Neither the Trustee, nor any director, officer
or controlling person of the Trustee is, or has any liability as, the issuer,
director, officer or controlling person of the issuer of Shares.
The existence of a trustee should not be taken
as an indication of any additional level of management or supervision over the
Trust. The Declaration of Trust provides that the management authority with
respect to the Trust is vested directly in the Sponsor.
The Trustee has not signed
the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and is not
subject to issuer liability under the federal securities laws for the
information contained in this prospectus and under federal securities laws with
respect to the issuance and sale of the Shares. Under such laws, neither the
Trustee, nor any director, officer or controlling person of the Trustee is, or
has any liability as, the issuer or a director, officer or controlling person of
the issuer of the Shares. The Trustee’s liability in connection with the
issuance and sale of the Shares is limited solely to the express obligations of
the Trustee set forth in the Declaration of Trust.
The Trustee’s fees are paid by the Sponsor on
behalf of the Fund.
General Duty of Care of the
Trustee
As indicated above, the Trustee acts as the
trustee of the Trust for the purpose of creating a Delaware statutory trust in
accordance with the DSTA. The Trustee is appointed to serve as a trustee of the
Trust in the State of Delaware and for the sole and limited purpose of
fulfilling the requirements of Section 3807 of the DSTA and shall at all times
satisfy the requirements of Section 3807(a) of the DSTA that the Trust have at
least one trustee with a principal place of business in the State of
Delaware.
Resignation, Discharge or
Removal of Trustee; Successor Trustees
The Trustee may resign at any time by giving
sixty (60) days’ written notice to the Sponsor; provided, however, that said
resignation of the Trustee shall not be effective until such time as a successor
Trustee has accepted appointment as Trustee of the Trust. The Trustee may be
removed at any time by the Sponsor upon sixty (60) days’ written notice to the
Trustee; provided, however, such removal shall not be effective until such time
as a successor Trustee has accepted such appointment. Upon effective resignation
or removal, the Trustee will be discharged of its duties and obligations.
If the Trustee resigns or is removed, the
Sponsor shall appoint a successor trustee by delivering a written instrument to
the outgoing Trustee. Any successor trustee must satisfy the requirements of
Section 3807 of the DSTA. The successor will become fully vested with the
rights, powers, duties and obligations of the outgoing Trustee under the
Declaration of Trust, with like effect as if originally named as trustee, and
the outgoing Trustee shall be discharged of its duties and obligations under the
Declaration of Trust. If no successor trustee shall have been appointed within
60 days after the giving of such notice of resignation or removal, the outgoing
Trustee may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of
a successor trustee.
If the Trustee resigns and no successor trustee
is appointed, the Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, liquidate the Fund and
distribute its remaining assets and dissolve the Trust.
THE
ADMINISTRATOR
The Bank of New York Mellon (“BNYM”) serves as
the Fund’s Administrator. BNYM, a banking corporation organized under the laws
of the State of New York with trust powers, has an office at 240 Greenwich
Street, New York, NY 10286. BNYM is subject to supervision by the New York State
Banking Department and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System.
Pursuant to the Administration Agreement, the
Administrator performs or supervises the performance of services necessary for
the operations and administration of the Fund. These services include receiving
and processing orders from Authorized Participants to create and redeem Creation
Units, net asset value calculations, accounting and other fund administrative
services. The Administrator retains,
separately for the Fund, certain financial
books and records, including Creation Unit creation and redemption books and
records; Fund accounting; ledgers with respect to assets, liabilities, capital,
income and expenses; the registrar; transfer journals; and related details and
trading and related documents received from custodians.
The term of the
Administration Agreement is one year from its effective date and will
automatically renew for additional one year terms unless any party provides
written notice of termination (with respect to the Fund) at least 90 days prior
to the end of any one-year term or unless earlier terminated as provided
therein, including in the event of bankruptcy or insolvency of a party (or
similar proceeding or event) or a material breach that is not remedied or waived
in accordance with the terms of the Administration Agreement.
The Fund has agreed to indemnify BNYM and
certain of its affiliates (referred to as “covered affiliates”) against any and
all costs, expenses, damages, liabilities and claims, and reasonable attorneys’
and accountants’ fees relating thereto, which are sustained or incurred or which
may be asserted against BNYM or covered affiliates, by reason of or as a result
of any action taken or omitted to be taken by BNYM or a covered affiliate
without bad faith, negligence, willful misconduct, reckless disregard of its
duties under the Administration Agreement or in reliance upon (i) any law, act,
regulation or interpretation of the same even though the same may thereafter
have been altered, changed, amended or repealed, (ii) the Fund’s offering
materials and documents (excluding information provided by BNYM), (iii)
instructions properly provided to BNYM pursuant to the terms of the
Administration Agreement, or (iv) any opinion of legal counsel for the Fund or
BNYM, or arising out of transactions or other activities of such Fund which
occurred prior to the commencement of the Administration
Agreement; provided, that the Fund is not required to indemnify BNYM nor
any covered affiliate for costs, expenses, damages, liabilities or claims for
which BNYM or any covered affiliate is liable under the Administration Agreement
due to a breach of the standard of care provided therein.
As a service provider to
the Fund, BNYM makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of any
matter described in this prospectus except as specified in the Administration
Agreement with respect to the Fund, including with respect to the suitability of
an investment in the Fund, tax or other legal matters or interpretations of law
and related risks, each as described herein.
The Administrator’s fees are paid by the
Sponsor. The Administrator and any of its affiliates may from time to time
purchase or sell Shares for their own accounts, as agents for their customers
and for accounts over which they exercise investment discretion. The
Administrator and any successor administrator must be a participant in DTC or
such other securities depository as shall then be acting.
THE
CUSTODIANS
Cash Custodian
The Cash Custodian is
BNYM. The Cash Custodian’s services are governed under the Custody Agreement
between BNYM and the Trust. In performing its duties under the Custody
Agreement, BNYM is required to exercise the standard of care and diligence that
a professional custodian for exchange-traded funds would observe in these
affairs taking into account the prevailing rules, practices, procedures and
circumstances in the relevant market and to perform its duties without
negligence, fraud, bad faith, willful misconduct or reckless disregard of its
duties under the Custody Agreement. Under the Custody Agreement, BNYM is not
liable for any all losses, damages, costs, charges, expenses or liabilities
(including reasonable counsel fees and expenses) (collectively, “Losses”) except
to the extent caused by BNYM’s own bad faith, negligence, willful misconduct or
reckless disregard of its duties under the Custody Agreement. The Trust, on
behalf of the Fund, will indemnify and hold harmless BNYM from and against all
Losses, incurred by BNYM arising out of or relating to BNYM’s performance under
the Custody Agreement, except to the extent resulting from BNYM’s failure
to perform its obligations under the Custody Agreement in accordance with the
agreement’s standard of care. The Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, add or
terminate cash custodians at any time.
As a service provider to
the Fund, BNYM makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of any
matter described in this prospectus except as specified in the Custody Agreement
with respect to the Fund, including with respect to the suitability of an
investment in the Fund, tax or other legal matters or interpretations of law and
related risks, each as described herein.
The Custody Agreement
continues in effect until terminated in accordance with the provisions provision
of the Custody Agreement. The Trust and BNYM may terminate the Custody Agreement
by giving to the non-terminating party a notice in writing specifying the date
of such termination, which can be not less than ninety days after the date of
such notice. Either party to the Custody Agreement may terminate the Agreement
immediately by sending notice thereof to the other party upon the happening of
any of the following: (i) a party commences as debtor any case or proceeding
under any bankruptcy, insolvency or similar law, or there is commenced against
such party any such case or proceeding; (ii) a party commences as debtor any
case or proceeding seeking the appointment of a receiver, conservator, trustee,
custodian or similar official for such party or any substantial part of its
property or there is commenced against the party any such case or proceeding; or
(iii) a party makes a general assignment for the benefit of creditors.
XRP Custodian
The XRP Custodian for the Fund’s XRP holdings
is Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC, and the Trust, on behalf of the Fund,
has entered the Custodian Agreement with the XRP Custodian. The Sponsor may, in
its sole discretion, add or terminate XRP Custodians at any time. The Sponsor
may, in its sole discretion, change the custodian for the Fund’s XRP holdings,
but it will have no obligation whatsoever to do so or to seek any particular
terms for the Fund from other such custodians.
The XRP Custodian will
keep custody of all of the Fund’s XRP in segregated accounts in the cold (i.e.
non-networked) Vault Balance other than the Fund’s XRP, which is temporarily
maintained in the Trading Balance with the Prime Broker as described below in
“The Prime Broker”. Fund assets held in the Vault Balance are held in segregated
wallets, and are not commingled with the XRP Custodian’s or its affiliates’
assets, or the assets of the XRP Custodian’s other customers. The Fund has not
established a policy designating any specific parameters regarding amount of XRP
to be held in each cold storage wallet, and there is no limit on such amount.
The Vault Balance is held at XRP Ledger addresses at which only the Fund’s
assets are held. The percentage of the Fund’s XRP that is held in cold storage
will vary as dictated by business needs and there is no set percentage. The XRP
Custodian will keep all of the private keys associated with the Fund’s XRP in
cold storage (i.e., on a non-networked computer or electronic or storage
device).
Cold storage is a safeguarding method by which
the private key(s) corresponding to XRP is (are) generated and stored in an
offline manner. Private keys are generated in offline computers or devices that
are not connected to the internet so that they are more resistant to being
hacked. By contrast, in hot storage, the private keys are held online, where
they are more accessible, leading to more efficient transfers, though they are
potentially more vulnerable to being hacked.
Cold storage of private
keys may involve keeping such keys on an air-gapped computer or electronic
device or storing the public key and private keys on a storage device. The XRP
Custodian may receive deposits of XRP but may not send XRP without use of the
corresponding private keys. Such private keys are stored in air-gapped storage
facilities globally, exact locations of which are not disclosed for security
reasons. A limited number of employees at the XRP Custodian are involved in
private key management operations, and the XRP Custodian has represented that no
single individual has access to full private keys.
The Trust retains audit
rights with respect to the verification of the Fund’s XRP. Specifically, all
copies of records of Coinbase Custody are at all times during its regular
business hours open for inspection and use by duly authorized officers,
employees or agents of the Trust. In addition, the XRP Custodian will provide
once per calendar year the Trust with a copy of its Service Organizational
Control (SOC) 1 and 2 reports prepared in accordance with the requirements of AT
section 801, Reporting on Controls at a Service Organization or other
information necessary to verify that satisfactory internal control systems and
procedures are in place. Such reports will include verification of the Fund’s
XRP. The XRP Custodian’s internal audit team performs periodic internal audits
over custody operations, and the XRP Custodian has represented that SOC
attestations covering private key management controls are also performed on the
XRP Custodian by an external provider.
Coinbase Global currently maintains a
commercial crime insurance policy. Coinbase Global has maintained a commercial
crime insurance policy since 2013, which is designed to be comprehensive and
intended to cover the loss of client assets held by Coinbase Insureds, including
from employee collusion or fraud, theft, damage of key material, security breach
or hack, and fraudulent transfer. The commercial crime insurance policy is
intended to provide the Coinbase Insureds and their clients with some of the
broadest and deepest insurance coverage in the crypto industry, with
comprehensive coverage terms and conditions. This policy is renewed annually and
the insurance amounts are subject to review and change. The XRP Custodian has
advised the Sponsor that this insurance is maintained at a commercially
reasonable amount for the digital assets custodied on behalf of the Coinbase
Insureds’ clients, including the Fund’s XRP custodied by the XRP
Custodian. The insurance maintained by Coinbase Global is shared among all
of the Coinbase Insured’s customers, is not specific to the Fund or to customers
holding XRP with the XRP Custodian or Prime Broker, and may not be available or
sufficient to protect the Fund from all possible losses or sources of losses.
Further, the coverage will not be sufficient to fully cover losses for the Fund
in the event of a catastrophic, large scale or simultaneous incident affecting
multiple Coinbase clients. Coinbase Global may choose not to renew, or may be
unable to renew any portion or all of these insurance policies, which may
further expose the Trust and its Shareholders to the risk of loss.
In the event of a fork, the Coinbase Entities
may temporarily suspend Prime Broker Services (with or without notice to the
Fund). The Coinbase Entities may, in their sole discretion, determine whether or
not to support (or cease supporting) either branch of the forked protocol
entirely. The Coinbase Entities are required to use commercially reasonable
efforts to timely select at least one of the forked protocol branches to support
and will identify such selection in a notice reasonably in advance of such fork
(to the extent practicable) to provide a Fund the opportunity to arrange for the
transfer of the relevant digital assets, which the Coinbase Entities shall use
commercially reasonable efforts to accomplish in advance of such fork. Neither
the XRP Custodian nor the Prime Broker shall have any liability, obligation or
responsibility whatsoever arising out of or relating to the operation of an
unsupported branch of the XRP Ledger in the event of a fork. Neither the XRP
Custodian nor the Prime Broker support airdrops, metacoins, colored coins, side
chains, or other derivative, enhanced or forked protocols, tokens or coins,
which supplement or interact with XRP. The Fund holds only XRP and cash
and may not hold any non-XRP crypto asset. The
Trust has issued a standing instruction regarding airdrops and forks to the XRP
Custodian consistent with the foregoing policy.
Under the Custodian
Agreement, the XRP Custodian’s liability is limited to the greater of (i) the
aggregate amount of fees paid by the Fund to the XRP Custodian in respect of the
custodial services in the 12-month period prior to the event giving rise to such
liability or (ii) the value of the supported digital assets on deposit in the
Fund’s custodial account(s) giving rise to such liability at the time of the
event giving rise to such liability; provided, that in no event shall XRP
Custodian aggregate liability in respect of each cold storage address exceed
$100,000,000. In addition, Coinbase’s defense and indemnity obligations under
the Prime Broker Agreement (the Custodian Agreement is part of the Prime Broker
Agreement) will be limited, in the aggregate, to an amount equal to $2,000,000.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, there is no liability limit for losses arising
from the XRP Custodian’s fraud or willful misconduct. The XRP Custodian is not
liable for delays, suspension of operations, failure in performance, or
interruption of service, which result directly or indirectly from a cause or
condition beyond the reasonable control of the XRP Custodian. Under the
Custodian Agreement, except in the case of its negligence, fraud or willful
misconduct, the XRP Custodian shall not have any liability, obligation, or
responsibility for any damage or interruptions caused by any computer viruses,
spyware, scareware, Trojan horses, worms or other malware that may affect the
Fund’s computer or other equipment, or any phishing, spoofing or other
attack.
The XRP Custodian Agreement forms a part of the
Prime Broker Agreement, and is subject to the termination provisions in the
Prime Broker Agreement. These termination provisions are described in more
detail in “The Prime Broker” below. If the XRP Custodian closes the Fund’s
custodial account or terminates the Fund’s use of the custodial services, the
Fund will be permitted to withdraw XRP associated with the Fund’s custodial
account for a period of up to ninety days following the date of deactivation or
cancellation to the extent not prohibited (i) under applicable law, including
applicable sanctions programs, or (ii) by a facially valid subpoena, court
order, or binding order of a government authority. The XRP Custodian may not,
directly or indirectly, lend, pledge, hypothecate or re-hypothecate any Fund
assets in the Vault Balance and no Coinbase Entity may sell, transfer, loan,
rehypothecate or otherwise alienate the Fund’s assets credited to Fund’s Trading
Balance unless instructed by Client. The Vault Balance and Trading Balance are
subject to the lien to secure outstanding Trade Credits in favor of the Trade
Credit Lender discussed below.
THE PRIME
BROKER AND THE TRADE CREDIT LENDER
The Prime Broker
Pursuant to the Prime Broker Agreement, a
portion of the Fund’s XRP holdings and cash holdings from time to time may be
temporarily held with the Prime Broker, an affiliate of the XRP Custodian, in
the Trading Balance, for certain limited purposes, in connection with creations
and redemptions of Creation Units and the sale of XRP to pay the Sponsor’s Fee
and Fund expenses not assumed by the Sponsor. The Sponsor may, in its sole
discretion, add or terminate prime brokers at any time. The Sponsor may, in its
sole discretion, change the prime broker for the Fund, but it will have no
obligation whatsoever to do so or to seek any particular terms for the Fund from
other such prime brokers.
Within the Fund’s Trading
Balance, the Prime Broker Agreement provides that the Fund does not have an
identifiable claim to any particular XRP (and cash). Instead, the Fund’s Trading
Balance represents an entitlement to a pro
rata share of the XRP (and cash) the Prime Broker holds on behalf of
customers who hold similar entitlements against the Prime Broker. In this way,
the Fund’s Trading Balance represents an omnibus claim on the Prime Broker’s XRP
(and cash) held on behalf of the Prime Broker’s customers. The Prime Broker
holds the XRP associated with customer entitlements across a combination of
omnibus cold wallets, omnibus “hot walletsˮ (meaning wallets whose private keys
are generated and stored online, in Internet-connected computers or devices) or
in omnibus accounts in the Prime Broker’s name on a trading venue (including
third-party venues and the Prime Broker’s own execution venue) where the Prime
Broker executes orders to buy and sell XRP on behalf of its clients. There are
no policies that would limit the amount of XRP that can be held temporarily in
the Trading Balance maintained by the Prime Broker. However, XRP is only moved
into the Trading Balance in connection with and to the extent of purchases and
sales of XRP by the Fund and such XRP is swept from the Fund’s Trading Balance
to the Fund’s Vault Balance each trading day pursuant to a regular end-of-day
sweep process. The Fund’s use of Trade Credits and early order cutoffs are also
designed to limit the amount of time that any of the Fund’s XRP is held in the
Fund’s Trading Balance.
Within such omnibus hot and cold wallets and
accounts, the Prime Broker has represented to the Sponsor that it keeps the
majority of assets in cold wallets, to promote security, while the balance of
assets are kept in hot wallets to facilitate rapid withdrawals. However, the
Sponsor has no control over, and for security reasons the Prime Broker does not
disclose to the Sponsor, the percentage of XRP that the Prime Broker holds for
customers holding similar entitlements as the Fund which are kept in omnibus
cold wallets, as compared to omnibus hot wallets or omnibus accounts in the
Prime Broker’s name on a trading venue. The Prime Broker has represented to the
Sponsor that the percentage of assets maintained in cold versus hot storage is
determined by ongoing risk analysis and market dynamics,
in which the Prime Broker
attempts to balance anticipated liquidity needs for its customers as a class
against the anticipated greater security of cold storage.
The Prime Broker is not
required by the Prime Broker Agreement to hold any of the XRP in the Fund’s
Trading Balance in cold storage or to hold any such XRP in segregation, and
neither the Fund nor the Sponsor can control the method by which the Prime
Broker holds the XRP credited to the Fund’s Trading Balance.
The Prime Broker holds
Fund cash credited to the Trading Balance in one of three ways: (i) in one or
more omnibus accounts in Prime Broker’s name for the benefit of customers at one
or more U.S. insured depository institutions (each, an “FBO account”); (ii) with
respect to US dollars, liquid investments, which may include but are not limited
to U.S. treasuries and Money Market Funds, in accordance with state money
transmitter laws; and (iii) in the Prime Broker’s omnibus accounts at Connected
Trading Venues. The Prime Broker will title the FBO accounts it maintains with
U.S. depository institutions and maintain records of Fund’s interest in a manner
designed to enable receipt of FDIC deposit insurance, where applicable and up to
the deposit insurance limits applicable under FDIC regulations and guidance, on
Fund cash for the Fund’s benefit on a passthrough basis. The Prime Broker does
not guarantee that pass-through FDIC deposit insurance will apply to Fund cash,
since such insurance is dependent in part on compliance of the depository
institutions. The Prime Broker may also title its accounts at some or all
Connected Trading Venues and maintain records of Fund interests in those
accounts in a manner consistent with FDIC requirements for passthrough deposit
insurance, but availability of pass-through deposit insurance, up to the deposit
insurance limits applicable under FDIC regulations and guidance, is also
dependent on the actions of the Connected Trading Venues and any depository
institutions they use, which may not be structured to provide pass-through
deposit insurance. FDIC insurance applies to cash deposits at banks and other
insured depository institutions in the event of a failure of that institution,
and does not apply to Coinbase Entities or to any digital asset held by the
Prime Broker on Fund’s behalf.
To the extent the Fund
sells XRP through the Prime Broker, the Fund’s orders will be executed at
Connected Trading Venues that have been approved in accordance with the Prime
Broker’s due diligence and risk assessment process. The Prime Broker has
represented that its due diligence on Connected Trading Venues include reviews
conducted by the legal, compliance, security and finance and credit-risk teams.
The Connected Trading Venues, which are subject to change from time to time,
currently include Bitstamp, LMAX, Kraken, the exchange operated by the Prime
Broker, as well as four non-bank market makers (“NBMMs”). The Prime Broker has
represented to the Fund that it is unable to name the NBMMs due to
confidentiality restrictions.
Pursuant to the Prime Broker Agreement, the
Fund may engage in purchases or sales of XRP by placing orders with the Prime
Broker. The Prime Broker will route orders placed by the Sponsor through the
prime broker execution platform (the “Trading Platform”) to a Connected Trading
Venue where the order will be executed. Each order placed by the Sponsor will be
sent, processed and settled at each Connected Trading Venue to which it is
routed. The Prime Broker Agreement provides that the Prime Broker is subject to
certain conflicts of interest, including: (i) the Fund’s orders may be routed to
the Prime Broker’s own execution venue where the Fund’s orders may be executed
against other customers of the Prime Broker, (ii) the beneficial identity of the
counterparty purchaser or seller with respect to the Fund’s orders may be
unknown and therefore may inadvertently be another client of the Prime Broker,
(iii) the Prime Broker does not engage in front running, but is aware of the
Fund’s orders or imminent orders and may execute a trade for its own inventory
(or the account of an affiliate) while in possession of that knowledge and (iv)
the Prime Broker may act in a principal capacity with respect to certain orders
to fill residual order size for client orders. As a result of these and other
conflicts, the Prime Broker may have an incentive to favor its own interests and
the interests of its affiliates over the Fund’s interests.
Subject to the foregoing,
and to certain policies and procedures that the Prime Broker Agreement requires
the Prime Broker to have in place to mitigate conflicts of interest when
executing the Fund’s orders, the Prime Broker Agreement provides that the Prime
Broker shall have no liability, obligation, or responsibility whatsoever for the
selection or performance of any Connected Trading Venue, and that other
Connected Trading Venues and/or trading venues not used by Coinbase may offer
better prices and/or lower costs than the Connected Trading Venue used to
execute the Fund’s orders.
Coinbase Global currently maintains a
commercial crime insurance policy. Coinbase Global has maintained a commercial
crime insurance policy since 2013, which is designed to be comprehensive and
intended to cover the loss of client assets held by Coinbase Insureds, including
from employee collusion or fraud, theft, damage of key material, security breach
or hack, and fraudulent transfer. The commercial crime insurance policy is
intended to provide the Coinbase Insureds and their clients with some of the
broadest and deepest insurance coverage in the crypto industry, with
comprehensive coverage terms and conditions. This policy is renewed annually and
the insurance amounts are subject to review and change. The XRP Custodian has
advised the Sponsor that this insurance is maintained at a commercially
reasonable amount for the digital assets custodied on behalf of the Coinbase
Insureds’ clients, including the Fund’s XRP custodied by the XRP
Custodian. The insurance maintained by Coinbase Global is shared among all
of the Coinbase Insured’s customers, is not specific to the Fund or to customers
holding XRP with the XRP Custodian or Prime Broker, and may not be available or
sufficient to protect the Fund from all possible losses or sources of losses.
Further, the coverage will not be sufficient to fully cover losses for the Fund
in the event of a catastrophic, large scale or simultaneous incident affecting
multiple Coinbase clients.
Coinbase Global may choose
not to renew, or may be unable to renew any portion or all of these insurance
policies, which may further expose the Trust and its Shareholders to the risk of
loss.
Once the Sponsor places an
order to purchase or sell XRP on the Trading Platform, the associated XRP or
cash used to fund or fill the order, if any, will be placed on hold and will
generally not be eligible for other use or withdrawal from the Fund’s Trading
Balance. The Fund’s Vault Balance may be used directly to fund orders. With each
Connected Trading Venue, the Prime Broker shall establish an account in the
Prime Broker’s name, or in its name for the benefit of clients, to trade on
behalf of its clients, including the Fund, and the Fund will not, by virtue of
the Trading Balance the Fund maintains with the Prime Broker, have a direct
legal relationship, or account with, any Connected Trading Venue.
The Prime Broker does not
guarantee uninterrupted access to the Trading Platform or the services it
provides to the Fund. Under certain circumstances, the Prime Broker is permitted
to halt or suspend trading on the Trading Platform, or impose limits on the
amount or size of, or reject, the Fund’s orders.
The XRP Custodian may not,
directly or indirectly, lend, pledge, hypothecate or re-hypothecate any Fund
assets in the Vault Balance and no Coinbase Entity may sell, transfer, loan,
rehypothecate or otherwise alienate the Fund’s assets credited to Fund’s Trading
Balance unless instructed by Client. The Vault Balance and Trading Balance are
subject to the lien to secure outstanding Trade Credits in favor of the Trade
Credit Lender discussed below.
Under the Prime Broker
Agreement, the Prime Broker’s liability is limited to the greater of (a) the
aggregate amount of fees paid by a Fund to the Prime Broker in respect of the
prime broker services in the 12-month period prior to the event giving rise to
such liability or (b) the value of the supported digital assets giving rise to
such liability. In addition, the Prime Broker’s defense and indemnity
obligations under the Prime Broker Agreement will be limited, in the aggregate,
to an amount equal to $2,000,000. Notwithstanding the foregoing, there is no
liability limit for losses arising from the Prime Broker’s fraud or willful
misconduct. The Prime Broker is not liable for delays, suspension of operations,
failure in performance, or interruption of service to the extent it is directly
or indirectly due to a cause or condition beyond the reasonable control of the
Prime Broker. Both the Fund and the Prime Broker and its affiliates (including
the XRP Custodian) are required to indemnify each other under certain
circumstances. The Prime Broker Agreement is governed by New York law and
provides that disputes arising under it are subject to arbitration.
The Prime
Broker Agreement may be terminated in its entirety by the Fund or Prime Broker
for any reason and without Cause by providing at least 30 days’ prior written
notice to the other party; provided, however, the Fund’s termination of this
Coinbase Prime Broker Agreement shall not be effective until the Fund has fully
satisfied its material obligations under the Agreement. The Coinbase Entities
(defined in the Prime Broker Agreement as the Prime Broker, XRP Custodian and
Trade Credit Lender) may, in their sole discretion, suspend, restrict or
terminate the Fund’s “Prime Broker Services”, including by suspending,
restricting or closing the Fund’s Prime Broker Account and/or any associated
trading account, custodial account or any credit account (as applicable), for
“Cause,” at any time and with prior notice to the Fund if permitted by
applicable law. The Fund may, in its sole discretion, terminate this Agreement
for “Coinbase Cause,” at any time and with prior notice to Coinbase and the
Coinbase Entities if permitted by applicable law. In the event that the Prime
Broker or Fund terminates the Prime Broker Agreement by providing at least 30
days’ prior written notice, the Prime Broker shall use reasonable efforts to
assist Fund to transfer any digital assets, fiat currency or funds associated
with the digital assets wallet(s) or fiat wallet(s) as applicable to another
provider within ninety (90) days of receipt of the Fund’s termination
notice.
“Prime Broker Services” in
the Prime Broker Agreement means: services relating to custody, trade execution,
lending or post-trade credit and other services for certain digital
assets.
“Cause” in the Prime
Broker Agreement means: (i) Fund materially breaches any provision of the Prime
Broker Agreement; (ii) Fund takes any action to dissolve or liquidate, in whole
or part; (iii) Fund becomes insolvent, makes an assignment for the benefit of
creditors, becomes subject to direct control of a trustee, receiver or similar
authority; (iv) Fund becomes subject to any bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding
under any applicable laws, rules and regulations, such termination being
effective immediately upon any declaration of bankruptcy; (v) Prime Broker
becomes aware of any facts or circumstances with respect to the Fund’s
financial, legal, regulatory or reputational position which may affect Fund’s
ability to comply with its obligations under the Prime Broker Agreement; (vi)
termination is required pursuant to a facially valid subpoena, court order or
binding order of a government authority; (vii) Fund’s Prime Broker Account is
subject to any pending litigation, investigation or government proceeding and/or
Prime Broker reasonably perceives a heightened risk of legal regulatory
non-compliance associated with Fund’s use of Prime Broker Services; or (viii)
Prime Broker reasonably suspects Fund of attempting to circumvent Prime Broker’s
controls or uses the Prime Broker Services in a manner Prime Broker otherwise
deems inappropriate or potentially harmful to itself or third parties.
“Coinbase Cause” in the Prime Broker Agreement
means: (i) Prime Broker takes any action to dissolve or liquidate, in whole or
part; (ii) Prime Broker becomes insolvent, makes an assignment for the benefit
of creditors, becomes subject to direct control of a trustee,
receiver or similar
authority; (iii) Prime Broker becomes subject to any bankruptcy or insolvency
proceeding under any applicable laws, rules and regulations, such termination
being effective immediately upon any declaration of bankruptcy; or (iv) Prime
Broker materially breaches any provision of the Prime Broker Agreement.
The Coinbase Entities
shall execute trades pursuant to such policies and procedures; provided that the
Coinbase Entities (a) shall execute (i) any marketable orders sent by the Fund
and (ii) any other pending Fund orders received by the Coinbase Entities that
become marketable, and (b) shall not knowingly enter into a transaction for the
benefit of (x) the Coinbase Entities, or (y) any other client received after the
Fund’s order, ahead of any order received from the Fund. For purposes of the
foregoing, a marketable order is a sell order equivalent to or better than the
best bid price or a buy order equivalent to or better than the best ask price on
any Connected Trading Venue (or any venue that a Coinbase Entity may use) at a
given moment.
Pursuant to the Prime
Broker Agreement, the Fund compensates the Prime Broker through (i) a
“Settlement Fee” assessed per settlement in the Fund’s Trading Balance, (ii) a
“Prime Broker Custody ETP Services Fee” assessed as a tiered rate of the Fund’s
assets under custody in its custodial account, and (iii) a “Trading Account Fee”
assessed as a fixed percentage rate of each executed order. The Prime Broker
will invoice the Fund for the Settlement Fee and the Prime Broker Custody ETP
Services Fee on a monthly basis and the Fund shall pay all amounts to the Prime
Broker within 15 days of the Fund’s receipt of an invoice for such fees.
The Trade Credit
Lender
The Sponsor does not
intend to fund the Trading Balance at the Prime Broker with sufficient XRP to
pay fees and expenses and instead intends to utilize the Trade Financing
Agreement for such fees and expenses. To avoid having to pre-fund purchases or
sales of XRP in connection with cash creations and redemptions and sales of XRP
(e.g., to pay the Sponsor’s Fee and any other Fund expenses not assumed by the
Sponsor, to the extent applicable), the Fund may borrow XRP or cash as Trade
Credit from the Trade Credit Lender on a short-term basis. This allows the Fund
to buy or sell XRP through the Prime Broker in an amount that exceeds the cash
or XRP credited to the Fund’s Trading Balance at the Prime Broker at the time
such order is submitted to the Prime Broker, which, for example, is expected to
facilitate the Fund’s ability to process cash creations and redemptions and pay
the Sponsor’s Fee and any other Fund expenses not assumed by the Sponsor, to the
extent applicable, in a timely manner by seeking to lock in the XRP price on the
trade date for creations and redemptions or the payment date, for payment of the
Sponsor’s Fee or any other Fund expenses not assumed by the Sponsor, rather than
waiting for the funds associated with the creation to be transferred by the Cash
Custodian to the Prime Broker prior to purchasing the XRP or for the XRP held in
the Vault Balance to be transferred to a Trading Balance prior to selling the
XRP. The Fund is required by the terms of the Coinbase Credit Trade Financing
Agreement, which is part of the Prime Broker Agreement, to repay any extension
of Trade Credit by the Trade Credit Lender by 6:00 p.m. ET on the Business Day
following the day that the Trade Credit was extended to the Fund.
The Trade Credit Lender
has established a maximum amount of Trade Credits that the Fund may have
outstanding at any one time. A Trade Credit may not be in an amount that would
cause the US dollar notional amount of all Trade Credits outstanding to exceed
the maximum authorized amount. The Fund is required to maintain its Trading
Balance to be equal to or greater than the US dollar notional value of all
outstanding Trade Credits at the time of execution of trades on the trading
platform, by asset, until such Trade Credits have been repaid. In connection
with a creation transaction, to the extent that the execution price of XRP
acquired exceeds the cash deposit amount, the Authorized Participant (and not
the Fund) bears the responsibility for this difference. In addition, for
creation and redemption transactions, the interest payable on Trade Credits
utilized under the Trade Financing Agreement are included in the execution price
and, therefore, are the responsibility of the Authorized Participant (and not
the Fund).
The Trade Credit Lender is
not obligated to continue to provide Trade Credits to the Fund and may in its
sole discretion impose black-out periods during which Trade Credits for any or
all XRP or cash may be unavailable, provided, however, that the Trade Credit
Lender will provide the Fund advance notice of such black-out periods if
feasible to do so.
To secure the repayment of
Trade Credits, the Fund has granted a first-priority lien to the Trade Credit
Lender over the assets in its Trading Balance and Vault Balance. If the Fund
fails to repay a Trade Credit within the required deadline, the Trade Credit
Lender is permitted to take control of XRP or cash credited to the Fund’s
Trading Balance and Vault Balance (though it is required to exhaust the Trading
Balance prior to taking control of assets in the Vault Balance) and liquidate
them to repay the outstanding Trade Credit. Trade Credits bear interest. If the
Fund fails to make payment of Trade Credits by any applicable settlement
deadline or pay any other amounts due under the Trade Financing Agreement when
due, Coinbase may freeze the Fund’s ability to use the Trading Platform.
Interest rates on Trade
Credits will be an amount to be determined, on a daily basis, based on the Trade
Credit Lender’s sole discretion considering factors including, but not limited
to, availability of financing, market prices, and credit due diligence of the
Fund.
The Fund’s XRP holdings are maintained with the
XRP Custodian rather than the Prime Broker, except in the limited circumstances
of XRP that is held temporarily in the Trading Balance for purchases and sales
of XRP in connection with the settlement of cash creations
and redemptions, or the
payment of Sponsor’s Fee and any other Fund expenses not assumed by the Sponsor
to the extent applicable. In connection with a redemption order or to pay the
Sponsor’s Fee and expenses not assumed by the Sponsor, the Fund will first
borrow XRP from the Trade Credit Lender using the Trade Financing Agreement, and
then sell this XRP. In connection with a purchase order, the Fund will first
borrow cash from the Trade Credit Lender using the Trade Financing Agreement,
and then purchase XRP. The purpose of borrowing the XRP or cash used in
connection with cash creation and redemption or to pay these fees and expenses
from the Trade Credit Lender is to lock in the XRP price on the trade date or
the payment date, as applicable, rather than waiting for the funds associated
with the creation to be transferred by the Cash Custodian and Prime Broker to
purchasing the XRP or for the XRP held in the Vault Balance to be transferred to
a Trading Balance prior to selling the XRP (a process which may take up to
twenty four hours, or longer if the XRP Ledger is experiencing delays in
transaction confirmation, or if there are other delays).
In the event Trade Credits
are unavailable from the Trade Credit Lender or become exhausted, the Sponsor
would require the Authorized Participant to deliver cash on the trade date so
that a purchase order can be settled in a timely manner. In the event Trade
Credits are unavailable or become exhausted in this situation, the Sponsor would
instruct the XRP Custodian to move XRP out of the Vault Balance into the Trading
Balance so that it could be sold directly in response to a redemption order or
to pay fees and expenses. Under these circumstances, the Fund may not be able to
lock in the XRP price on the trade date or the payment date, as applicable, and
would instead have to wait until the transfer from the Vault Balance to the
Trading Balance was completed before selling the XRP.
This could cause the
execution price associated with such trades, following the completion of the
transfer, to materially deviate from the execution price that would have existed
on the original trade or payment date, which could negatively impact
Shareholders. In addition, to the extent that the execution price for purchases
and sales of XRP related to creations and redemptions and sales of XRP in
connection with paying the Sponsor’s Fee and any other Fund expenses, to the
extent applicable, deviate significantly from the Index price used to determine
the NAV of the Fund, the Shareholders may be negatively impacted.
The Trade Financing
Agreement continues in effect until terminated in accordance with the provisions
of the Trade Financing Agreement. The Trust and Coinbase Credit, Inc. may
terminate the Trade Financing Agreement immediately upon giving the other
non-terminating party written notice. Upon notice of termination, all
outstanding extensions of Trade Credits will become due and payable
immediately.
TRADING
COUNTERPARTIES
In addition to the Prime
Broker described above, the Trust on behalf of the Fund has entered into a
Master Agreement with Jane Street to
allow the Fund to enter into spot purchase or sale transactions in XRP on a
principal to principal basis. Under the Master Agreement, Jane Street has
no liability: (i) with respect to any breach of the Master Agreement which does
not arise from its fraud, willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence,
(ii) for any act or omission (including insolvency) or delay of any third-party,
including any bank, digital wallet provider or digital currency exchange or any
of their agents or subcontractors, (iii) for any interruption or delays of
service, system failure, or errors in the design or functioning of any
electronic system, or (iv) for any consequential, indirect, incidental, or any
similar damages (such damages, “Special Damages”) (even if informed of the
possibility or likelihood of such Special Damages). Under the Master Agreement
the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the Sponsor will each, on a several basis,
indemnify, defend and hold Jane Street harmless together with its
officers, directors, members, affiliates, employees, agents and licensors from
and against all losses, liabilities, judgments, proceedings, claims, damages and
costs (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) resulting from any third-party
action related to: (i) the Fund or the Sponsor’s breach of the terms of the
Master Agreement, (ii) the Fund’s or the Sponsor’s violation of any applicable
law, rule or regulation, (iii) Jane Street ’s reliance on any instruction
(in whatever form delivered) which it reasonably believed to have been given by
the Fund, or (iv) other acts or omissions in connection with the execution or
settlement of transactions with Jane Street. The Master Agreement continues in
effect until terminated in writing by either party.
The Trust on behalf of the Fund has also
entered into a Liquidity Provider Agreement with Virtu whereby Virtu is a
liquidity provider in connection with cash orders from authorized participants
to create or redeem Fund shares and, in that capacity, Virtu delivers XRP to the
Fund, or delivers cash to the Fund and receives XRP from the Fund, in each case,
at the direction of the Sponsor. Under the Liquidity Provider Agreement, each of
the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the Sponsor, severally and not jointly,
(each such party, individually and not collectively, a “Fund Indemnifying
Party”) will indemnify and hold harmless Virtu, its affiliates (other than the
Trust or any of its representatives or agents (in their capacities as such)),
subsidiaries, directors, officers, employees and agents, and each person, if
any, who controls such persons within the meaning of Section 15 of the
Securities Act (each a “Virtu Indemnified Party”) from and against any claim,
loss, liability, cost and expense (including, without limitation, reasonable
attorneys’ fees) incurred by such Virtu Indemnified Party as a result of: (i)
any material breach by such Fund Indemnifying Party of any provision of the
Liquidity Provider Agreement that relates to such Fund Indemnifying Party; (ii)
any failure by such Fund Indemnifying Party to perform any of its obligations
set forth in the Liquidity Provider Agreement applicable to it; (iii) any
failure on the part of such Fund Indemnifying Party to comply in all material
respects with applicable laws, including, without limitation, rules and
regulations of any regulatory or self-regulatory organizations to
the extent such laws,
rules and regulations are applicable to the transactions being undertaken
pursuant to the Liquidity Provider Agreement; (iv) actions of such Virtu
Indemnified Party taken in reliance upon any instructions issued or
representations made in accordance with the Liquidity Provider Agreement; (v)
gross negligence, fraud, bad faith, reckless or willful misconduct of the Trust,
on behalf of the Fund, or Sponsor; or (vi) any untrue statement or alleged
untrue statement of a material fact contained in the registration statement of
the Trust as originally filed with the SEC or in any amendment thereof, or in
any prospectus, or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or any omission
or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except those
statements in the registration statement or the prospectus based on information
furnished in writing by or on behalf of an Authorized Participant expressly for
use in the registration statement or the prospectus.
The indemnification shall
not apply to the extent any such losses, liabilities, damages, costs, and
expenses are incurred as a result of any fraud, gross negligence, bad faith or
reckless or willful misconduct on the part of a Virtu Indemnified Party. The
Liquidity Provider Agreement may be terminated at any time by any party upon
sixty days prior written notice delivered to the other parties and may be
terminated earlier by any party to the Liquidity Provider Agreement at any time
on the event of a material breach by any other party hereto of any provision of
the Liquidity Provider Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any party may,
by prior written notice to the other party, terminate the Liquidity Provider
Agreement at any time if: (i) required by applicable law, (ii) the other party
terminates or suspends its business, becomes insolvent, makes an assignment for
the benefit of creditors, becomes subject to direct control of a trustee,
receiver or similar authority, (iii) the other party becomes subject to any
bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding under applicable law, such termination being
effective immediately upon any declaration of bankruptcy, or (iv) a party is in
breach of any material term, condition, or provision of this Agreement, and such
breach cannot be or has not been cured within thirty days after the giving of
written notice specifying such breach.
There is no set term for
the agreements with the XRP Trading Counterparties and such parties are not
obligated to participate in transactions with the Fund. The Sponsor conducts due
diligence on potential XRP Trading Counterparties, with entities being added or
removed from consideration on an ongoing basis. Each XRP Trading Counterparty
must undergo onboarding by the Sponsor prior to entering into XRP transactions
on behalf of the Fund. The Sponsor will not place orders with any XRP Trading
Counterparty that is an affiliate of the Fund, the Trust or the Sponsor. Each of
the XRP Trading Counterparties are, and any other XRP Trading Counterparty that
the Sponsor, on behalf of the Fund, places orders with in the future, will be
subject to U.S. federal and/or state licensing requirements or similar laws in
non-U.S. jurisdictions, and maintain practices and policies designed to comply
with anti-money laundering (“AML”) and know your customer (“KYC”) regulations or
similar laws in non-U.S. jurisdictions.
THE
INDEX ADMINISTRATOR AND SECONDARY INDEX PROVIDER
The Index is owned,
administered and calculated by the Index Administrator. The Index Administrator
is experienced in calculating and administering digital asset benchmarks. The
Index Administrator publishes the intraday value of the Index and the daily
settlement value of the Index, which is effectively the Index’s closing value.
The Index Administrator administers, calculates and publishes the Index, which
serve as a once-a-day benchmark rate of the U.S. dollar price of XRP, calculated
as of 4:00 p.m. ET. The agreement between an affiliate of the Sponsor and the
Index Administrator (the “Index Administrator Agreement”) related to the Index
is subject to a three-year initial term period and will automatically be renewed
for successive one-year periods, unless terminated pursuant to the terms of the
Index Administrator Agreement.
The agreement between an affiliate of the
Sponsor and the Lukka (the “Secondary Index Agreement”) is subject to an initial
one year period and will automatically be renewed for successive one-year
periods pursuant to the terms of the Secondary Index Agreement unless terminated
pursuant to the terms of the Secondary Index Agreement.
THE
MARKETING AGENT
Franklin Distributors, LLC is the Marketing
Agent of the Fund. The Marketing agent is an affiliate of the Sponsor and has
its principal address at One Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, CA
94403-1906.
The Marketing Agent and
its affiliates may from time to time purchase or sell Shares for their own
account, as agent for their customers and for accounts over which they exercise
investment discretion.
The Marketing Agent is responsible for
marketing the Fund and the Shares on a continuous basis. Among other things, the
Marketing Agent will assist the Sponsor in: (1) developing a marketing plan for
the Fund on an ongoing basis; (2) preparing marketing materials regarding the
Shares, including the content on the Fund’s website; (3) executing the marketing
plan for the Fund; (4) conducting public relations activities related to the
marketing of Shares; and (5) incorporating XRP into its strategic and tactical
exchange-traded fund research.
U.S.
FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES
The following is a discussion of the material
U.S. federal income tax consequences that generally will apply to the purchase,
ownership and disposition of Shares of the Fund and the U.S. federal income tax
treatment of the Fund, and constitutes, insofar as it describes matters of U.S.
federal income tax law or legal conclusions relating thereto and subject to the
limitations and qualifications described therein, the opinion of Stradley Ronon
Stevens and Young LLP. The discussion below is based on the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), Treasury Regulations promulgated
thereunder and judicial and administrative interpretations of the Code, all as
in effect on the date of this prospectus and all of which are subject to change
either prospectively or retroactively. The tax treatment of Shareholders may
vary depending upon their own particular circumstances. Certain Shareholders
(including but not limited to banks, financial institutions, insurance
companies, regulated investment companies, real estate investment trusts, U.S.
Tax-Exempt Shareholders (as defined below) who acquire their Shares with
acquisition indebtedness, tax-exempt or tax-advantaged retirement plans or
accounts, brokers or dealers, traders, partnerships or S corporations (or other
types of fiscally transparent entities) for U.S. federal income tax purposes,
persons holding Shares as a position in a “hedging,” “straddle,” “conversion,”
“constructive sale” or other integrated transaction for U.S. federal income tax
purposes, persons whose “functional currency” is not the U.S. dollar, persons
required for U.S. federal income tax purposes to accelerate the recognition of
any item of gross income with respect to the Shares as a result of such income
being recognized on an applicable financial statement, or other investors with
special circumstances) may be subject to special rules not discussed below. In
addition, the following discussion applies only to investors who will hold
Shares as “capital assets” (generally, property held for investment). Moreover,
the discussion below does not address the effect of any state, local or foreign
tax, or any U.S. federal non-income tax law consequences that may apply to an
investment in Shares, or the alternative minimum tax or the Medicare
contribution tax imposed on certain net investment income. Purchasers of Shares
are urged to consult their own tax advisers with respect to all U.S. federal,
state, local and foreign tax law considerations potentially applicable to their
investment in Shares.
For purposes of this
discussion, a “U.S. Shareholder” is a Shareholder that is (or is treated as),
for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
|
• |
an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United
States; |
|
• |
a corporation created or organized in or under the laws of the United
States, any state thereof or the District of
Columbia; |
|
• |
an estate, the income of which is includible in gross income for U.S.
federal income tax purposes regardless of its source;
or |
|
• |
a trust, if a court within the United States is able to exercise
primary supervision over the administration of the trust and one or more
United States persons have the authority to control all substantial
decisions of the trust. |
For purposes of this discussion, a “U.S.
Tax-Exempt Shareholder” is a U.S. Shareholder that is exempt from tax under
Section 501(a) of the Code.
For purposes of this discussion, a “Non-U.S.
Shareholder” is a Shareholder that is not a U.S. Shareholder and who, in
addition is not:
|
• |
an individual present in the United States for one-hundred
eighty-three (183) days or more in a taxable year who meets certain other
conditions; or |
|
• |
subject to certain rules applicable to certain expatriates or former
long-term residents of the United States. |
If an entity or arrangement treated as a
partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds Shares, the tax treatment
of a partner generally depends upon the status of the partner and the activities
of the partnership. If you are a partner of a partnership holding Shares, the
discussion below may not be applicable and we urge you to consult your own tax
adviser for the U.S. federal income tax implications of the purchase, ownership
and disposition of such Shares.
Taxation of the Fund
The Sponsor will treat the Fund as a grantor
trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In the opinion of Stradley Ronon
Stevens & Young, LLP, although not free from doubt due to the lack of
directly governing authority, if the Fund operates as expected, the Fund should
be classified as a “grantor trust” for U.S. federal income tax purposes
(and the following discussion assumes such classification). Assuming that the
Fund is a grantor trust, the Fund will not be subject to U.S. federal income
tax. Instead, each beneficial owner of Shares will be treated as
directly owning its pro
rata share of the Fund’s assets and a pro rata portion of the Fund’s income,
gain, losses and deductions will “flow through” to each beneficial owner of
Shares.
The opinion of Stradley Ronon Stevens &
Young, LLP is not binding on the IRS or any court. Accordingly, there can be no
assurance that the IRS will agree with the conclusions herein and it is possible
that the IRS or another tax authority could assert a position contrary to one or
all of those conclusions and that a court could sustain that contrary position.
The Sponsor will not request a ruling from the IRS with respect to the
classification of the Fund for U.S. federal income tax purposes or with respect
to any other matter. If the IRS were to assert successfully that the Fund is not
classified as a “grantor trust,” the Fund would likely be classified as either a
partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, in which case there might be
different timing or other tax consequences to the Shareholders, or as a publicly
traded partnership that would be taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal
income tax purposes, in which case the Fund would be taxed in the same manner as
a regular corporation on its taxable income and distributions to Shareholders
out of the earnings and profits of the Fund generally would be taxed to
Shareholders as ordinary dividend income (which may be eligible for preferential
rates, in the case of non-corporate Shareholders, or a dividends received
deduction, in the case of corporate Shareholders). However, due to the uncertain
treatment of digital currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes, there can be
no assurance in this regard. Except as otherwise indicated, the remainder of
this discussion assumes that the Fund is classified as a grantor trust for U.S.
federal income tax purposes.
Taxation of U.S.
Shareholders
Shareholders will be treated, for U.S. federal
income tax purposes, as if they directly owned a pro rata share of the
underlying assets held in the Fund. Shareholders also will be treated as if they
directly received their respective pro rata shares of the Fund’s income, if any,
and as if they directly incurred their respective pro rata shares of the Fund’s
expenses. For purposes of this discussion, and unless stated otherwise, it is
assumed that all of a Shareholder’s Shares are acquired on the same date and at
the same price per Share. Shareholders that hold multiple lots of Shares, or
that are contemplating acquiring multiple lots of Shares, should consult their
own tax advisers as to the determination of the tax basis and holding period for
the underlying XRP related to such Shares.
On March 25, 2014, the IRS released the Notice,
which provides guidance on certain aspects of the treatment of convertible
virtual currencies (that is, digital currency that has an equivalent value in
fiat currency or that acts as a substitute for fiat currency), including XRP,
for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In the Notice, the IRS stated that, for
U.S. federal income tax purposes, such digital currency (i) is “property”, (ii)
is not “currency” for purposes of the rules of the Code relating to foreign
currency gain or loss, and (iii) may be held as a capital asset. However,
current IRS guidance does not address several other aspects of the U.S. federal
income tax treatment of XRP, including the kind of property that XRP should be
regarded as for U.S. federal tax purposes. Because XRP is a recent technological
innovation, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of XRP or transactions
relating to investments in XRP may evolve and change from those discussed below,
possibly with retroactive effect. In this regard, the IRS indicated that it has
made it a priority to issue additional guidance related to the taxation of
virtual currency transactions, such as transactions involving XRP. While it has
started to issue such additional guidance, whether any future guidance will
adversely affect the U.S. federal income tax treatment of an investment in XRP
or in transactions relating to investments in XRP is unknown. Moreover, future
developments that may arise with respect to digital currencies may increase the
uncertainty with respect to the treatment of digital currencies for U.S. federal
income tax purposes. This discussion assumes that any XRP the Fund may hold is
properly treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as property that may be
held as a capital asset and is not currency for purposes of the provisions of
the Code relating to foreign currency gain and loss.
The Fund expects to sell or use XRP to pay
certain expenses of the Fund and as necessary to satisfy redemptions paid in
cash. If the Fund sells XRP (for example to generate cash to pay fees or
expenses) or is treated as selling XRP (for example by using XRP to pay fees or
expenses), a Shareholder generally will recognize gain or loss in an amount
equal to the difference between (a) the Shareholder’s pro rata share of the
amount realized by the Fund upon the sale and (b) the Shareholder’s tax basis
for its pro rata share of the XRP that was sold. A Shareholder’s tax basis for
its share of any XRP sold by the Fund should generally be determined by
multiplying the Shareholder’s total basis for its share of all of the XRP held
in the Fund immediately prior to the sale, by a fraction the numerator of which
is the amount of XRP sold, and the denominator of which is the total amount of
the XRP held in the Fund immediately prior to the sale. After any such sale, a
Shareholder’s tax basis for its pro rata share of the XRP remaining in the Fund
should be equal to its tax basis for its share of the total amount of the XRP
held in the Fund immediately prior to the sale, less the portion of such basis
allocable to its share of the XRP that was sold.
Upon a Shareholder’s sale of some or all of its
Shares, the Shareholder will be treated as having sold the portion or all,
respectively, of its pro rata share of the XRP held in the Fund at the time of
the sale that is attributable to the Shares sold. Accordingly, the Shareholder
generally will recognize gain or loss on the sale in an amount equal to the
difference between (a) the amount realized pursuant to the sale of the Shares,
and (b) the Shareholder’s tax basis for the portion of its pro rata share of the
XRP held in the Fund at the time of sale that is attributable to the Shares
sold, as determined in the manner described in the preceding paragraph. Based on
current IRS guidance, such gain or loss (as well as any gain or loss realized by
a Shareholder on account of the Fund selling XRP) will generally be
long-term
or short-term capital gain
or loss, depending upon whether the Shareholder has a holding period of greater
than one year in its pro rata share of the XRP that was sold.
Gains or losses from the sale of XRP to fund
cash redemptions are expected to be treated as incurred by the Shareholder that
is being redeemed, and the amount of such gain or loss generally will equal the
difference between (a) the amount realized pursuant to the sale of the XRP, and
(b) the Shareholder’s tax basis for the portion of its pro rata share of the XRP
held in the Fund that is sold to fund the redemption, as determined in the
manner described in the paragraph that is two paragraphs above this one. A
redemption of some or all of a Shareholder’s Shares in exchange for the cash
received from such sale is not expected to be treated as a separate taxable
event to the Shareholder.
After any sale or redemption of less than all
of a Shareholder’s Shares, the Shareholder’s tax basis for its pro rata share of
the XRP held in the Fund immediately after such sale or redemption generally
will be equal to its tax basis for its share of the total amount of the XRP held
in the Fund immediately prior to the sale or redemption, less the portion of
such basis which is taken into account in determining the amount of gain or loss
recognized by the Shareholder upon such sale or redemption for money or, in the
case of an in-kind redemption (if applicable), that is treated as the basis of
the XRP received by the Shareholder in the redemption.
If a hard fork occurs in
the XRP Ledger, the Fund could temporarily hold both the original XRP and the
alternative new asset as the Sponsor determines, in its sole discretion, which
asset it believes is generally accepted as XRP. The other asset will be treated
as an Incidental Right and/or IR Virtual Currency, in accordance with the
procedures specified herein. Pursuant to the Rulings & FAQs released in
2019, the IRS has held that a hard fork resulting in the creation of new units
of cryptocurrency is a taxable event giving rise to ordinary income. The
receipt, distribution and/or sale of the new alternative asset may cause
Shareholders to incur a U.S. federal income tax liability. While the IRS has not
addressed all situations in which airdrops occur, it is clear from the reasoning
of the IRS’s current guidance that it generally would treat an airdrop as a
taxable event giving rise to ordinary income, and it is anticipated that any
gain or loss from disposition of any assets received in the airdrop would
generally be treated as giving rise to capital gain or loss that generally would
be short-term capital gain or loss, unless the holding period of those assets
were treated as being greater than one year as of the time they are sold.
Brokerage Fees and Fund
Expenses
Any brokerage, financing or other transaction
fee incurred by a Shareholder in purchasing Shares will be treated as part of
the Shareholder’s tax basis in the underlying assets of the Fund. Similarly, any
brokerage fee incurred by a Shareholder in selling Shares will reduce the amount
realized by the Shareholder with respect to the sale. It is also possible that,
based on the mechanics associated with redemptions, a Shareholder may recognize
some amount of income, expense, gain or loss in connection with redemptions of
other Shareholders, based on differences between the prices at which
Shareholders generally will be redeemed and the actual prices at which the Fund
sells XRP.
Shareholders will be required to recognize the
full amount of gain or loss upon a sale or deemed sale of XRP by the Fund (as
discussed above), including to the extent some or all of the proceeds of such
sale are used by the Sponsor to pay Fund expenses. Shareholders may deduct their
respective pro rata shares of each expense incurred by the Fund to the same
extent as if they directly incurred the expense. Shareholders who are
individuals, estates or trusts, however, may be required to treat some or all of
the expenses of the Fund as miscellaneous itemized deductions. An individual may
not deduct miscellaneous itemized deductions for tax years beginning after
December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026. For tax years beginning after
December 31, 2025, individuals may deduct certain miscellaneous itemized
deductions only to the extent they exceed in the aggregate 2% of the
individual’s adjusted gross income. Similar rules apply to certain miscellaneous
itemized deductions of estates and trusts. In addition, such deductions may be
subject to phase outs and other limitations under applicable provisions of the
Code.
Investment by U.S.
Tax-Exempt Shareholders
Individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”) and
participant-directed accounts under tax-qualified retirement plans are limited
in the types of investments they may make under the Code. Potential purchasers
of Shares that are IRAs or participant-directed accounts under a Code section
401(a) plan should consult with their own tax advisors as to the ability to
purchase Shares and the tax consequences of a purchase of Shares.
Taxation of U.S. Tax-Exempt
Shareholders
Income recognized by U.S. Tax-Exempt
Shareholders is generally exempt from U.S. federal income tax except to the
extent of such Shareholders’ unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”). UBTI is
defined generally as income from a trade or business regularly carried on by a
tax-exempt entity that is unrelated to the entity’s exempt purpose. Dividends,
interest and, with certain exceptions, gains
or losses from the sale, exchange or other
disposition of property are generally excluded from UBTI (so long as not derived
from debt-financed property). Debt-financed property generally consists of
property with respect to which there is “acquisition indebtedness” at any time
during the taxable year. When a U.S. Tax-Exempt Shareholder owns an interest in
a grantor trust, such as the Fund, the activities of the Fund (and any
pass-through entities or disregarded entities in which the Fund owns an
interest) are attributed to the U.S. Tax-Exempt Shareholder for purposes of
determining whether such Shareholder’s share of income is of the grantor trust
UBTI.
The Fund’s investments and activities relating
thereto may cause a U.S. Tax-Exempt Shareholder to realize UBTI. In the absence
of any guidance on the matter, a U.S. Tax-Exempt Shareholder’s share of income
from a fork, airdrop, or similar event may be treated as UBTI. If the Fund were
to incur liabilities, and thus, be treated as holding property constituting
debt-financed property (generally, assets purchased with borrowed funds), income
attributable to such property generally would constitute UBTI.
UBTI generally is separately calculated for
each trade or business of a U.S. Tax-Exempt Shareholder. Thus, a U.S. Tax-Exempt
Shareholder generally cannot use deductions relating to one trade or business to
offset income from another trade or business.
A U.S. private foundation considering an
investment should be aware that, if such a foundation acquires a sufficiently
large number of Shares, such Shares could become an “excess business holding”
that could subject the foundation to a U.S. excise tax. A private foundation
should consult its own tax advisors regarding the excess business holdings
provisions of the Code and other respects in which the provisions of Chapter 42
of the Code could affect the consequences to such foundation of acquiring and
holding Shares.
Prospective investors who are U.S. Tax-Exempt
Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the U.S.
federal income tax consequences of an investment in Shares.
Taxation of Non-U.S.
Shareholders
The U.S. federal income
tax treatment of a Non-U.S. Shareholder is complex and will vary depending on
the circumstances and activities of such Non-U.S. Shareholder. Each Non-U.S.
Shareholder is urged to consult with its own tax advisor regarding the U.S.
federal, state and local, and non-U.S. income, estate and other tax consequences
of acquiring Shares.
The Fund does not expect (though no assurance
can be given) that it will be treated as engaged in a trade or business within
the United States or recognize income that is treated as “effectively connected”
with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States (“ECI”). However,
while it is unlikely that any income that the Fund might recognize as a result
of a fork, airdrop or similar event would give rise to effectively connected
income, there has been no guidance as to how such events may be treated.
Therefore, there can be no assurance that the Fund will not be treated as
engaged in a U.S. trade or business or will not otherwise generate income
treated as effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business for U.S. federal
income tax purposes.
Provided that the Fund is not engaged in the
conduct of a U.S. trade or business, and that it does not otherwise generate
ECI, the U.S. federal income tax liability of a Non-U.S. Shareholder with
respect to that Shareholder’s Shares generally will be limited to withholding
tax on certain gross income from U.S. sources (if any) generated by the
Fund.
A Non-U.S. Shareholder’s allocable share of
U.S. source dividend, interest, rental and other “fixed or determinable annual
or periodical gains, profits and income” (“FDAP”) that is not ECI generally will
be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a rate of 30% (unless reduced or
eliminated by an applicable income tax treaty). There is currently no guidance
as to whether income recognized by the Fund as a result of a fork, airdrop or
similar event would constitute U.S. source FDAP.
A Non-U.S. Shareholder resident in a
jurisdiction with which the U.S. has an income tax treaty may be entitled to the
benefits of that treaty in order to reduce or eliminate the 30% U.S. withholding
tax with respect to that Shareholder’s distributive share of income that the
Fund treats as U.S.-source FDAP if under the laws of that non-U.S. jurisdiction,
the Fund is treated as tax-transparent and certain other conditions are met. In
order to secure the benefits of an applicable income tax treaty through a
reduction or elimination of withholding, Non-U.S. Shareholders will generally be
required to certify their non-U.S. status by providing the Fund with an executed
IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E. However, if a Non-U.S. Shareholder fails to provide
such IRS Forms, the Fund intends to withhold at a full 30% rate on any Non-U.S.
Shareholder’s share of U.S.-source FDAP, in which case the Non-U.S. Shareholder
must file a refund claim with the IRS in order to obtain the benefit of a
reduced rate or exemption.
If the proper amounts are withheld and remitted
to the U.S. government and the Fund does not recognize ECI, Non-U.S.
Shareholders that are individuals or corporations will generally not be required
to file U.S. federal income tax returns or pay additional U.S. federal income
taxes solely as a result of their investments in the Fund (though Non-U.S.
Shareholders treated as trusts for U.S. federal income purposes are subject to
special rules).
Alternatively, if the Fund is treated as having
any ECI, or any portion of the gain realized by a Non-U.S. Shareholder on its
disposition of Shares is treated as ECI, then a Non-U.S. Shareholder would be
required to file U.S. income tax returns and pay tax on any ECI at applicable
U.S. income tax rates. Any ECI received by a Non-U.S. Shareholder that is
treated as a corporation may also be subject to U.S. federal “branch profits
tax” at a 30% rate, or such lower rate as may be provided in an applicable tax
treaty. Finally, if the Fund is treated as a partnership (for U.S federal income
tax purposes), and any portion of the gain realized by a Non-U.S. Shareholder on
its disposition of Shares is treated as ECI, such Non-U.S. Shareholder may be
subject to a withholding tax equal to 10% of the amount realized on the
disposition (subject to reduction or elimination in certain circumstances).
Non-U.S. Shareholders are urged to consult with their own tax advisers regarding
the application of this withholding tax.
United States Information
Reporting and Backup Withholding
The Sponsor will cause the Fund to file certain
information returns with the IRS, and provide certain tax-related information to
Shareholders, in connection with the Fund. To the extent required by applicable
regulations, each Shareholder will be provided with information regarding its
allocable portion of the Fund’s annual income, expenses, gains and losses (if
any). U.S. Shareholders generally may comply with these identification
procedures by providing the Fund a duly completed and executed IRS Form W-9
(Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification). Non-U.S.
Shareholders generally may comply with these identification procedures by
providing the Fund with the relevant IRS Form W-8, duly completed and executed.
Shareholders may be required to satisfy certain information reporting or
certification requirements, e.g., those imposed by FATCA, in order to avoid
certain information reporting and withholding tax requirements.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax.
The amount of any backup withholding will be allowed as a credit against a
Shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability and may entitle the Shareholder
to a refund, provided that the required information is furnished to the IRS in a
timely manner.
PROSPECTIVE SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO CONSULT
THEIR OWN TAX ADVISERS TO DISCUSS ALL TAX CONSIDERATIONS THAT MAY BE RELEVANT TO
THEM ASSOCIATED WITH ANY PURCHASE, HOLDING, SALE, REDEMPTION OR OTHER DEALING IN
THE SHARES BEFORE DECIDING WHETHER TO INVEST IN THE SHARES.
ERISA AND
RELATED CONSIDERATIONS
The Employee Retirement
Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) and/or Section 4975 of the Code
impose certain requirements on: (i) employee benefit plans and certain
other plans and arrangements, including individual retirement accounts and
annuities, Keogh plans and certain collective investment funds or insurance
company general or separate accounts in which such plans or arrangements are
invested, that are subject to Title I of ERISA and/or Section 4975 of the
Code (collectively, “Plans”); and (ii) persons who are fiduciaries with
respect to the investment of assets treated as “plan assets” within the meaning
of U.S. Department of Labor (the “DOL”) regulation 29 C.F.R.
§ 2510.3-101, as modified by Section 3(42) of ERISA (the “Plan Assets
Regulation”), of a Plan. Investments by Plans are subject to the fiduciary
requirements and the applicability of prohibited transaction restrictions under
ERISA and the Code. It is expected that the Shares will constitute
“publicly-offered securities” as defined in the DOL Regulations §
2510.3-101(b)(2). Accordingly, Shares purchased by a Plan, and not the Plan’s
interest in the underlying XRP held in the Fund represented by the Shares,
should be treated as assets of the Plan, for purposes of applying the “fiduciary
responsibility” and “prohibited transaction” rules of ERISA and the Code.
Nevertheless, it is possible that the underlying assets of the Fund will be
deemed to include “plan assets” for the purposes of Title I of ERISA or Section
4975 of the Code. See “Risk Factors Related to ERISA” above for further
information regarding the consequences of the underlying assets of the Fund
being deemed to include “plan assets.”
“Governmental plans” within the meaning of
Section 3(32) of ERISA, certain “church plans” within the meaning of
Section 3(33) of ERISA and “non-U.S. plans” described in
Section 4(b)(4) of ERISA, while not subject to the fiduciary responsibility
and prohibited transaction provisions of Title I of ERISA or
Section 4975 of the Code, may be subject to federal, state, local, non-U.S.
or other law or regulation that is substantially similar to the foregoing
provisions of ERISA and the Code. Fiduciaries of any such plans are advised to
consult with their counsel prior to an investment in the Shares.
In contemplating an investment of a portion of
Plan assets in the Shares, the Plan fiduciary responsible for making such
investment should carefully consider, taking into account the facts and
circumstances of the Plan, the “Risk Factors” discussed above and whether such
investment is consistent with its fiduciary responsibilities. The Plan fiduciary
should consider, among other issues, whether: (1) the fiduciary has the
authority to make the investment under the appropriate governing plan
instrument; (2) the investment could constitute a direct or indirect
non-exempt prohibited transaction with a “party in interest” or “disqualified
person” within the meaning of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code
respectively; (3) the investment is in accordance with the Plan’s funding
objectives; and (4) such investment is appropriate for the Plan under the
fiduciary standards under ERISA, including investment prudence and
diversification,
taking into account the overall investment
policy of the Plan, the composition of the Plan’s investment portfolio and the
Plan’s need for sufficient liquidity to pay benefits when due.
By investing in the Shares, each Plan shall be
deemed to acknowledge and agree that: (a) none of the Sponsor, the Trustee,
the Administrator, the Custodians, the Marketing Agent or any of their
respective affiliates (the “Transaction Parties”) has through this prospectus
and related materials provided any investment advice within the meaning of
Section 3(21) of ERISA to the Plan in connection with the decision to
purchase, acquire, hold, or dispose of such Shares and (b) the information
provided in this prospectus and related materials will not make a Transaction
Party a fiduciary to the Plan.
SEED
CAPITAL INVESTOR
On October 15, 2025, Franklin Resources Inc.
(the “Seed Capital Investor”), an affiliate of the Sponsor, subject to
conditions, purchased 4,000 Shares at a per-Share price equal to $25.00 (the
“Initial Seed Shares”). Delivery of the Initial Seed Shares was made on October
15, 2025. Total proceeds to the Fund from the sale of the Initial Seed Shares
were $100,000. The Seed Capital Investor is expected to purchase the initial
seed creation units, comprising 100,000 Shares at a per-Share price of $25.00
(the “Seed Creation Units”), in exchange for XRP prior to the listing of the
Shares on the Exchange. The Initial Seed Shares will be redeemed for cash prior
to the purchase of the Seed Creation Units. The Seed Capital Investor will act
as a statutory underwriter with respect to the Seed Creation Units. The Seed
Capital Investor may offer all of the Shares comprising the Seed Creation Units
to the public pursuant to this prospectus.
The Seed Capital Investor will not receive from
the Fund, the Sponsor or any of their affiliates any fee or other compensation
in connection with the sale of the Seed Creation Units. The Seed Capital
Investor will be acting as a statutory underwriter with respect to the Seed
Creation Units.
The Sponsor and the Fund have agreed to
indemnify the Seed Capital Investor against certain liabilities, including
liabilities under the Securities Act, and to contribute to payments that the
Seed Capital Investor may be required to make in respect thereof.
PLAN OF
DISTRIBUTION
In addition to, and independent of the initial
purchase by the Seed Capital Investor (described above), the Fund issues Shares
in Creation Units to Authorized Participants on a continuous basis. Because new
Shares can be created and issued on an ongoing basis, at any point during the
life of the Fund, a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act,
will be occurring. The Seed Capital Investor will be deemed to be a statutory
underwriter. Participants, other broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned
that some of their activities may result in their being deemed participants in a
distribution in a manner which could render them statutory underwriters and
subject them to the prospectus-delivery and liability provisions of the
Securities Act. For example, an Authorized Participant, other broker-dealer firm
or its client will be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases a Creation
Unit from the Fund, breaks the Creation Unit down into the constituent Shares
and sells the Shares to its customers; or if it chooses to couple the creation
of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation
of secondary market demand for the Shares. A determination of whether a
particular market participant is an underwriter must take into account all the
facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its
client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be
considered a complete description of all the activities that would lead to
designation as an underwriter.
By executing an Authorized Participant
Agreement, an Authorized Participant becomes part of the group of parties
eligible to purchase Creation Units from, and submit Creation Units for
redemption to, the Fund. An Authorized Participant is under no obligation to
create or redeem Creation Units, and an Authorized Participant is under no
obligation to offer to the public Shares of any Creation Units it does
create.
Investors that purchase Shares through a
commission/fee-based brokerage account may pay commissions/fees charged by the
brokerage account. We recommend that investors review the terms of their
brokerage accounts for details on applicable charges. Dealers that are not
“underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted with
ordinary secondary trading transactions), and thus dealing with Shares that are
part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the
Securities Act, would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus- delivery
exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act.
The Sponsor intends to qualify the Shares in
states selected by the Sponsor and that sales be made through broker-dealers who
are members of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).
Investors intending to create or redeem Creation Units through Authorized
Participants in transactions not involving a broker-dealer registered in such
investor’s state of domicile or residence should consult their legal advisor
regarding applicable broker-dealer or securities regulatory requirements under
the state securities laws prior to such creation or redemption.
Because FINRA views the Shares as interests in
a direct participation program, no FINRA-member, or person associated with a
member, will participate in a public offering of Shares except in compliance
with Rule 2310 of the FINRA Rules. The Authorized Participants do not receive
from the Fund or the Sponsor any compensation in connection with an offering of
the Shares.
The Seed Capital Investor
will not act as an Authorized Participant with respect to the Seed Creation
Units, and its activities with respect to the Seed Creation Units will be
distinct from those of an Authorized Participant. Unlike most Authorized
Participants, the Seed Capital Investor is not in the business of purchasing and
selling securities for its own account or the accounts of others. The Seed
Capital Investor will not act as an Authorized Participant to purchase (or
redeem) Creation Units in the future.
The Shares will be listed
and traded on NYSE under the ticker symbol “XRPZ.”
CONFLICTS
OF INTEREST
General
Prospective investors should be aware that it
is the Sponsor’s and the Trust’s position that Shareholders have, by purchasing
Shares, consented to the following conflicts of interest in the event of any
proceeding alleging that such conflicts violated any duty owed by the Sponsor to
the Shareholders.
There are certain entities with which the
Sponsor may have relationships that may give rise to conflicts of interest, or
the appearance of conflicts of interest. These entities include the following:
affiliates of the Sponsor and the Marketing Agent (including Franklin Resources,
Inc., each of its affiliates, directors, partners, trustees, managing members,
officers and employees, collectively, the “Affiliates”). The Sponsor and its
staff service affiliates of the Sponsor and their respective clients, and may
also service other digital asset investment vehicles (including serving as the
sponsor of other digital asset related exchange-traded products such as the
Franklin Bitcoin ETF, the Franklin Ethereum ETF and the Franklin Crypto Index
ETF). The Sponsor’s trading decisions for the Fund may be influenced by the
effect they would have on the on the other funds and accounts it manages.
The activities of the
Sponsor, the Marketing Agent and the Affiliates in the management of, or their
interests in, their own accounts and other accounts they manage, may present
conflicts of interest that could disadvantage the Fund and its Shareholders. One
or more of the Sponsor, the Marketing Agent or the Affiliates provide investment
management services to other pooled investment vehicles, funds and discretionary
managed accounts that may follow an investment program similar to that of the
Fund. The Sponsor, the Marketing Agent and the Affiliates collectively are
engaged in the business of providing a broad spectrum of financial services and
asset management activities world wide, and may engage in the ordinary course of
business in activities in which their interests or the interests of their
clients may conflict with those of the Fund and its Shareholders. One or more of
the Sponsor, the Marketing Agent or the Affiliates act or may act as an
investor, investment banker, research provider, investment manager, financier,
underwriter, advisor, market maker, trader, prime broker, lender, agent and
principal, and have other direct and indirect interests, in assets in which the
Fund directly and indirectly invest.
For example, as of the date of the prospectus,
an affiliate of the Sponsor holds positions (including initially for purposes of
seed investment) in multiple strategies that include XRP. Affiliates of the
Sponsor currently provide model portfolios that include exposure to XRP.
Additionally, various funds managed by affiliates of the Sponsor may in the
future and recently have from time to time taken long and/or short positions in
the CME cash-settled XRP futures market. Further, various officers and employees
of the Sponsor may hold positions in or obtain exposure to XRP from time to time
to various degrees given increasing global adoption of XRP.
The Sponsor, the Marketing Agent and the
Affiliates may participate in transactions related to XRP, either for their own
account (subject to certain internal employee trading operating practices and/or
preclearance requirements as discussed below) or for the account of others, such
as clients, and such transactions may occur prior to, during, or after the
commencement of this offering. Such transactions may not serve to benefit the
Shareholders of the Fund and may have a positive or negative effect on the value
of the XRP held by the Fund and, consequently, on the market value of XRP. The
Sponsor will implement standard operating protocols under which personnel who
have access to information about creation and redemption activity in Shares of
the Fund (“XRP Access Persons”) pre-clear personal trading activity in XRP. All
of the Sponsor’s employees will be required to preclear personal transactions in
the Shares of the Fund. Finally, trading on behalf of clients in the shares of
the Fund will be subject to controls embedded in Franklin Templeton’s portfolio
trading compliance systems.
Because these parties may trade XRP for their
own accounts at the same time as the Fund, prospective Shareholders should be
aware that such persons may take positions in XRP which are opposite, or ahead
of, the positions taken for the Fund. There can be no assurance that any of the
foregoing will not have an adverse effect on the performance of the Fund.
Thus, it is likely that
the Fund will have multiple business relationships with and will engage in
transactions with or obtain services from entities for which the Sponsor, the
Marketing Agent or an Affiliate performs or seeks to perform investment banking
or other services.
The Sponsor is responsible for selecting and
engaging the Trust’s service providers, including service providers engaged in
connection with valuation of the Fund’s assets. To the extent that the Sponsor
has other commercial arrangements with the service providers, the Sponsor may
face conflicts of interest with respect to its oversight and supervision of the
service providers. Further, to the extent that the Sponsor has investments in
XRP and/or in Shares, and due to the fact that the Sponsor’s Fee is payable
based on the value of the Shares, the Sponsor may face potential conflicts of
interest with respect to the valuation of Shares as described below.
Resolution of Certain
Conflicts
The Declaration of Trust provides that whenever
a conflict of interest exists or arises between the Sponsor or any of its
affiliates, on the one hand, and the Trust, on the other hand; or whenever
Declaration of Trust or any other agreement contemplated therein or therein
provides that the Sponsor shall act in a manner that is, or provides terms that
are, fair and reasonable to the Trust, the Sponsor shall resolve such conflict
of interest, take such action or provide such terms, considering in each case
the relative interest of each party (including its own interest) to such
conflict, agreement, transaction or situation and the benefits and burdens
relating to such interests, and any applicable generally accepted accounting
practices or principles. In the absence of bad faith by the Sponsor, the
resolution, action or terms so made, taken or provided by the Sponsor shall not
constitute a breach of the Declaration of Trust or any other agreement
contemplated therein or of any duty or obligation of the Sponsor at law or in
equity or otherwise.
Issues Relating to the
Valuation of Assets
The Sponsor will value the Fund’s assets in
accordance with valuation policies, procedures and/or methodologies selected or
established by the Sponsor; however, the manner in which the Sponsor exercises
its discretion with respect to valuation decisions will impact the valuation of
assets of the Fund. To the extent that fees are based on valuations, the
exercise of discretion in valuation by the Sponsor will give rise to conflicts
of interest including in connection with the calculation of Sponsor’s Fees. In
addition, various divisions and units within Franklin Templeton are required to
value assets, including in connection with managing or advising other accounts
for clients, such as registered and unregistered funds and owners of separately
managed accounts (“Client Accounts”). These various divisions, units and
affiliated entities may, but are under no obligation to, share information
regarding valuation techniques and models or other information relevant to the
valuation of a specific asset or category of assets. Regardless of whether or
not the Sponsor has access to such information, to the extent the Sponsor values
the assets held by the Fund, the Sponsor will value investments according to
valuation policies and methodologies as described herein, and may value an
identical asset differently than such other divisions, units or affiliated
entities.
The Sponsor reserves the right to utilize
third-party vendors to perform certain functions, including valuation services,
and these vendors may have interests and incentives that differ from those of
Shareholders.
GOVERNING
LAW; CONSENT TO DELAWARE JURISDICTION
The rights of the Sponsor, the Trust, DTC (as
registered owner of the Trust’s global certificate for Shares) and the
Shareholders are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to
the conflict of laws provisions thereof; provided, however, that causes of
action for violations of U.S. federal or state securities laws are not governed
by this limitation. The Sponsor, the Trust and DTC and, by accepting Shares,
each DTC Participant and each Shareholder, consent to the non-exclusive
jurisdiction of any Delaware state court or federal court sitting in Wilmington,
Delaware in any action arising out of or relating to the Declaration of Trust
provided that suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the
Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive
jurisdiction. Additionally, the federal district courts shall be the exclusive
forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising
under the Securities Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, Section 22 of the Securities Act creates
concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to
enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and
regulations thereunder. Investors cannot waive compliance with the federal
securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Further, there is
uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce the exclusive forum jurisdiction
for actions arising under the Securities Act.
LEGAL
MATTERS
The validity of the Shares will be passed upon
for the Sponsor by Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP.
EXPERTS
The financial statements of the Trust and Fund
as of October 16, 2025 included in this prospectus have been so included in
reliance on the reports of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent
registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as
experts in auditing and accounting.
WHERE YOU
CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
The Sponsor has filed on behalf of the Fund a
registration statement on Form S-1 with the SEC under the Securities Act. This
prospectus does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration
statement (including the exhibits to the registration statement), parts of which
have been omitted in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC. For
further information about the Fund or the Shares, please refer to the
registration statement, which you may inspect, without charge, online at
www.sec.gov. Information about the Fund or the Shares can also be obtained from
the Fund’s website at
https://www.franklintempleton.com/investments/options/exchange-traded-funds/products/47318/SINGLCLASS/franklin-xrpz-etf/XRPZ.
This Internet address is only provided here as a convenience to you, and the
information contained on or connected to the Fund’s website is not considered
part of this prospectus or the registration statement of which the prospectus is
part. We will make available, free of charge, on our website our Form 10-K,
quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K (including any
amendments thereto), proxy statements and other information filed with, or
furnished to, the SEC, as soon as reasonably practicable after such documents
are so filed or furnished.
The Fund will be subject to the informational
requirements of the Exchange Act and the Sponsor will, on behalf of the Fund,
file certain reports and other information with the SEC. These filings will
contain certain important information that does not appear in this prospectus.
For further information about the Fund, you may read and copy these filings at
the SEC’s Internet site (www.sec.gov), which also contains reports and other
information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.
GLOSSARY
In this prospectus, each of the following terms
has the meaning set forth below:
“Administration Agreement” — The Fund
Administration and Accounting Agreement between the Administrator and the
Fund.
“Administrator” — The Bank of New York
Mellon.
“Affiliate” — Any affiliates of the Sponsor and
the Marketing Agent (including Franklin Resources, Inc., each of its affiliates,
directors, partners, trustees, managing members, officers and employees).
“Airdrop” — An occurrence where holders of a
particular digital asset may be entitled to claim a certain amount of a new
digital asset for free, based on the fact that they hold such particular digital
asset.
“API” — Application Programming
Interface.
“Article 8” — Article 8 of the New York Uniform
Commercial Code.
“ASC Topic 820” — The Financial Accounting
Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 820, “Fair Value
Measurements and Disclosures.”
“ASC” — Accounting Standards
Codification.
“Authorized Participant Agreement” — An
agreement entered into by an Authorized Participant, the Sponsor and the
Administrator that provides the procedures for the creation and redemption of
Creation Units.
“Authorized Participant” — A person who, at the
time of submitting an order to create or redeem one or more Creation Units (i)
is a registered broker-dealer, (ii) is a DTC Participant or an Indirect
Participant, and (iii) has in effect a valid Authorized Participant
Agreement.
“BitLicense” — A business license under 23 New
York Codes, Rules and Regulations (NYCRR) Part 200.
“BNYM” – The Bank of New York Mellon.
“BSA” — U.S. Bank Secrecy Act, as
amended.
“Business Day” — Any day other than: (1) a
Saturday or a Sunday, or (2) a day on which the NYSE is closed for regular
trading.
“Cash Custodian” — The Bank of New York
Mellon.
“CBDCs” — Digital forms of legal tender, called
central bank digital currencies, introduced by central banks in various
countries.
“CF Benchmarks Index” — The CME CF XRP-Dollar
Reference Rate — New York Variant for XRP — U.S. Dollar Trading pair.
“CFPB” — The Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau.
“CFTC” — The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading
Commission.
“Client Account” — Other accounts for clients,
such as registered and unregistered funds and owners of separately managed
accounts that various divisions and units within Franklin Templeton manage or
advise.
“CME” — Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
“Code” — The United States Internal Revenue
Code of 1986, as amended.
“Coinbase Custody” — Coinbase Custody Trust
Company, LLC.
“Coinbase Exchange” — The Prime Broker’s
exchange platform.
“Coinbase Global” — The Prime Broker and XRP
Custodian’s’ parent.
“Coinbase Insureds” — Coinbase Global and its
subsidiaries, including the XRP Custodian and the Prime Broker.
“Commodity Exchange Act” or “CEA” — The United
States Commodity Exchange Act of 1936, as amended.
“Connected Trading Venue” — A venue (including
third-party venues and the Prime Broker’s own execution venue) where the Prime
Broker executes orders to buy and sell XRP on behalf of the Fund.
“Consensus Client” — A consensus-layer client
software program.
“Constituent Platforms” — The constituent
digital asset platforms of the CF Benchmarks Index, which are chosen by the
Index Administrator and could change over time.
“Creation XRP Amount” — The amount of XRP to be
purchased by the Fund which the Sponsor will adjust as determined on each
Business Day as promptly as practicable after 4:00 p.m. ET, by multiplying the
NAV by the number of Shares in each Creation Unit (50,000) and dividing the
resulting product by that day’s CF Benchmarks Index.
"Creation Unit Deposit Amount” — The amount of
cash to be delivered in a creation which BNYM will adjust as determined on each
Business Day as promptly as practicable after 4:00 p.m. ET, by multiplying the
NAV by the number of Shares in each Creation Unit (50,000).
“Creation Unit” — A block of 50,000
Shares.
“CTA” — The Consolidated Tape
Association.
“Custodian Agreement” — The agreement, governed
by New York law, between the Fund and the XRP Custodian regarding the custody of
the Fund’s XRP.
“Custodians” —The Cash Custodian and XRP
Custodian, collectively.
“Custody Transaction Costs” — The transfer,
processing and other transaction costs charged by the XRP Custodian in
connection with the issuance of Creation Units for such purchase order
(including XRP Ledger fees).
“CVC” — Convertible currency.
“DAOs” — Decentralized autonomous
organizations.
“DApps” — Short for decentralized applications,
which consistent with common usage, refers to all applications which are built
on the XRP Ledger or other blockchains, whether or not decentralized in
fact.
“DCM” — Designated contract market.
“Declaration of Trust” — The Amended and
Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated as of October 1, 2025, among
the Sponsor, the Trust and the Trustee.
“DeFi” — Decentralized finance.
“DFPI” — The California Department of Financial
Protection and Innovation.
“DOL” — The U.S. Department of Labor.
“DSTA” — The Delaware Statutory Trust
Act.
“DTC Participant” — An entity that has an
account with DTC.
“DTC” — The Depository Trust Company.
“ECI” — Income that is treated as “effectively
connected” with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States.
“ERISA” — The Employee Retirement Income
Security Act of 1974, as amended.
“ET” — Eastern Time Zone.
“Exchange Act” — The United States Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Exchange” — NYSE Arca, Inc.
“Execution Client” — An execution-layer client
software program.
“Fair Value Event” — An event which occurs if
the CF Benchmarks Index is not available or the Sponsor determines, in its sole
discretion, that the CF Benchmarks Index is unreliable.
“FASB” — Financial Accounting Standards
Board.
“FBO Account” — An omnibus account in the Prime
Broker’s name FBO its customers at each of multiple FDIC-insured banks.
“FBO” — For the benefit of.
“FCA” — The Financial Conduct Authority of the
United Kingdom.
“FDAP” — A Non-U.S. Shareholder’s allocable
share of U.S. source dividend, interest, rental and other “fixed or determinable
annual or periodical gains, profits and income.”
“FDIC” — The Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation.
“FinCen” — The U.S. Department of the Treasury
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.
“FINRA” — The Financial Industry Regulatory
Authority.
“Fork” — A non-backward compatible change to
the original XRP Ledger and the source code of the original XRP Ledger which
results in the original XRP Ledger and the original XRP Ledger existing
side-by-side, but incompatible, with a new network and a new blockchain, and
leads to the creation of a new asset running on the new blockchain.
“Franklin” or “FRI” — Franklin Resources,
Inc.
“FSMB” — Financial Services and Markets
Bill.
“FTX” — FTX Trading Ltd.
“GAAP” — The U.S. generally accepted accounting
principles.
“Genesis” — Genesis Global Capital, LLC and its
affiliates.
“Geth” — Go-Ethereum client, a popular Ethereum
Client that many nodes use to access the Ethereum network and whose developers
are financially supported by the Ethereum Foundation.
“Hard fork” — A permanent split in a network’s
blockchain that separates an existing blockchain network into two networks, each
with its own digital asset, blockchain and source code, which are not backwards
compatible.
“ICO” – Initial coin offering.
“IIV” — Intraday indicative value per
share.
“Incidental Rights” — Any virtual currency (for
avoidance of doubt, other than XRP) or other asset or right that the Fund may be
entitled to or come into possession of rights to acquire, or otherwise establish
dominion and control over, any virtual currency or other
asset or right, which rights are incident to
the Fund’s ownership of XRP and arise without any action of the Fund, or of the
Sponsor, Administrator or other service provider on behalf of the Fund.
“Index Administrator” —CF Benchmarks Ltd.
“Index” — The CF Benchmarks Index shall
constitute the Index, unless the CF Benchmarks Index is not available or the
Sponsor in its sole discretion determines not to use the CF Benchmarks Index as
the Index.
“Indirect Participant” — An entity that has
access to the DTC clearing system by clearing securities through, or maintaining
a custodial relationship with, a DTC Participant.
“Initial Seed Shares” — $100,000 in Shares,
comprising 4,000 Shares at a per-Share price equal to $25.00, delivered on
October 15, 2025 to the Seed Capital Investor.
“Investment Company Act” — The United States
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
“IR Virtual Currency” — A virtual currency
acquired through Incidental Rights.
“IRA” — Individual retirement account.
“IRS” — The United States Internal Revenue
Service.
“ISG” — Intermarket Surveillance Group.
“JOBS Act” — The Jumpstart Our Business
Startups Act.
“KYC” — Know your customer.
“Marketing Agent” — Franklin Distributors,
LLC.
“MiCA” — Markets in Crypto-Assets.
“Money Market Fund” — A money market fund that
is in compliance with Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and
rated “AAA” by S&P (or the equivalent from any eligible rating
service).
“MSB” — A U.S.-based platform registered as a
money services business with FinCen.
“NAV” — Net asset value per Share.
“NBMM” — Non-bank market maker.
“NFA” — National Futures Association.
“NFTs” — Non-Fungible tokens.
“Non-U.S. Shareholder” — A Shareholder that is
(or is treated as), for U.S. federal income tax purposes: (1) a nonresident
alien individual, (2) a foreign corporation or (3) an estate or trust whose
income is not subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis.
“Notice” — The 2014 notice released by the
IRS.
“NYDFS” — The New York State Department of
Financial Services.
“NYSE” — NYSE Arca, Inc.
“Observable Inputs” — Independent market
data.
“OCC” — The Office of the Comptroller of the
Currency.
“OFAC” — The Office of Foreign Assets
Control.
“Order Book” — A list of buy and sell orders
with associated limit prices and sizes that have not yet been matched.
“OTC” — Over the counter.
“Oversight Committee” — The Oversight Committee
of the Index Administrator.
“Person” — Any natural person or any limited
liability company, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, joint
stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or
political subdivision thereof.
“Plan Assets Regulation” — Regulation 29 C.F.R.
Sec. 2510.3-101, as modified by Section 3(42) of ERISA.
“Planned Forks” — Forks that take place through
a formal process.
“Plans” — Any (a) employee benefit plan and
certain other plans and arrangements, including individual retirement accounts
and annuities, (b) Keogh plans and certain collective investment funds or
insurance company general or separate accounts in which such plans or
arrangements are invested, that are subject to Title I of ERISA and/or Section
4975 of the Code.
“Prime Broker Agreement” — The agreement
between the Sponsor, Trustee and the Prime Broker.
“Prime Broker” — Coinbase, Inc., an affiliate
of the XRP Custodian.
“Proof-of-History” or “PoH” — A timestamping
mechanism that automatically orders on-chain transactions by creating a
historical record that proves an event has occurred at a specific moment in
time
“Proof-of-Stake” — A blockchain consensus
mechanism used to verify cryptocurrency through staking cryptocurrency
coins.
“Proof-of-Work” — A blockchain consensus
mechanism whereby one party proves to verifies that a certain amount of
computational effort was expended.
“Regular Market Session” — The Exchange’s
regular market session of 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET.
“Relevant Coinbase Entities” — The Prime Broker
(Coinbase, Inc.) and its parent (Coinbase Global).
“Relevant Pair” — The relevant cryptocurrency
base asset against the corresponding quote asset, including markets where the
quote asset is made fungible with accepted assets.
“Relevant Transaction” — Any cryptocurrency
versus U.S. dollar spot trade that occurs during the observation window between
3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET on a Constituent Platform in the XRP USD pair that is
reported and disseminated by a Constituent Platform through its publicly
available API and observed by the Index Administrator.
“Ruling & FAQs” — The revenue ruling and
set of “Frequently Asked Questions” released by the IRS in 2019.
“Sarbanes-Oxley Act” — The Sarbanes–Oxley Act
of 2002.
“XRPUSD_RTI” — CME CF XRP-Dollar Real Time
Index.
“SEC” — The Securities and Exchange Commission
of the United States, or any successor governmental agency in the United
States.
“Secondary Index” — Lukka Digital Asset
Reference Rate – Ripple .
“Securities Act” — The United States Securities
Act of 1933, as amended.
“Seed Capital Investor” — Franklin Resources,
Inc.
“Seed Creation Units” —The Seed Capital
Investor is expected to purchase the initial seed creation units, comprising
100,000 Shares at a per-Share price of $25.00, in exchange for XRP prior to the
listing of the Shares on the Exchange.
“Service Providers” — Custodians,
Administrator, Trustee, Sponsor, Authorized Participants, XRP Trading
Counterparties, listing exchange, and the Fund’s other service providers and
counterparties.
“Settlement Deadline” — 6:00 p.m. ET of the
calendar day immediately following the day the Trade Credit was extended by the
Trade Credit Lender to the Fund or, if such day is not a business day, on the
next business day.
“Shareholders” — Owners of beneficial interests
in the Shares.
“Shares” — Units of fractional undivided
beneficial interest in the net assets of the Fund.
“SIPC” — The Securities Investor Protection
Corporation.
“Slashing” — Penalty if a validator commits
malicious acts related to the validation of blocks with invalid
transactions.
“XRP Cash Value” — The value of the XRP based
on the Index Valuation (defined as the CME CF XRP-Dollar Reference Rate — New
York Variant) as of the time that the request to sell, transfer or withdraw was
originally made by the Fund.
“XRP” — The currency code for XRP.
“XRP Access Persons” — Sponsor personnel who
have access to information about creation and redemption activity in Shares of
the Fund.
“XRP blockchain” — The blockchain ledger for
XRP.
“XRP Client” — software application that
implements the XRP Ledger specification, communicates with the XRP Ledger and
allows them to act as a node in the network to the new specification.
“XRP Custodian” or “Coinbase Custody” —
Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC.
“XRP Ledger” — XRP blockchain and any digital
asset network, including the XRP peer-to-peer network.
“XRP Trading Counterparty” — Designated third
parties who transact in XRP pursuant to written agreements with the Fund.
“XRPUSD_NY” — CME CF XRP-Dollar Reference
Rate.
“Sponsor’s Fee” — The fee of the Sponsor, which
is compensation for the Sponsor’s services rendered to the Fund, is calculated
and accrued daily at an annualized rate of 0.19% (i.e., 0.19%/365 days) of the
net asset value of the Fund and is payable at least quarterly in arrears in U.S.
dollars. The Sponsor may, at its discretion and from time to time, waive all or
a portion of the Sponsor’s Fee for stated periods of time. The Sponsor is under
no obligation to waive any portion of its fees and any such waiver shall create
no obligation to waive any such fees during any period not covered by the
waiver. For a period commencing on the day the Shares are initially listed on
the Exchange to May 31, 2026, the Sponsor will waive the entire Sponsor’s Fee on
the first $5.0 billion of the Fund’s assets. In the future, if the Sponsor
decides to waive all or a portion of the Sponsor’s Fee, Shareholders will be
notified in a prospectus supplement, in the Fund’s periodic reports, and/or on
the Sponsor’s website for the Fund.
“Sponsor” — Franklin Holdings, LLC, an indirect
subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc.
“Spot Price” — The current market value of the
underlying XRP.
“SVB” — Silicon Valley Bank.
“Throughput” — The number of transactions that
can processed in a given period.
“Trade Credit Lender” — Coinbase Credit,
Inc.
“Trade Credit” — The Fund may borrow XRP or
cash as a credit on a short-term basis from the Trade Credit Lender pursuant to
the Trade Financing Agreement.
“Trade Financing Agreement” — The Coinbase
Credit Post-Trade Financing Agreement.
“Trading Balance” — A trading account at which,
pursuant to the Prime Broker Agreement, a portion of the Fund’s XRP holdings and
cash holdings from time to time may be held with the Prime Broker, including in
connection with the sale of XRP to pay the Sponsor’s Fee and Fund expenses not
assumed by the Sponsor.
“Trading Platform” — The Prime Broker’s
execution platform where the Sponsor may place an order.
“Transaction Parties” — The Sponsor, the
Trustee, the Custodians and any of their respective affiliates.
“Transfer Agency and Service Agreement” — The
agreement between the Fund and BNYM to perform transfer agency services.
“Transfer Agent” — The Bank of New York
Mellon.
“Treasury Regulations” — Tax regulations issued
by the IRS.
“Trust” — Franklin XRP Trust, a Delaware
statutory trust formed pursuant to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust.
“Trustee” — CSC Delaware Trust Company, a
subsidiary of Corporation Service Company.
“U.S. Shareholder” — A Shareholder that is (1)
an individual who is treated as a citizen or resident of the United States for
U.S. federal income tax purposes; (2) a corporation (or an entity treated as a
corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or
under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of
Columbia; (3) an estate, the income of which is includible in gross income for
U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of its source; or (4) a trust, if a
court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over the
administration of the trust and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to
control all substantial decisions of the trust.
“UBTI” — Unrelated business taxable
income.
“USD” — The currency code the US Dollar.
“USDC” — US Dollar Coin.
“Vault Balance” — Accounts storing the Fund’s
XRP that are required to be segregated from the assets held by the XRP Custodian
as principal and the assets of its other customers.
“VWAP” — Volume Weight Average Prices.
“VWMP” — Volume Weight Median Prices.
REPORT
OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Sponsor of Franklin XRP
Trust
Opinion
on the Financial Statement
We have audited the
accompanying combined statement of assets and liabilities of Franklin XRP Trust,
(the "Trust") as of October 16, 2025, including the related notes (collectively
referred to as the “financial statement”). In our opinion, the financial
statement presents fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of
the Trust as of October 16, 2025 in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis
for Opinion
This financial statement is the responsibility of
the Sponsor’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the
Trust's financial statement based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm
registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States)
(PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Trust in
accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and
regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit of this
financial statement in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those
standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable
assurance about whether the financial statement is free of material
misstatement, whether due to error or fraud.
Our audit included performing
procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial
statement, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond
to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence
regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statement. Our audit also
included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates
made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the
financial statement. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for
our opinion.
/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
San Francisco, California
October 31, 2025
We have served as the Trust's auditor since 2025.
FRANKLIN
XRP TRUST
Combined
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
The
Franklin XRP Trust (the “Trust”) is organized as a Delaware statutory trust
formed on February 28, 2025. The accompanying financial statements relate to the
Trust and its sole series, Franklin XRP ETF (the “Fund”). At launch, the Fund
will issue shares (“Shares”) representing fractional undivided beneficial
interests in its net assets. The assets of the Fund will consist primarily of
XRP held by a custodian on behalf of the Fund and cash. The Fund seeks to
reflect generally the performance of the price of XRP. The Fund seeks to reflect
such performance before payment of the Fund’s expenses and liabilities.
Franklin Holdings, LLC (the “Sponsor”) is the sponsor of the Trust and Fund; CSC
Delaware Trust Company, a subsidiary of Corporation Service Company (the
“Trustee”), is the sole trustee of the Trust; Coinbase Custody Trust Company,
LLC (the “XRP Custodian”) is the custodian for the Fund’s XRP holdings; and the
Bank of New York Mellon is the custodian for the Fund’s cash holdings (the “Cash
Custodian” and together with the XRP Custodian, the “Custodians”) and also
serves as the Fund’s administrator and transfer agent (the “Administrator” or
“Transfer Agent”). Franklin Distributors, LLC is the marketing agent of the Fund
(the “Marketing Agent”). The Trust is not an investment company registered under
the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”),
and is not required to register under such Act. The Sponsor is not registered
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as an investment adviser and
is not subject to regulation by the SEC as such in connection with its
activities with respect to the Trust and the Fund. The Fund is not a commodity
pool for purposes of the Commodity Exchange Act of 1936, as amended (the
“Commodity Exchange Act” or “CEA”), and the Sponsor is not subject to regulation
by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) as a commodity
pool operator or a commodity trading advisor with respect to the Fund.
The
Fund seeks to reflect generally the performance of the price of XRP before
payment of the Fund’s expenses and liabilities. The Shares are intended to offer
a convenient means of making an investment similar to an investment in XRP
relative to acquiring, holding and trading XRP directly on a peer-to-peer or
other basis or via a digital asset platform. The Shares have been designed to
remove obstacles associated with the complexities and operational burdens
involved in a direct investment in XRP by providing an investment with a value
that reflects the price of the XRP owned by the Fund at such time, less the
Fund’s expenses. The Fund is not a proxy for a direct investment in XRP. Rather,
the Shares are intended to provide a cost-effective alternative means of
obtaining investment exposure through the securities markets that is similar to
an investment in XRP.
The
Fund is a passive investment vehicle and is not a leveraged product. The Sponsor
does not actively manage the XRP held by the Fund. This means that the Sponsor
does not sell XRP at times when its price is high or acquire XRP at low prices
with the expectation of future price increases.
The
Trust and the Fund had no operations as of the date hereof other than a sale to
Franklin Resources, Inc. (“FRI”), the Seed Capital Investor, of 4,000 shares of
the Fund for $100,000 ($25.00 per share). The Seed Capital Investor is an
affiliate of the Sponsor. The Seed Capital Investor will not receive from the
Trust, the Fund, the Sponsor, or any of their affiliates any fee or other
compensation in connection with the sale of the Seed Creation Units. The Seed
Capital Investor will be acting as a statutory underwriter with respect to the
initial seed sale.
In
preparing financial statements in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”), the Sponsor makes estimates
and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities and
disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial
statements, as well as the reported amount of revenue and expenses reported
during the period. Actual results could differ from these estimates.
A
separate Combined Statement of Operations, Combined Statement of Changes in Net
Assets, and Combined Statement of Cash Flows have not been presented in the
financial statement because principal operations have not commenced.
The
following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Trust
and the Fund.
The
Sponsor has determined that, solely for accounting purposes, the Fund falls
within the scope of Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting
Standards Codification (“ASC”) 946, Financial Services - Investment Companies,
and accordingly, solely for such purposes, the Fund follows accounting and
reporting guidance thereunder. The Trust is not registered as an investment
company under the Investment Company Act and is not required to register under
such act. The accompanying financial statements are presented for the Trust, as
the registrant, combined with the Fund. Individual, series-level financial
statements for the Fund are separately presented below. For the periods
presented, there were no balances or activity for the Trust except for the
Fund’s operations, as its sole series, and these notes to the financial
statements relate to the Trust, as the registrant, combined with the Fund.
Upon
listing, the Fund’s only ordinary recurring expense is expected to be the
Sponsor’s annual fee computed as a percentage of net asset value (“NAV”) of the
Fund as specified in the Sponsor Agreement. In exchange for the Sponsor’s fee,
the Sponsor has agreed to assume the ordinary fees and expenses incurred by the
Fund, including but not limited to the following: fees charged by the
Administrator, the Marketing Agent, the Custodians and the Trustee, Cboe BZX
Exchange listing fees, typical maintenance and transaction fees of
the DTC, SEC registration fees, printing and mailing costs, tax reporting fees,
audit fees, license fees and expenses, and up to $500,000 per annum in ordinary
legal fees and expenses. The Sponsor bears expenses in connection with the
Trust’s and Fund’s organizational and initial offering costs and may not
seek reimbursement of such costs. The Fund will sell XRP on an as-needed
basis to pay the Sponsor’s fee. The Fund bears transaction costs, including any
XRP Ledger fees or other similar transaction fees, in connection with any sales
of XRP necessary to pay the Sponsor’s Fee, as well as other Fund expenses (if
any) that are not assumed by the Sponsor (expenses assumed by the Sponsor are
specified above). Any XRP Ledger fees and similar transaction fees incurred in
connection with the creation or redemption of Creation Units are borne by the
Authorized Participant.
The
Sponsor is not required to pay any extraordinary or non-routine expenses.
Extraordinary expenses are fees and expenses which are unexpected or unusual in
nature, such as legal claims and liabilities and litigation costs or
indemnification or other unanticipated expenses. Extraordinary fees and expenses
also include material expenses which are not currently anticipated obligations
of the Fund. The Fund will be responsible for the payment of such expenses to
the extent any such expenses are incurred. Routine operational, administrative,
and other ordinary expenses are not deemed extraordinary expenses.
In
addition, the Fund may incur certain other non-recurring expenses that are not
assumed by the Sponsor (expenses
assumed
by the Sponsor are described above), including but not limited to: taxes and
governmental charges; any applicable brokerage commissions; XRP Ledger fees
and similar transaction fees; financing fees; expenses and costs of any
extraordinary services performed by the Sponsor (or any other service provider)
on behalf of the Fund to protect the Fund or the interests of Shareholders
(including, for example, in connection with any fork of the XRP Ledger, any
Incidental Rights and any IR Virtual Currency), any indemnification of the Cash
Custodian, XRP Custodian, Prime Broker, Administrator or other agents,
service providers or counterparties of the Trust or the
Fund, and extraordinary legal fees and expenses, including any legal
fees and expenses incurred in connection with litigation, regulatory enforcement
or investigation matters or legal expenses in excess of $500,000 per year.
The Sponsor may determine in its sole discretion to assume legal fees and
expenses of the Fund in excess of the $500,000 per annum stipulated in the
Sponsor Agreement. To the extent that the Sponsor does not voluntarily
assume such fees and expenses, they will be the responsibility of the
Fund. Additionally, there is no cap on the aggregate amount of
expenses that could be assumed by the Sponsor each year, except as otherwise
described herein. The Trust’s and the Fund’s organizational and initial offering
costs are borne by the Sponsor and, as such, are the sole responsibility of the
Sponsor. The Sponsor will not seek reimbursement or otherwise require the Fund,
the Trust, the Trustee or any Shareholder to assume any liability, duty or
obligation in connection with any such organizational and initial offering
costs.
Cash
includes non-interest bearing, non-restricted cash maintained with one banking
institution that does not exceed U.S. federally insured limits.
On
each business day, as soon as practicable after 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time), the
net asset value of the Fund is determined by subtracting all accrued fees,
expenses and other liabilities of the Fund from the fair value of the assets
held by the Fund. The Sponsor has the exclusive authority to determine the net
asset value of the Fund. The Sponsor has delegated to the Administrator
the responsibility to calculate the net asset value of the Fund, based on a
pricing source selected by the Sponsor. The Administrator computes the net
asset value per Share by dividing the net asset value of the Fund by the number
of Shares outstanding as of the close of trading on the Exchange on the date the
computation is made.
In
the normal course of business, the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, may enter into
contracts with service providers that contain general indemnification clauses.
The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would
involve future claims that may be made against the Fund that have not yet
occurred.
The Fund
intends to be treated as a grantor trust for federal income tax purposes
and, therefore, no provision for federal income taxes is required. Any interest,
expenses, gains and losses are passed through to the holders of Shares of the
Fund. The Sponsor has reviewed the tax positions as of October 16, 2025, and has
determined that no provision for income tax is required in the Fund’s financial
statements.
Under the
Trust’s organizational documents, the Sponsor and its shareholders, members,
directors, affiliates, officers, employees and subsidiaries are indemnified by
the Trust against certain liabilities. The Fund has also agreed to indemnify
certain of its other service providers, including the Administrator, the Custodians and the Trustee (including
its officers, affiliates, directors, employees, and agents), for certain
liabilities incurred by such parties in connection with their respective
agreements to provide services for the Fund.
Substantially
all of the Fund’s assets will be holdings of XRP, which creates a concentration
risk associated with fluctuations in the price of XRP. Accordingly, a decline in
the price of XRP will have an adverse effect on the value of the Shares of the
Fund. The trading prices of XRP have experienced extreme volatility in
recent periods and may continue to fluctuate significantly. Extreme volatility
in the future, including substantial, sustained or rapid declines in the trading
prices of XRP, could have a material adverse effect on the value of the Shares
and the Shares could lose all or substantially all of their value. Factors
adversely impacting the value of XRP and the Shares may include an increase in
the global XRP supply or a decrease in global XRP demand; market conditions of,
and overall sentiment towards, the digital assets and blockchain technology
industry; trading activity on digital asset platforms, which, in many cases, are
largely unregulated or may be subject to manipulation; the adoption of XRP as a
medium of exchange, store-of-value or other consumptive asset and the
maintenance and development of the open-source software protocol of the XRP
Ledger, and their ability to meet user demands; manipulative trading activity on
digital asset platforms, which, in many cases, are largely unregulated; and
forks in the XRP Ledger, among other things.
U.S.
GAAP defines fair value as the price the Fund would receive to sell an asset or
pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction
between market participants at the measurement date. The Fund’s policy is to
value investments held at fair value.
Various
inputs are used in determining the fair value of assets and liabilities. Inputs
may be based on independent market data (“observable inputs”) or they may be
internally developed (“unobservable inputs”). These inputs are categorized into
a disclosure hierarchy consisting of three broad levels for financial reporting
purposes. The level of a value determined for an asset or liability within the
fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is
significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The three levels of
the fair value hierarchy are as follows:
Unadjusted
quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;
Inputs
other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the
asset or liability either directly or indirectly, including quoted prices for
similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or
similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not considered to be active,
inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability,
and inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable
market data by correlation or other means; and
Unobservable
inputs that are unobservable for the asset or liability, including the Fund’s
assumptions used in
determining
the fair value of investments.
Franklin
Holdings, LLC is the Sponsor of the Fund. Franklin Distributors, LLC serves as
the Marketing Agent of the Fund. The Sponsor and the Marketing Agent are
affiliates, and each is considered to be a related party to the Trust and the
Fund. FRI is the ultimate parent company of the Sponsor and the Marketing Agent.
FRI is the holding company for various subsidiaries that together are referred
to as Franklin Templeton Investments.
As
of October 16, 2025, the Seed Capital Investor, an affiliate of the Sponsor,
owned 4,000 shares of the Fund.
The Fund,
which is the sole series of the Trust, and the Trust, operate as a single
operating segment, which is an investment portfolio. The executive officers of
the Fund’s Sponsor perform the functions of the Chief Operating Decision Maker
and are responsible for evaluating the Trust’s and the Fund’s results and
allocating resources in accordance with the Trust’s and the Fund’s investment
strategy. For the period presented, the Trust and the Fund had not yet commenced
investment operations, and accordingly all assets are presented in the
accompanying Combined Statement of Assets and Liabilities.
The
Trust and the Fund have evaluated subsequent events through the October 31,
2025, the date of issuance of the financial statements and determined that no
events have occurred that require disclosure.
We have audited the
accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Franklin XRP ETF (the sole
series of Franklin XRP Trust, the "Fund") as of October 16, 2025, including the
related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statement”). In our
opinion, the financial statement presents fairly, in all material respects, the
financial position of the Fund as of October 16, 2025 in conformity with
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
This financial statement is the responsibility of
the Sponsor’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the
Fund's financial statement based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm
registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States)
(PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in
accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and
regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit of this
financial statement in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those
standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable
assurance about whether the financial statement is free of material
misstatement, whether due to error or fraud.
Our audit included performing
procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial
statement, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond
to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence
regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statement. Our audit also
included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates
made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the
financial statement. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for
our opinion.
We have served as the Fund's auditor since 2025.
In
preparing financial statements in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”), the Sponsor makes estimates
and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities and
disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial
statements, as well as the reported amount of revenue and expenses reported
during the period. Actual results could differ from these estimates.
A
separate Statement of Operations, Statement of Changes in Net Assets, and
Statement of Cash Flows have not been presented in the financial statement
because principal operations have not commenced.
The following is
a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Trust and the Fund.
The
Sponsor has determined that, solely for accounting purposes, the Fund falls
within the scope of Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting
Standards Codification (“ASC”) 946, Financial Services - Investment Companies,
and accordingly, solely for such purposes, the Fund follows accounting and
reporting guidance thereunder. The Trust is not registered as an investment
company under the Investment Company Act and is not required to register under
such act. Financial statements for the Trust, as registrant, are separately
presented above.
Upon
listing, the Fund’s only ordinary recurring expense is expected to be the
Sponsor’s annual fee computed as a percentage of net asset value (“NAV”) of the
Fund as specified in the Sponsor Agreement. In exchange for the Sponsor’s fee,
the Sponsor has agreed to assume the ordinary fees and expenses incurred by the
Fund, including but not limited to the following: fees charged by the
Administrator, the Marketing Agent, the Custodians and the Trustee, Cboe BZX
Exchange listing fees, typical maintenance and transaction fees of
the DTC, SEC registration fees, printing and mailing costs, tax reporting fees,
audit fees, license fees and expenses, and up to $500,000 per annum in ordinary
legal fees and expenses. The Sponsor bears expenses in connection with the
Trust’s and Fund’s organizational and initial offering costs and may not
seek reimbursement of such costs. The Fund will sell XRP on an as-needed
basis to pay the Sponsor’s fee. The Fund bears transaction costs, including any
XRP Ledger fees or other similar transaction fees, in connection with any sales
of XRP necessary to pay the Sponsor’s Fee, as well as other Fund expenses (if
any) that are not assumed by the Sponsor (expenses assumed by the Sponsor are
specified above). Any XRP Ledger fees and similar transaction fees incurred in
connection with the creation or redemption of Creation Units are borne by the
Authorized Participant.
The
Sponsor is not required to pay any extraordinary or non-routine expenses.
Extraordinary expenses are fees and expenses which are unexpected or unusual in
nature, such as legal claims and liabilities and litigation costs or
indemnification or other unanticipated expenses. Extraordinary fees and expenses
also include material expenses which are not currently anticipated obligations
of the Fund. The Fund will be responsible for the payment of such expenses to
the extent any such expenses are incurred. Routine operational, administrative,
and other ordinary expenses are not deemed extraordinary expenses.
In
addition, the Fund may incur certain other non-recurring expenses that are not
assumed by the Sponsor (expenses assumed by the Sponsor are described above),
including but not limited to: taxes and governmental charges; any applicable
brokerage commissions; XRP Ledger fees and similar transaction fees; financing
fees; expenses and costs of any extraordinary services performed by the Sponsor
(or any other service provider) on behalf of the Fund to protect the Fund or the
interests of Shareholders (including, for example, in connection with any fork
of the XRP Ledger, any Incidental Rights and any IR Virtual Currency), any
indemnification of the Cash Custodian, XRP Custodian, Prime Broker ,
Administrator or other agents, service providers or counterparties of the Trust
or the Fund, and extraordinary legal fees and expenses, including any
legal fees and expenses incurred in connection with litigation, regulatory
enforcement or investigation matters or legal expenses in excess of
$500,000 per year. The Sponsor may determine in its sole discretion to assume
legal fees and expenses of the Fund in excess of the $500,000 per annum
stipulated in the Sponsor Agreement. To the extent that the Sponsor does
not voluntarily assume such fees and expenses, they will be the responsibility
of the Fund. Additionally, there is no cap on the aggregate amount of
expenses that could be assumed by the Sponsor each year, except as otherwise
described herein. The Trust’s and the Fund’s organizational and initial offering
costs are borne by the Sponsor and, as such, are the sole responsibility of the
Sponsor. The Sponsor will not seek reimbursement or otherwise require the Fund,
the Trust, the Trustee or any Shareholder to assume any liability, duty or
obligation in connection with any such organizational and initial offering
costs.
Cash
includes non-interest bearing, non-restricted cash maintained with one banking
institution that does not exceed
U.S.
federally insured limits.
On
each business day, as soon as practicable after 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time), the
net asset value of the Fund is determined by subtracting all accrued fees,
expenses and other liabilities of the Fund from the fair value of the assets
held by the Fund. The Sponsor has the exclusive authority to determine the net
asset value of the Fund. The Sponsor has delegated to the Administrator
the responsibility to calculate the net asset value of the Fund, based on a
pricing source selected by the Sponsor. The Administrator computes the net
asset value per Share by dividing the net asset value of the Fund by the number
of Shares outstanding as of the close of trading on the Exchange on the date the
computation is made.
In
the normal course of business, the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, may enter into
contracts with service providers that contain general indemnification clauses.
The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would
involve future claims that may be made against the Fund that have not yet
occurred.
The Fund
intends to be treated as a grantor trust for federal income tax purposes and,
therefore, no provision for federal income taxes is required. Any interest,
expenses, gains and losses are passed through to the holders of Shares of the
Fund. The Sponsor has reviewed the tax positions as of October 16, 2025, and has
determined that no provision for income tax is required in the Fund’s financial
statements.
Under the
Trust’s organizational documents, the Sponsor and its shareholders, members,
directors, affiliates, officers, employees and subsidiaries are indemnified by
the Trust against certain liabilities. The Fund has also agreed to indemnify
certain of its other service providers, including the Administrator, the
Custodians and the Trustee (including its officers, affiliates, directors,
employees, and agents), for certain liabilities incurred by such parties in
connection with their respective agreements to provide services for the Fund.
Substantially
all of the Fund’s assets will be holdings of XRP, which creates a concentration
risk associated with fluctuations in the price of XRP. Accordingly, a decline in
the price of XRP will have an adverse effect on the value of the Shares of the
Fund. The trading prices of XRP have experienced extreme volatility in
recent periods and may continue to fluctuate significantly. Extreme volatility
in the future, including substantial, sustained or rapid declines in the trading
prices of XRP, could have a material adverse effect on the value of the Shares
and the Shares could lose all or substantially all of their value. Factors
adversely impacting the value of XRP and the Shares may include an increase in
the global XRP supply or a decrease in global XRP demand; market conditions of,
and overall sentiment towards, the digital assets and blockchain technology
industry; trading activity on digital asset platforms, which, in many cases, are
largely unregulated or may be subject to manipulation; the adoption of XRP as a
medium of exchange, store-of-value or other consumptive asset and the
maintenance and development of the open-source software protocol of the XRP
Ledger, and their ability to meet user demands; manipulative trading activity on
digital asset platforms, which, in many cases, are largely unregulated; and
forks in the XRP Ledger, among other things.
U.S.
GAAP defines fair value as the price the Fund would receive to sell an asset or
pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market
participants at the measurement date. The Fund’s policy is to value investments
held at fair value.
Various
inputs are used in determining the fair value of assets and liabilities. Inputs
may be based on independent market data (“observable inputs”) or they may be
internally developed (“unobservable inputs”). These inputs are categorized into
a disclosure hierarchy consisting of three broad levels for financial reporting
purposes. The level of a value determined for an asset or liability within the
fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is
significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The three levels of
the fair value hierarchy are as follows:
Unadjusted quoted
prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;
Inputs
other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the
asset or liability either directly or indirectly, including quoted prices for
similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or
similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not considered to be active,
inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability,
and inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable
market data by correlation or other means; and
Unobservable
inputs that are unobservable for the asset or liability, including the Fund’s
assumptions used in determining the fair value of investments.
Franklin
Holdings, LLC is the Sponsor of the Fund. Franklin Distributors, LLC serves as
the Marketing Agent of the Fund. The Sponsor and the Marketing Agent are
affiliates and each is considered to be a related party to the Trust and the
Fund. FRI is the ultimate parent company of the Sponsor and the Marketing Agent.
FRI is the holding company for various subsidiaries that together are referred
to as Franklin Templeton Investments.
As of
October 16, 2025, the Seed Capital Investor, an affiliate of the Sponsor, owned
4,000 shares of the Fund.
The Fund, which is the
sole series of the Trust, and the Trust, operate as a single operating segment,
which is an investment portfolio. The executive officers of the Fund’s Sponsor
perform the functions of the Chief Operating Decision Maker and are responsible
for evaluating the Trust’s and the Fund’s results and allocating resources in
accordance with the Trust’s and the Fund’s investment strategy. For the period
presented, the Trust and the Fund had not yet commenced investment operations,
and accordingly all assets are presented in the accompanying Statement of Assets
and Liabilities.
10.
SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
The Trust
and the Fund have evaluated subsequent events through October 31, 2025, the date
of issuance of the financial statements and determined that no events have
occurred that require disclosure.
[Until [ ], 2025 (25 calendar days after the date of this Prospectus) all
dealers that effect transactions in these securities, whether or not
participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a Prospectus. This is
an addition to the dealers’ obligation to deliver a Prospectus when acting as
underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments or
subscriptions.]