The new Grayscale XRP Trust is the first step toward a spot XRP ETF launch, but it would need to go through three more lifecycle stages.

As The Crypto Basic reported yesterday, Grayscale Investments, a leading crypto asset management firm, recently unveiled its XRP Trust, giving accredited investors exposure to Ripple’s XRP token.

The XRP Trust is an important step toward an eventual XRP Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF), a product that would allow broader public access to XRP investments. However, before the XRP Trust can transform into an ETF, it must progress through four key stages.

Four Stages of the Grayscale Product Lifecycle

The first phase is Private Placement, where the trust’s shares are available only to accredited investors. This is the current stage the product is in. Shares bought during this stage are subject to a one-year lock-up period, meaning investors cannot sell them immediately.

In the second stage, Public Quotation, the trust will list on public markets, allowing a wider audience to trade its shares. At this point, the trust is accessible to retail investors, though its shares may trade at a premium or discount relative to XRP’s actual value.

Next, the SEC Reporting phase increases transparency, as Grayscale must comply with reporting requirements from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This phase also reduces the holding period for shares purchased during the private placement stage, cutting it down to six months.

Finally, with the necessary regulatory approvals, the product enters the fourth stage: ETF Conversion. In this stage, the trust officially transforms into an ETF, a fully regulated investment product available on public exchanges, giving it the broadest possible reach.

Grayscale Product Lifecycle

The Grayscale XRP Trust

Grayscale included the XRP Trust in its suite of crypto products yesterday after the debut. The launch follows favorable legal outcomes for Ripple, making the timing ripe for the introduction of this product. The SEC v. Ripple case witnessed the final ruling last month.

This new trust allows investors to indirectly hold XRP. Grayscale structures it similarly to its other single-asset trusts. As with those products, investors purchase shares tied to XRP’s market price, allowing exposure to the asset without direct ownership.

The XRP Trust launch coincides with increasing institutional interest in XRP. Last month, Bitnomial Exchange debuted XRP futures contracts, signaling growing demand for investment products tied to the cryptocurrency.

This is important as futures contracts and trusts are often precursors to ETFs. Grayscale has successfully followed this product path before.

It converted its Bitcoin Trust to a full ETF in January 2024, after years of regulatory hurdles. The Ethereum Trust followed suit in July, proving the firm’s ability to execute its strategy effectively. With XRP, Grayscale could once again use this tried-and-true approach to bring an XRP ETF to market.