Royal Bank Of Canada Takes Exposure To XRP Through Bitwise ETF

Royal Bank of Canada has revealed its first known indirect investment in XRP by buying shares in the Bitwise XRP ETF, according to a new SEC filing.

The bank reported holding 2,000 shares of the ETF, worth about $30,000 as of March 31, 2026. While this is a small part of RBC’s portfolio, it shows that traditional financial institutions are slowly expanding beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum into other crypto assets.

The Bitwise XRP ETF launched in late 2025 and gives regulated exposure to XRP, the cryptocurrency tied to the XRP Ledger. The fund manages between $345 million and $360 million in assets and charges a 0.34% management fee.

RBC has been interested in blockchain technology for years, including past partnerships with Ripple for cross-border payments. Supporters of XRP say the token can lower international settlement costs and speed up transactions for global banks.

This filing comes as Canada works on clearer digital asset regulations. Authorities recently approved a Canadian dollar-backed stablecoin and are tightening oversight of crypto ATMs and firms linked to fraud or money laundering.

Analysts say investments like RBC’s could encourage more traditional banks to try crypto financial products through ETFs instead of owning tokens directly. However, market participants warn that XRP and similar products are still very volatile, even with more institutional interest.

🚨 JUST IN: Royal Bank of Canada now has indirect ripple:native exposure through the Bitwise XRP ETF. 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/63PNQCj9hj

— RippleXity (@RippleXity) May 16, 2026

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