Ripple IPO Speculation: Could It Mirror Amazon’s Historic 1997 Listing?

• A top business consultant just analyzed Ripple’s potential benefit if it goes public.
• Despite the prospects outlined, the SEC case might serve as a major drawback.

After months of speculation, the crypto market eagerly awaits news of a Ripple Initial Public Offering (IPO). Amid these speculations, business leader and consultant Jake Claver commented on what an IPO launch would mean for Ripple Labs. Claver thinks that Ripple’s IPO if eventually launched, may have as much influence as Amazon’s IPO in 1997.

What an  IPO Listing Means for Ripple

Claver outlined the potential benefits of an IPO or direct listing for Ripple in a series of X posts. The business consultant believes Ripple is well-positioned for an IPO due to its prominence in the blockchain and Fintech industry. He highlighted that Ripple is particularly recognized for its cross-border payment solution, which serves over 300 financial institutions worldwide. 

Ripple is making waves in blockchain and fintech, but imagine if they actually went public with a #Ripple IPO or direct listing. Just like Amazon’s IPO in ’97, Ripple might do the same, with a huge impact.
1/20#XRP

— Jake Claver, QFOP (@beyond_broke) October 20, 2024

He also acknowledged XRP’s ability to settle transactions faster and cheaper than the SWIFT payment network. Just as Amazon was known as an online bookstore before its IPO, Claver noted that Ripple is recognized for its blockchain solutions. As a result, he believes Ripple could do more with an IPO launch. 

He noted that Amazon raised $54 million, which allowed it to expand into new markets. Essentially, Amazon expanded from books into electronics, clothing, and eventually cloud computing through AWS. Claver thinks Ripple faces a similar scenario to Amazon if it decides to go public. According to him, the funds raised might help the firm scale operations and enter new markets in the blockchain space.

He further disclosed Ripple could use IPO funds to acquire other companies and expand its offerings, similar to Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods and Twitch. Claver highlighted Ripple’s acquisition of Metaco as a big step in its pursuit of market expansion. As CNF discussed, Ripple improved its institutional-grade digital asset custody services by including Metaco’s solutions in its platform.

Additionally, funds raised through a listing would enable Ripple to accelerate research and development while improving the XRP Ledger. Ripple can explore new applications like smart contracts, tokenized real-world assets, and Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs).

Listing Options Available to Ripple

Claver further emphasized the difference between an IPO and a direct listing, which he claims are viable options for Ripple to raise additional funds. In an IPO listing, companies issue new shares to raise capital, often backed by investment banks. While it provides capital, it comes with expenses such as underwriting fees and regulatory restrictions.

However, in a direct listing, no new shares are raised. Existing shareholders sell their shares on the market. This method of raising funds is typically less costly and quicker than an IPO. Given that Ripple already has a healthy balance sheet with over $1.3 billion in cash, Claver thinks the firm could opt for a direct listing. While Amazon legitimized e-commerce with its 1997 IPO, Claver believes Ripple’s public listing would legitimize its role in global finance.

However, Claver highlighted Ripple’s ongoing legal battle with the US Securities and Exchange Commission as a major challenge to an IPO listing. Ripple’s CEO, Brad Garlinghouse, has doubts about the firm listing an IPO in the US. In a previous CNF post, Garlinghouse cited SEC Chair Gary Gensler’s actions against crypto as a major factor.

Despite this challenge, Claver believes Ripple could unlock many possibilities if it follows a similar path to Amazon’s 1997 IPO.