Ripple has acquired prime brokerage firm Hidden Road for $1.26 billion, opening up new markets for the crypto payment firm.The deal allows Ripple's subsidiaries to tap into traditional markets and leverage XRP's Ledger for faster and efficient cross-border payments.The acquisition positions Ripple as the first crypto company to own a prime brokerage firm and aims to merge decentralized and traditional finance.The move is expected to attract institutional investor inflow and comes as part of Ripple's effort to foster cross-border partnerships.