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Dr. Kamilah Stevenson has identified the importance of U.S.-regulated derivatives exchange Bitnomial accepting XRP as margin collateral.
While this occurred a month ago, this move drew little attention as XRP continued to struggle with broader market weakness amid a 4% price decline this year.
While the market largely ignored the development, financial market commentator Dr. Kamilah Stevenson believes it represents a change in XRP’s role within the financial system.
Bitnomial Now Accepts XRP as Collateral
In a recent commentary, Stevenson explained that many investors missed the announcement because it did not come with an immediate price jump. She noted that market participants often focus on price movements while overlooking important changes happening behind the scenes.
According to her, when regulators adjust the major structure of financial markets, any asset integrated into the new framework takes on a new level of importance. She stressed that XRP’s acceptance as collateral indicates a change in market position.
Stevenson argued that the decision was a quiet but important step that moves XRP further into institutional finance. She noted that this integration carries more weight than hype-driven narratives around meme coins, chart patterns, or ETF speculation.
To her, the development indicates changes in financial structure rather than market excitement. However, despite the optimism, she clarified that her analysis focused on education and system mechanics, not investment advice.
How Important is This Development?
According to the market commentator, Bitnomial operates under CFTC regulation, and collateral plays a major role in derivatives markets. Stevenson explained that institutions only post assets they trust to remain liquid, reliable, and ready for settlement.
She compared collateral assets to instruments such as gold, U.S. Treasuries, and major currency pairs, and emphasized that regulators do not allow unstable assets to secure leveraged positions. For context, this comes months after Bitnomial became the first regulated exchange to launch XRP futures in the U.S.
Stevenson also pointed out that regulators raised no objections after Bitnomial recently approved XRP as collateral. She added that the DTCC expanded settlement windows around the same time, a step that usually accompanies upgrades to settlement and collateral systems.
The pundit explained how important collateral is to the global derivatives market, which spans hundreds of trillions of dollars. Because of this scale, only assets capable of handling massive settlement demands can serve this role.
Stevenson believes XRP’s inclusion shows that institutions and regulators now treat it as a commodity-grade settlement asset rather than a purely speculative token.
How Could XRP Price React?
According to her, collateral use also affects supply dynamics. She said institutions typically lock up assets posted as margin instead of trading them on exchanges.
As XRP moves into custody for collateral purposes, the market commentator expects the circulating supply to tighten. Over time, she believes rising institutional demand combined with reduced supply can support higher valuations through basic market mechanics.
She also stressed that large derivatives markets cannot function with low-value or unreliable assets. Stevenson noted that gold, Bitcoin, and major currency pairs gained value as derivatives markets adopted them. Notably, collateral status does not follow price trends; instead, valuation adjusts to meet the demands of institutional use.
Speaking further, Stevenson added that XRP can now appear on institutional balance sheets in ways that were not previously possible. She said firms can hold XRP, pledge it, lend against it, and include it in structured financial products.
She argued that this development removes a major barrier that once limited institutional participation due to regulatory uncertainty.