Here’s How Big Funds Can Get Discounted Exposure to XRP

Paul Barron, host of the Paul Barron Network, suggests Fundstrat’s Tom Lee could emulate VivoPower’s strategy to gain XRP exposure through Ripple’s shares at a discount.

Barron Urges Tom Lee to Gain XRP Exposure

Specifically, Barron stressed that Ripple Labs holds about 41 billion XRP tokens, worth around $135 billion at current market prices. For context, these were the figures cited during the initial VivoPower announcement.

He suggested that Lee could take a similar route by buying Ripple shares directly from current shareholders through formal agreements, rather than acquiring XRP from Ripple itself. Notably, this method could give Lee access to XRP exposure at a steep discount, just as VivoPower achieved

This idea has resonated well with the XRP community due to BitMine’s sizable Ethereum treasury. For context, BitMine currently holds about 1.713 million ETH worth nearly $5.95 billion and plans to expand its holdings to 5% of the total ETH supply. What if it diversified its portfolio to include XRP?

The VivoPower Strategy

Notably, VivoPower announced its plan in August 2025 as part of a shift toward a digital asset treasury focused on XRP. VivoPower budgeted $100 million for Ripple share acquisitions, subject to executive approval and shareholder agreements

At that time, Ripple’s 41 billion XRP tokens had a value of about $135 billion, but the company’s private market valuation stood at only $19 billion.

Based on this valuation, VivoPower’s $100 million investment gave it indirect exposure to roughly 211 million XRP, worth about $696 million then. The company estimated that every $10 million in Ripple shares could raise its shareholder value by about $5.15 per share, depending on market conditions

VivoPower also planned to pair its Ripple share purchases with direct XRP buys to lower its average cost, becoming the first U.S.-listed firm to hold both Ripple equity and XRP tokens.

Meanwhile, during a presentation at the XRP Meetup in New York, Adam Traidman, VivoPower’s Advisory Board Chairman and a former Ripple board member, provided an update. He called VivoPower’s strategy DAT 2.0, contrasting the approach used by Bitcoin and Ethereum treasury firms.

Notably, Ripple’s private market valuation has since jumped from $19 billion to $40 billion. Even with that increase, VivoPower still benefits from a notable discount. The original 86% markdown had narrowed to about 59%.