In a recent interview with POW Group, Pascal St-Jean, President and CEO of 3iQ, broke down the significance of Canada’s largest XRP spot ETF, XRPQ. The discussion covered everything from the fund’s early performance to how 3iQ collaborated with Ripple, what differentiates XRP from other digital assets, and why this ETF matters for both institutional and retail investors.
As one of Canada’s leading digital asset managers, 3iQ has long been at the forefront of regulated crypto exposure. From launching the first Bitcoin and Ethereum ETPs listed on a major global stock exchange to this new XRP fund, the company continues to shape the future of crypto investing.
Let’s unpack what was revealed during the interview and why XRPQ could be a defining product in the next phase of digital asset adoption.
Why XRP and Why Now?
The 3iQ XRP ETF, trading under the ticker XRPQ on the Toronto Stock Exchange, allows investors to gain direct exposure to XRP, the native cryptocurrency of the XRP Ledger. Unlike futures-based ETFs, a spot ETF holds actual XRP tokens, giving investors more accurate price tracking and transparency.
According to St-Jean, XRP stands out among digital assets because of its established infrastructure, global use cases, and the strength of its developer ecosystem. While other altcoins come and go, XRP remains one of the “blue chip” crypto assets that institutional investors increasingly trust.
“Bitcoin’s been holding strong, Solana and XRP are in healthy patterns, and we’re seeing significant institutional capital flow into the winners of this cycle,” said St-Jean.
What makes this moment particularly important is the growing institutionalization of the crypto market. With more regulated products available and better custodial solutions in place, institutions are becoming more comfortable allocating to digital assets like XRP.
Working with Ripple: Clarifying the Relationship
One of the highlights of the interview was St-Jean’s perspective on working with Ripple, the company behind many of XRP’s use cases.
“We worked with Ripple during product development to ensure strong liquidity and operational support,” he explained. “But XRPQ is an investment product focused on XRP as a decentralized digital asset.”
This clarification is critical. Ripple is a company that uses XRP for enterprise-grade solutions, but the asset itself functions independently on an open-source blockchain. Investors in XRPQ are investing in XRP the asset, not Ripple the company.
Security, Compliance, and Investor Protections
Trust is essential in a rapidly evolving industry like crypto. St-Jean emphasized that 3iQ’s ETFs are built with top-tier safeguards to ensure investor confidence.
These include:
- Cold storage with institutional-grade custodians
- Daily NAV reporting and full transparency
- Multi-signature wallets for added protection
- Regulated structure under Canadian securites laws
“We’re seeing a broader range of investors getting involved,” St-Jean said. “That speaks to how far compliance and infrastructure have come in the crypto ETF space.”
Fee Structure and Performance
3iQ has kept the fee structure competitive to ensure accessibility. Just weeks after its launch, XRPQ hit a new all-time high, reflecting both growing demand and bullish sentiment across crypto markets.
St-Jean noted that while Ethereum has underperformed this year, XRP and Solana have remained strong. XRPQ’s timely launch has allowed investors to participate in that momentum through a regulated, liquid product.