Ripple drives growth in the blockchain ecosystem with institutional-grade security measures
The digital asset infrastructure provider brings enhanced self-custody technology to financial firms in the Asia-Pacific region
Blockchain technology and digital assets, including cryptocurrency, are already moving beyond their initial limitations as niche technologies to shape a more accessible, secure and impactful ecosystem. Ninety per cent of finance leaders believe these technologies will have a profound effect on the industry within three years, according to a recent survey conducted by Ripple, a digital asset infrastructure company.
As compelling use cases emerge – from cross-border payments to tokenisation of real-world assets – the first challenge any firm must address is safe and secure custody. The institutional adoption of blockchain technology hinges on the ability to store, access and protect digital assets with confidence.
“The next wave of growth in digital assets won’t be driven by retail speculation; it will be driven by institutional utility – and the foundation for that is secure custody,” says Jack Cullinane, Ripple’s senior director, commercial, Asia-Pacific. “In hubs like Hong Kong, regulatory clarity is accelerating the move for institutions to enter this space.”
Across the world’s financial hubs, including Hong Kong, regulators are moving to support these new technologies by ensuring that sophisticated, institutional-grade infrastructure is balanced with robust regulatory compliance for seamless, 24-hour-a-day usability. The city’s Securities and Futures Commission’s rules on digital asset custody ensure institutions manage assets in line with standards seen in traditional finance, reflecting the growing market need for secure, compliant infrastructure to support exchange-traded funds, tokenised funds, stablecoin settlement and cross-border treasury and liquidity solutions.
Secure crypto custody is critical to the global financial ecosystem. Ripple Custody provides the essential institutional-grade platform for securing, transferring and settling any class of tokenised financial assets. Ripple delivers the self-custody technology layer that enables banks and financial institutions to manage digital assets without compromising their existing security.
This approach allows clients full sovereignty over assets, ensuring alignment with regulatory standards and compliance requirements. The Ripple Custody architecture provides operational security through granular user access controls. It supports crypto, stablecoins and tokenised real-world assets across ledgers and networks, including the XRP Ledger, which provides infrastructure for fungible tokens, decentralised exchange (DEX) operations and on-chain liquidity protocols.
Ripple’s self-custody technology features automated screening that checks every transaction against sanctions and anti-money-laundering watch lists. All activities are tracked through a centralised dashboard, giving users a clear, audit-ready record of their digital asset operations. This balance of institutional-grade security, flexible deployment and ease of use helps institutional clients manage digital assets with the same level of assurance mandated by traditional financial services.
Built to support the entire life cycle of digital assets – from issuance and safekeeping to transfer and redemption – Ripple Custody opens the door to a wide range of institutional use cases. For financial firms, these comprehensive features support practical applications such as stablecoin issuance, as well as new revenue streams through custody services and transaction fees.
With its API-first architecture, Ripple Custody integrates with existing banking and capital market systems, allowing institutions to participate in the digital-asset economy without disrupting established systems or compromising oversight. By bridging traditional financial operations with blockchain networks such as the XRP Ledger, the collaboration de-risks and accelerates the path to scalable on-chain finance.
The partnership between DBS and Ripple exemplifies how combining distinct strengths drives growth. The Singapore-headquartered bank first incorporated Ripple Custody into its digital asset ecosystem in 2020. Now the two institutions, along with Franklin Templeton, have joined forces to launch trading and lending solutions powered by Ripple’s US dollar-backed stablecoin, RLUSD. The partnership will enable eligible DBS clients to trade RLUSD for sgBenji – Franklin Templeton’s tokenised money market fund – through the bank’s digital exchange. This allows clients to rebalance their portfolios into a relatively stable asset within minutes, while earning yield during periods of volatility.
“It’s a step in moving the traditional and digital asset industry towards a more institutional set of solutions,” says Evy Theunis, head of digital assets, institutional banking group at DBS, adding that Ripple’s agility can help financial institutions become “entrenched within the digital ecosystem.”
In Hong Kong and across the Asia-Pacific region, Ripple Custody is paving the way for blockchain adoption. More than 50 per cent of regional finance and enterprise firms plan to adopt digital asset custody within the next three years, according to Ripple’s 2025 report on digital asset custody trends in the region. Hong Kong was the first in Asia to launch spot bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded funds, while developing comprehensive regulatory frameworks for virtual asset service providers and stablecoins.
Ripple’s broader ecosystem directly influences digital asset market growth in Hong Kong and the region. Alongside Ripple Custody, Ripple Payments enables the use of digital assets for near-real-time global settlement by connecting fragmented payment networks and improving cross-border transparency. The system supports stablecoin on- and off-ramps, while facilitating the final stage of payouts in complex corridors across Asia-Pacific and Latin America.
Ripple also recently announced the acquisition of digital asset wallet and custody company, Palisade. The acquisition will significantly expand the company’s custody capabilities to directly serve the core needs of fintechs, crypto-native firms and corporations.
Cullinane says custody has evolved from a back-office chore to a mission-critical enabler. “Whether you’re a bank issuing a stablecoin, an asset manager launching an ETF, or a corporation tokenising assets, you need bank-grade infrastructure that provides the trust and compliance framework.”