Key facts
- Ripple and Meritz Securities will explore bringing custody and tokenization to South Korea's capital markets.
- This is Ripple's first deal with a Korean securities firm.
- The partnership aims to integrate digital assets into the regulated financial system.
- Meritz Securities is exploring opportunities in spot ETFs, fractional investment, security tokens, and stablecoins.
- Ripple has previously partnered with Kyobo Life Insurance, Kbank, and Jeonbuk Bank in South Korea.
Ripple, a crypto infrastructure and payments firm, has announced a strategic partnership with Meritz Securities, a leading South Korean securities firm and subsidiary of Meritz Financial Group. This collaboration marks Ripple's first deal with a Korean securities firm and aims to introduce institutional custody and tokenization services to South Korea's capital markets.
The companies plan to explore bringing Ripple Custody and Ripple's tokenization infrastructure into the South Korean market. Initially, the focus will be on tokenizing Meritz's existing securities business and ensuring compliance with the current regulatory framework. Future cooperation will expand as South Korea's digital asset regulations evolve.
Meritz Securities is actively investigating opportunities in integrating digital assets into the regulated financial system, including spot ETFs, fractional investment, security tokens, trading platforms, and KRW-denominated stablecoins. Fiona Murray, Managing Director, Asia Pacific at Ripple, highlighted South Korea as a dynamic digital asset market where institutions are moving towards real-world utility.
This partnership deepens Ripple's presence in South Korea, following earlier institutional deals with Kyobo Life Insurance, Kbank, and Jeonbuk Bank. Jeonbuk Bank previously adopted Ripple Payments for cross-border remittances. Byungha Kang, managing director at Meritz Securities, stated that the partnership combines Ripple's global digital asset infrastructure with Meritz's capital markets capabilities, preparing for evolving regulations.
Separately, Ripple also partnered with Stripe-owned Privy to integrate embedded wallets and AI agent payments into the XRP Ledger.