Ripple partners with Meritz Securities to explore digital asset custody and tokenization, expanding its presence across South Korea’s financial markets.
Ripple has partnered with Meritz Securities to explore digital asset custody and tokenization services in South Korea. The deal is Ripple’s first deal with a Korean securities firm. The companies also aim to facilitate regulated digital asset services in the country’s financial markets.
Ripple and Meritz Target South Korea’s Capital Markets
The deal will involve Ripple and Meritz Securities looking into Ripple Custody and tokenization infrastructure. These services may facilitate the secure storage, transfer, and settlement of digital assets within financial institutions. In addition, the companies will start cooperation in Meritz’s business activities and existing regulations.
Global investing is evolving. The infrastructure behind it should too.
We’re partnering with @DriveWealth across RLUSD settlement on the XRP Ledger, cross-border payments, custody and prime brokerage to modernize how money moves across global markets.
Together, we’re building a…
— Ripple (@Ripple) October 14, 2026
Ripple Custody offers storage solutions for regulated financial institutions. It can take a lot of time, money, and technical know-how to build similar systems. Therefore, Ripple’s infrastructure could offer Meritz a more direct way to explore digital asset services.
Related reading: Standard Chartered Launches RLUSD Custody for Institutional Clients | Live Bitcoin News
But the collaboration will be phased in as South Korea is developing its digital asset laws. Both companies will adapt their collaboration to the legal framework in the country. This way, they can discover fresh opportunities without breaking the existing financial guidelines.
In the interim, Meritz Securities is getting ready for deeper integration of digital assets into the regulated financial system. It has areas of interest in spot exchange-traded funds, fractional investing, and security tokens. In addition, the company is testing trading platforms and stablecoins that are pegged to the South Korean won.
The plans are part of Meritz’s wider strategy to prepare for financial services changes. As such, the partnership could help develop future digital asset products if regulations allow them.
Ripple Expands Its South Korean Financial Partnerships
The deal brings another big financial firm to Ripple’s expanding network in South Korea. In the past, Ripple built connections in banking, insurance, and cross-border payment services. For example, Kyobo Life Insurance has joined forces with Ripple to investigate tokenized settlement for government bonds with Ripple Custody.
Moreover, Ripple has worked on digital asset wallet frameworks with Kbank. Jeonbuk Bank has also signed an agreement with Ripple to enable cross-border remittances using Ripple Payments. These connections highlight Ripple’s commitment to offering blockchain services in various financial industries.
However, the Meritz agreement has been centered on research and development into possible services, and not the full commercialization of the service. The companies haven’t provided a detailed implementation plan. Thus, future products will be subject to regulatory changes and business decisions and will be available when and if they are approved.
XRP Price Impact Remains Uncertain
However, the price of XRP did not bounce back immediately after the announcement of the partnership. The XRP price is currently trading around $1.35, as the market is facing a downturn, according to CoinMarketCap data. But the partnership is not a requirement for Meritz or its customers to buy XRP.
Ripple offers institutional technology for many financial applications. In the meantime, XRP’s market demand and price movements are independent. As such, the impact of this agreement on XRP is still unclear.
South Korea’s changing regulatory framework will also influence future developments. A wider domestic digital asset framework is expected to be implemented by February 2027. Ripple and Meritz will have to abide by the applicable regulations until then.
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