- Ripple partners with Meritz Securities to explore crypto custody and tokenization in South Korea.
- Future services will depend on regulatory developments.
Ripple has partnered with South Korean securities firm Meritz Securities to explore crypto custody and tokenization services as the country develops its digital asset regulations. The agreement aims to assess how Ripple’s institutional blockchain infrastructure could support Meritz’s securities business and potential crypto-related services.
Announced on October 14, 2026, the partnership will initially operate within South Korea’s existing regulatory framework. Both companies plan to explore further opportunities as the country’s digital asset rules evolve.
Meritz Securities Explores Ripple Custody Services
Under the agreement, Meritz Securities will evaluate Ripple Custody and its tokenization infrastructure for managing, transferring and settling digital assets.
Ripple Custody provides financial institutions with infrastructure to securely hold and manage digital assets. The platform could help Meritz develop custody services without having to build its own systems from scratch.
Meritz is also exploring other digital asset opportunities as South Korea prepares for greater integration between traditional finance and the crypto market. These include spot cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs), security tokens, fractional investment products, digital asset trading platforms and Korean won-denominated stablecoins.
However, the partnership does not confirm that Meritz will launch these products with Ripple. The companies have not announced a launch date or disclosed the financial terms of their agreement.
Byungha Kang, managing director of Meritz Securities’ Strategic Planning Unit, said the partnership would combine Ripple’s global digital asset infrastructure with the firm’s capital markets expertise.
He added that Meritz plans to prepare secure and trusted digital asset financial services in stages as South Korea’s regulatory framework develops.
Ripple Expands Its Presence in South Korea
The agreement marks Ripple’s fourth institutional partnership in South Korea in 2026 and its first with a local securities firm, according to the company.
Ripple has already established partnerships with three other Korean financial institutions to explore blockchain-based financial services.
In April 2026, Ripple partnered with Kyobo Life Insurance to explore blockchain-based settlement for tokenized South Korean government bonds. The initiative aims to reduce settlement times from two business days to near real time using Ripple Custody.
Ripple also partnered with Kbank in April to test blockchain-based cross-border payments. The project involves digital wallet integration and international transfers to markets such as the United Arab Emirates and Thailand.
In August 2026, Ripple partnered with Jeonbuk Bank to support cross-border payments for business customers. The service aims to help exporters, technology startups and online content creators receive international payments within seconds to minutes.
The Meritz Securities agreement extends Ripple’s South Korean expansion into the securities market. While its earlier partnerships focused on payments and bond settlement, the latest deal explores digital asset custody and tokenization for capital markets.
South Korea’s Regulations Will Shape the Partnership
South Korea’s evolving digital asset regulations will influence how Ripple and Meritz develop their proposed services. Both companies have stated that their initial cooperation will remain within the existing legal framework.
Fiona Murray, Ripple’s managing director for Asia Pacific, said the company provides payments, custody and tokenization infrastructure across more than 60 markets and holds more than 85 licenses globally.
Despite the announcement, several details remain unconfirmed. The companies have not specified which blockchain network would support the proposed tokenization services or whether XRP, Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin or the XRP Ledger would feature in future products.
For now, the partnership focuses on evaluating how Ripple’s infrastructure could support Meritz Securities as South Korea’s regulated digital asset market develops. Any future services will depend on the companies’ assessments, regulatory requirements and decisions on which opportunities to pursue.
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