Ripple has entered into a strategic partnership with South Korean securities firm Meritz Securities to explore digital asset custody and tokenisation in the country’s capital markets.
The agreement marks Ripple’s fourth institutional partnership in South Korea this year and its first with a securities firm, expanding its presence beyond banking and insurance.
Both companies will explore the use of Ripple Custody and Ripple’s tokenisation infrastructure.
Ripple Custody enables regulated financial institutions to store, transfer and settle digital assets without developing their own custody infrastructure.
Partnership to expand as Korean regulations evolve
Cooperation will initially focus on Meritz’s existing securities business under current regulations, with plans to expand in stages as South Korea’s digital asset framework develops.
Meritz is exploring several digital asset opportunities, including spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs), fractional investments, security tokens, trading platforms and Korean won-denominated stablecoins.
The partnership forms part of its preparations for integrating digital assets into the regulated financial system.
“Korea is one of the most dynamic digital asset markets in the world and its institutions are preparing to move from exploration to real-world utility,”
said Fiona Murray, Managing Director, Asia Pacific at Ripple.
Murray added that Ripple provides infrastructure across payments, custody and tokenisation. The company holds more than 85 licenses and operates a network spanning over 60 markets.
“This partnership lays the foundation for combining Ripple’s global digital asset infrastructure with our capital markets capabilities,”
said Byungha Kang, Managing Director of the Strategic Planning Unit at Meritz Securities.
Ripple expands institutional partnerships in South Korea
Meritz joins three other Korean institutions that have partnered with Ripple in 2026.
Kyobo Life Insurance is using Ripple Custody for what Ripple describes as South Korea’s first tokenised government bond settlement on blockchain.
Kbank, the country’s first internet-only bank, is deploying digital asset wallet infrastructure through Ripple Custody.
Meanwhile, Jeonbuk Bank became the first Korean regional bank to adopt Ripple Payments for cross-border remittances, according to Ripple.
Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Hong Kong, based on image by sekillerim05 via Magnific
