Key takeaways Ripple secures its fourth Korean institutional partnership Meritz Securities explores custody, tokenization and crypto ETFs Deal expands Ripple's footprint beyond banking and in
Ripple has signed a strategic partnership with South Korea's Meritz Securities, marking its fourth institutional agreement in the country during 2026 and its first with a securities firm.
The October 14 announcement extends Ripple's presence across South Korea's banking, insurance and capital markets, although the companies have not confirmed any XRP purchases or immediate XRP Ledger deployment.
Ripple Signs Fourth Korean Deal as Meritz Explores Crypto ETFsAccording to Ripple's announcement, the companies will explore integrating Ripple Custody and tokenization infrastructure into Meritz Securities' existing operations.
Ripple Custody provides regulated institutions with infrastructure for storing, transferring and settling digital assets. The partnership will initially operate within existing securities regulations, with additional services potentially introduced as South Korea's regulatory framework develops.
Meritz is evaluating several digital-asset businesses, including spot cryptocurrency ETFs, fractional investments, security tokens, trading platforms and Korean won-denominated stablecoins.
However, these remain potential business opportunities rather than confirmed product launches.
Ripple said it operates across more than 60 markets and holds over 85 licenses worldwide, providing a regulatory and infrastructure foundation for expanding institutional services.
Ripple Expands Across Four Korean Financial InstitutionsThe Meritz agreement follows three other partnerships that have established Ripple's presence in different areas of Korean finance.
In April, Kyobo Life Insurance partnered with Ripple to explore tokenized government bonds, with the aim of reducing settlement times through digital-asset custody infrastructure.
Later that month, Kbank, South Korea's first internet-only bank, announced plans to deploy institutional wallet infrastructure through Ripple Custody.
In August, Jeonbuk Bank became the country's first regional bank to adopt Ripple Payments for cross-border remittances.
Meritz introduces a fourth segment: securities and capital markets. Together, the agreements give Ripple institutional relationships spanning custody, banking infrastructure, international payments and potential tokenized investments.
The expansion also follows Ripple's Brazilian market infrastructure partnership, where CSD BR began using XRPL to mirror selected investment fund ownership records.
