Ripple Partners With Aviva Investors to Tokenize Traditional Funds on the XRP Ledger

• Ripple has announced that it’s partnering with European asset manager Aviva Investors to tokenize investment funds on the XRP Ledger.
• Ripple backing will allow Aviva Investors to implement XRPL to provide secure, scalable, and regulatory-compliant fund operations.

Blockchain payments company Ripple is partnering with European firm Aviva Investors to tokenize traditional funds on the XRP Ledger (XRPL). The move marks the first time the blockchain firm has worked with a Europe-based asset manager, and it is Aviva Investors’ first step into blockchain-based fund tokenization.

Under the partnership, the two will issue and manage tokenized fund products, with some of the products expected to launch this year under their long-term plan.

Aviva Investors, a subsidiary of UK-based insurance firm Aviva Plc, will bring parts of its funds to blockchain infrastructure. Through XRPL, a public blockchain known for high-speed settlement and low-cost transactions, Aviva plans to modernize its infrastructure using digital assets. 

According to Jill Barber, Chief Distribution Officer at Aviva Investors, tokenization can deliver both time and cost efficiency. She stated, “We believe there are many benefits that tokenization can bring to investors.”

Ripple, for its part, is working to scale the XRPL for regulated financial products and sees this collaboration as a key step. The ledger, live since 2012, has processed over four billion transactions and supports more than seven million wallets. It is operated by 120 independent validators and does not rely on mining, reducing energy consumption.

Ripple Expands Blockchain Infrastructure in Asset Management

Ripple Vice President of Trading and Markets Nigel Khakoo termed the development a milestone in tokenized fund development. He stated, “Tokenization is now moving from experimentation to large-scale production,” adding that the transition could drive major efficiencies across the investment industry over the coming decade.

The agreement with Aviva Investors is part of Ripple’s effort to increase its institutional offerings. As its first move into the DeFi services, the company recently incorporated decentralized exchange Hyperliquid into its prime brokerage platform. As we recently reported, it secured $500 million in private funding led by Fortress Investment Group and Citadel Securities.

XRP, the native token of XRPL, has declined by 33% over the past month amid broader bearish market conditions. CEO Brad Garlinghouse addressed the situation in a recent X Spaces session, reiterating the firm’s commitment to XRP as the “North Star” of its business. He stated that all product development, from payments to custody, is focused on building around the asset and the ledger’s utility.

At press time, XRP was trading at $1.37, a 1.37% increase after breaching the resistance at $1.35.