Ripple targets trillion-dollar securities markets with new US brokerage and South Korean deals

Ripple announced partnerships with DriveWealth and Meritz Securities to extend its services across global brokerage and securities markets.

The two agreements, announced on Oct. 14, will bring Ripple's stablecoin, payments, and custody infrastructure into DriveWealth's brokerage operations while exploring securities tokenization opportunities with South Korea's Meritz.

DriveWealth, which provides investment infrastructure to more than 100 partners worldwide, plans to integrate Ripple's RLUSD stablecoin into European settlement operations, with potential expansion into the US. Meanwhile, Meritz becomes Ripple's first Korean securities-firm partner and fourth institutional partner in the country this year.

The agreements deepen Ripple's expansion beyond cross-border payments into traditional capital markets, where financial institutions are exploring blockchain technology to reduce settlement delays, manage collateral and tokenize financial assets.

They also come as South Korea prepares to introduce a regulatory framework for tokenized securities in February 2027, potentially opening another market for Ripple's institutional infrastructure.

DriveWealth brings RLUSD into global brokerage infrastructure

Under the DriveWealth agreement, the brokerage infrastructure provider will integrate RLUSD on the XRP Ledger to support settlement in Europe, alongside Ripple's stablecoin issuance and redemption capabilities.

The integration addresses a longstanding challenge in international investing: stock trading has become increasingly accessible outside conventional market hours, while the banking infrastructure used to fund transactions still operates under geographic and time restrictions.

DriveWealth already supports trading in US equities for 24 hours a day, five days a week. However, international clients can face delays when moving funds across borders, particularly when transfers depend on bank operating hours.

The companies intend to let clients fund and manage collateral accounts with stablecoins that can be converted to cash in near real time, potentially reducing the capital held idle while awaiting traditional bank transfers.

“We've already enabled 24/5 trading; now we need the funding to match,” DriveWealth Chief Executive Officer Naureen Hassan said in the announcement.

The partnership extends beyond stablecoin settlement.

DriveWealth will integrate Ripple Payments to support cross-border funding from its international partners and use Ripple's digital-asset custody infrastructure in Europe, with plans to expand into additional markets.

The companies are also exploring equity financing opportunities through Ripple Prime's Delta One business, which covers institutional services involving US equities and equity derivatives.

For Ripple, the arrangement creates an opportunity to distribute its infrastructure through DriveWealth's existing brokerage network, which serves financial institutions, digital wallets and fintech platforms offering access to US markets.

However, the companies did not disclose expected settlement volumes, financial terms or a timetable for completing every integration.

South Korea deal expands Ripple's institutional reach

Ripple's separate agreement with Meritz Securities extends that capital-markets strategy into South Korea, where financial institutions are preparing for the introduction of regulated tokenized securities.

The companies will initially explore Ripple Custody and tokenization infrastructure within Meritz's existing securities operations, expanding their cooperation as the country's digital-asset regulations develop.

Meritz is evaluating opportunities involving fractional investment products, security tokens, trading platforms, spot exchange-traded funds and won-denominated stablecoins. The agreement does not commit either company to launching those products.

The partnership adds a securities firm to Ripple's growing Korean institutional network, following earlier agreements with Kyobo Life Insurance, Kbank and Jeonbuk Bank.

Those relationships cover tokenized government-bond settlement, digital-asset custody wallets and cross-border remittances, respectively, giving Ripple connections across several functions of the country's financial system.

The latest expansion comes ahead of a major regulatory change.

South Korea's Financial Services Commission has scheduled the first phase of its tokenized-securities framework to begin on Feb. 4, 2027, when amendments to the Electronic Registration Act take effect.

The initial phase will cover selected institutional bonds and money market funds, unlisted shares issued through trust structures and certain fractional investment securities. Broader public securities and stablecoin-linked settlement infrastructure are planned for later stages.

The framework could create opportunities for custody and tokenization providers as securities firms develop systems to issue, record, and transfer blockchain-based financial instruments.