The blockchain landscape is evolving rapidly, with institutions worldwide embracing its potential to transform financial systems.
Two recent developments highlight this shift: Mercado Bitcoin’s plan to tokenize $200 million in regulated financial assets on the XRP Ledger (XRPL) and Ripple’s partnership with Tenity to launch a blockchain accelerator program in Singapore.
These initiatives indicate the growing institutional trust in XRPL’s infrastructure and its role in driving global financial innovation.
Mercado Bitcoin, Latin America’s digital assets platform, announced its plan to tokenize over $200 million in permissioned real-world assets (RWAs), including fixed income and equity income instruments, on the XRP Ledger.
This move, one of the largest tokenization efforts in Latin America, aims to enhance global liquidity and expand access to regulated digital products across South America and Europe.
By leveraging XRPL’s public blockchain, Mercado Bitcoin connects these assets to an international network trusted by over 70 central banks and financial institutions, facilitating seamless cross-border transactions.
The XRP Ledger, launched in 2012, is said to be known for its speed, security, and low-cost transactions, settling payments in 3–5 seconds at a fraction of a cent per transaction.
Its decentralized validator network, with over 200 validators and six million active wallets, ensures reliability, making it a suitable platform for institutional adoption.
Mercado Bitcoin’s initiative builds on its proven track record, having tokenized over R$1 billion in assets with zero defaults, positioning it among the global tokenizers of private credit assets.
Silvio Pegado, Ripple’s Managing Director for LATAM, emphasized the significance of this integration:
“Mercado Bitcoin’s use of XRPL demonstrates how public blockchain infrastructure is becoming a reliable foundation for regulated financial products, meeting institutional expectations for cost, speed, and compliance.”
A 2025 report by Ripple and Boston Consulting Group projects the RWA tokenization market to grow from $0.6 trillion in 2025 to $19 trillion by 2033, driven by institutional demand and advancements in digital infrastructure.
Mercado Bitcoin’s initiative aligns with this trend, bridging traditional finance with blockchain technology to enhance market accessibility and efficiency.
This project also strengthens Mercado Bitcoin’s international strategy.
By leveraging XRPL’s global connectivity, the platform facilitates cross-border treasury flows, as seen in its prior collaboration with Ripple for payments between Brazil and Portugal.
Additionally, Mercado Bitcoin was the first in Brazil to list RLUSD, Ripple’s USD-backed stablecoin, further enhancing its capabilities for efficient international transactions.
In another significant move, Ripple partnered with global fintech incubator Tenity to launch the XRPL Accelerator program in Singapore, set to begin in September 2025.
This 12-week program targets early-stage startups in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, offering up to $200,000 in non-equity funding, mentorship from industry professionals, and access to Ripple’s global network of investors and partners.
The program focuses on real-world asset tokenization, institutional decentralized finance (DeFi), and the intersection of AI and blockchain, aiming to foster innovative solutions on the XRP Ledger.
Singapore, a hub for over 300 cryptocurrency companies that raised $750 million in 2024, provides a backdrop for this initiative.
Jonas Thurig, Managing Partner at Tenity, described the accelerator as a “launching pad for ambitious ideas that can transform finance.”
The program, running twice annually, supports startups and corporate innovation teams, offering tailored mentorship, regulatory sandbox access, and demo days to connect with web3 investors.
Since April 2023, the accelerator has supported 29 startups from over 200 applications, with projects spanning DeFi, payments, and tokenization.
Fiona Murray, Ripple’s Managing Director for APAC, highlighted the program’s goal:
“We aim to cultivate a new generation of talent and unlock scalable use cases on XRPL, establishing Singapore as a center for blockchain innovation.”
The initiative complements XRPL’s capabilities, such as its built-in decentralized exchange (DEX) and native tokenization features, which provide a robust foundation for startups to develop cutting-edge financial solutions.
These developments mark a pivotal moment for the XRP Ledger and Ripple’s ecosystem.
Mercado Bitcoin’s tokenization effort showcases XRPL’s ability to handle large-scale, regulated financial products, while the XRPL Accelerator fosters innovation by empowering startups to push the boundaries of blockchain technology.
Together, these initiatives position XRPL as a cornerstone for institutional adoption, driving the convergence of traditional finance and decentralized systems.
As blockchain continues to reshape global markets, Ripple and its partners are at the forefront, unlocking new possibilities for accessibility, efficiency, and innovation.