Firms to explore applying Ripple's digital asset infrastructure to South Korea's capital markets

'Will prepare in stages as domestic regulations evolve'

Meritz Securities CEO Jang Won-jae (right) and Ripple President Monica Long pose for a photo at the signing ceremony. [Meritz Securities]
Meritz Securities CEO Jang Won-jae (right) and Ripple President Monica Long pose for a photo at the signing ceremony. [Meritz Securities]

Meritz Securities announced Wednesday that it has signed a strategic partnership with Ripple, a blockchain-based global financial infrastructure company, to explore the adoption of digital assets in the South Korean market.

The signing ceremony was held Thursday at Meritz Securities' headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, and was attended by Meritz Securities CEO Jang Won-jae and Ripple President Monica Long, along with other senior officials from both companies.

Under the partnership, the two firms will jointly examine ways to apply Ripple's digital asset infrastructure — including its tokenization infrastructure provided to global financial institutions and its institutional digital asset custody solution, Ripple Custody — to South Korea's capital markets within the bounds of applicable regulations.

Meritz Securities plans to proceed with preparations within the scope permitted by securities regulations and current rules, gradually expanding areas of cooperation in line with the development of the digital asset regulatory regime.

The brokerage is already reviewing a range of digital asset-related projects tied to the broader integration of digital assets into the regulated financial system, including spot ETFs, fractional investment and STO, trading platforms, and Korean won-denominated stablecoins. The latest partnership is an extension of those efforts.

Founded in 2012 and headquartered in San Francisco, Ripple provides blockchain-based enterprise solutions spanning traditional and digital finance to clients in more than 90 countries. Ripple Custody, its institutional digital asset custody solution, is among its flagship offerings.

"This partnership lays the groundwork for combining Ripple's global digital asset infrastructure with our capital markets capabilities," a Meritz Securities official said. "We will prepare digital asset financial services that are safe and reliable, in stages, as the domestic regulatory environment evolves."

Fiona Murray, Ripple's head of Asia-Pacific, said the company was honored to work with Meritz Securities, one of South Korea's leading financial institutions. "We look forward to exploring how digital asset infrastructure can support the continued development of Korea's capital markets," she added.

Meritz Securities has also been upgrading its mobile trading system. The brokerage recently launched a new financial platform called MOUM, where investors can track sentiment from overseas investors through communities linked to US investment platform Stocktwits and global fintech firm Webull. Connecting the platform to the online-only comprehensive investment account Super365 grants full membership, enabling share trading and access to AI-analyzed investment research. A short-form video section is also available, offering sector insights from analysts at the firm's research center.


th5@heraldcorp.com