Ripple and South Korean brokerage Meritz Securities have entered a strategic partnership to evaluate Ripple Custody and tokenization infrastructure for South Korea’s capital markets. The announcement, made on October 7, 2026, arrives as digital assets move toward formal regulatory recognition in the country.
Under the agreement, the two firms plan to begin cooperation within current securities-business rules and then potentially expand in stages as South Korea’s digital-asset framework develops. Meritz Securities said it is reviewing possible business lines that could become relevant once digital assets enter the regulated financial system, and it aims to combine Ripple’s global digital-asset infrastructure with its own capital-markets capabilities.
Ripple Asia-Pacific Managing Director Fiona Murray said the company would explore how digital-asset infrastructure could support the continued development of Korea’s capital markets. However, the announcement does not specify a blockchain network, custody volume, asset-issuance process, customer group, transaction mechanics, or operating model. Neither company has set a delivery milestone or committed to a commercial launch.
Despite the partnership, XRP remains under pressure. The token was trading around $1.45, down 4.3% over the previous 24 hours and 3.9% over seven days, according to CoinGecko. Market data identifies $1.40 as a key downside level and $1.60 as the more notable upside target for October. A sustained move above $1.60 could shift the outlook toward a stronger recovery, while losing $1.40 could expose XRP to deeper downside. For now, the Ripple-Meritz partnership is viewed as a potential catalyst rather than an immediate price trigger.
