Ripple has officially deepened its presence in South Korea through a strategic partnership with BDACS, a regulated crypto custodian. The collaboration—initiated in February—has now gone live, offering institutional custody for XRP and Ripple’s USD-backed stablecoin, RLUSD, through Ripple Custody, a secure and compliant infrastructure tailored for financial institutions.
BDACS confirmed the integration of Ripple Custody with major Korean exchanges, including Upbit, Coinone, and Korbit, enabling seamless institutional deployment. This move underscores BDACS’s commitment to fostering a compliant digital asset ecosystem, with XRP hailed as one of the most in-demand assets in Korea.
Ripple’s vision extends beyond custody. The partnership aims to drive tokenization efforts and stablecoin utility across Korea’s Blockchain Regulation-Free Zone, particularly in Busan. RLUSD, at the heart of this push, is already being positioned as a key instrument for cross-border payments and enterprise-grade DeFi.
Fiona Murray (Ripple APAC MD) and Harry Ryoo (BDACS CEO) emphasized that regulatory clarity and institutional-grade custody are key to unlocking South Korea’s growing crypto appetite. Notably, 1 in 4 South Koreans aged 20–50 now hold crypto, with 70% aiming to increase their exposure.
, trading at $2.95 (-0.35% 24h), remains a pillar of Ripple’s blockchain ecosystem and the XRP Ledger. Despite a slight YTD decline, Ripple continues to make strides globally—partnering with Revolut, Zero Hash, Unicambio, and Chainlink to expand RLUSD access across Ethereum-based protocols and international corridors.
As South Korean banks pursue stablecoin trademarks and interest in tokenized assets climbs, Ripple’s institutional strategy appears well-aligned with the region’s digital future.
