- Ripple expands University Blockchain Research Initiative (UBRI) across APAC, adding Taiwan & Australia.
- $1.1M to Korea University, $3M+ to Singapore’s NUS & NTU, total Japan funding surpasses $1.5M.
- New XRPL-driven projects include AI systems, asset tokenization & Asia’s first university DAO.
Through its University Blockchain Research Initiative (UBRI), the firm is deepening connections in six nations. Redoubled collaborations in South Korea, Japan, and Singapore are complemented by fresh partnerships in Taiwan and Australia.
The fintech sector of the region is booming. APAC is the market leader in terms of neobank density and home to a number of the highest-growth fintech markets. Compelling regulatory backing and active developer communities have positioned it as a hub for digital asset adoption. Ripple is leveraging this energy to cultivate the next generation of blockchain innovators.
UBRI started more than seven years ago with a vision to integrate blockchain into education. That vision now forms a long-term regional initiative. Ripple is supporting students, scholars, and instructors through real-world initiatives, financial support, and direct technology integration.
Korea University gained a new $1.1 million six-year grant. The agreement follows Ripple's recent collaboration with Yonsei University. In Japan, Kyoto University and the University of Tokyo continue to benefit, taking Ripple's overall investment there over $1.5 million.
Singapore's Nanyang Technological University (NTU) came on board in the initiative with a new grant. According to this time, Ripple also made a renewed commitment to the National University of Singapore (NUS). Collectively, both agreements take Ripple's funding in Singapore over $3 million.
NTU's Professor Yang Liu expressed that the grant fuels a blockchain AI system. Developed based on XRP Ledger, the platform seeks openness and collaboration. Further students now participate in development initiatives and share contributions to the XRPL ecosystem.
Past support at NUS helped launch Asia’s first university DAO. It also tripled the graduate count of NUS FinTech SG in 2021. These achievements led to NUS being named the top blockchain university globally that same year.
Ripple’s academic outreach is now growing in Taiwan through a new partnership with NKUST. A six-figure grant kicks off the collaboration. NKUST becomes UBRI’s 60th global partner and 13th in APAC.
Dr. Echo Huang spearheads NKUST's project on real-world asset (RWA) tokenization. Research will compare XRPL's cross-chain capabilities with Ethereum and Solana. It also investigates the infrastructure required for institutional adoption.
Ripple will fund an XRPL Student Builders Club and a campus validator. These initiatives serve to integrate blockchain tools into Taiwan's educational system directly. The collaboration is a buildup on national initiatives pushing asset tokenization forward, driven by the nation's regulators and leading financial institutions. Professor Huang views this partnership as a launching pad for innovation. He thinks their efforts would unleash new economic potential while empowering future builders.
