Ripple has expanded its digital asset custody operations into the Middle East through a strategic partnership with Ctrl Alt, a licensed tokenization infrastructure provider based in the UAE.
The partnership, announced on July 16, will see Ctrl Alt integrate Ripple’s institutional-grade custody technology to support the Dubai Land Department’s (DLD) Real Estate Tokenization Project—a pioneering initiative in the region.
This move marks Ripple’s first major custody collaboration in the UAE and underscores Dubai’s increasing role as a hub for blockchain innovation. Under the initiative, property title deeds will be tokenized and issued on the XRP Ledger (XRPL), enabling scalable, secure storage and allowing for fractional real estate ownership, thus broadening investor access to the market.
Commenting on the development, Reece Merrick, Ripple’s Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa, emphasized that the DLD project demonstrates Dubai’s forward-thinking approach to digital assets. “This is the first instance of a government real estate authority in the Middle East issuing tokenized title deeds on a public blockchain,” he said, highlighting the XRPL’s reliability for institutional-grade applications.
In partnership with Ctrl Alt and the Dubai @Land_Department, Ripple Custody will deliver scalable and secure storage for the Dubai Land Department’s tokenized real estate title deeds, which have been issued on the XRP Ledger – enabling fractional ownership, transparency, and…
— Ripple (@Ripple) July 16, 2025
Ctrl Alt’s CEO, Matt Ong, noted that the firm’s decision to adopt Ripple’s infrastructure was rooted in its proven security standards. He added that the partnership will help expand access to Dubai’s real estate sector, leveraging blockchain to improve transparency, accessibility, and operational efficiency.
This collaboration comes as part of Ripple’s broader regional strategy. Already licensed by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), Ripple has secured partnerships with local institutions such as Zand Bank and Mamo, and recently gained regulatory approval for its RLUSD stablecoin within the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).
Extending its global footprint, Ripple is also turning its attention to Asia. In a blog post published on June 9, the company unveiled a new grant initiative in Japan aimed at accelerating Web3 adoption. Launched in partnership with Web3 Salon, backed by the Asia Web3 Alliance Japan and supported by JETRO, the program focuses on supporting projects building on the XRP Ledger, further reinforcing Ripple’s commitment to blockchain innovation worldwide.
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