Ripple President Monica Long says the financial industry has entered a new phase of blockchain adoption, with institutions shifting from testing tokenized assets to actively using them in production.
In a post on X, Long said banks and asset managers are increasingly moving capital markets onchain, with the XRP Ledger (XRPL) playing a growing role in supporting tokenized financial products. Her comments accompanied Ripple’s latest strategic investments in infrastructure firms ZILO and Licuido, aimed at expanding institutional services on the network.
According to Long, the industry has reached a tipping point where blockchain is becoming part of everyday financial operations rather than experimental pilot programs.
Ripple Expands XRP Ledger Infrastructure
Ripple announced investments in ZILO, a digital transfer agency technology provider, and Licuido, a platform specializing in tokenization and digital asset trading.
The company said both firms strengthen the XRP Ledger’s institutional capabilities by adding regulated transfer agency services, digital asset issuance tools, and collateral mobility infrastructure.
These additions build on Ripple’s broader vision of providing an end-to-end platform that allows financial institutions to issue, manage, settle, and move tokenized assets throughout their lifecycle.
Ripple also pointed to the recent tokenization of Aviva Investors’ US Dollar Liquidity Fund on the XRP Ledger as evidence that institutions are beginning to adopt blockchain infrastructure in live financial markets.
Tokenization Requires More Than Digital Assets
Ripple Senior Vice President of Trading and Markets Nigel Khakoo said simply tokenizing an asset is not enough to modernize capital markets.
He argued that the real value comes from enabling instant trading, settlement, collateral management, lending, borrowing, and margin services around those tokenized assets.
Khakoo said Ripple’s collaborations with Aviva Investors, Franklin Templeton, and DBS demonstrate growing institutional demand for regulated tokenized fund infrastructure.
According to Ripple, its RLUSD stablecoin provides the regulated cash component for delivery-versus-payment transactions, helping institutions settle tokenized assets more efficiently.
ZILO and Licuido Target Institutional Adoption
Executives from both companies said regulated infrastructure remains essential for expanding tokenized finance.
ZILO CEO Phil Goffin said asset managers require transfer agency technology capable of supporting tokenized share classes without increasing operational complexity.
Meanwhile, Licuido CEO Brian Lynch said tokenization alone does not solve liquidity challenges. He believes institutions also need infrastructure that enables issuance, distribution, and productive use of digital assets within regulated markets.
Ripple highlighted the XRP Ledger’s fast settlement speeds, predictable transaction costs, energy efficiency, and compliance-focused features as advantages for institutional asset managers.
