Ripple Doubles Down: $5 M+ UBRI Boost Fuels APAC Blockchain Innovation”
Ripple is intensifying its focus on blockchain innovation in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, pledging over $5 million in additional funding through its University Blockchain Research Initiative (UBRI). This support spans six countries, with renewed collaborations in South Korea, Japan, and Singapore, and new grants in Taiwan and Australia, underscoring Ripple’s ongoing commitment to nurturing next-generation blockchain talent and world-class academic research
APAC, boasting the highest concentration of neobanks and some of the fastest-growing fintech markets in the world, has become a hub for digital finance. Many countries here have advanced regulatory frameworks, vibrant developer communities, and high digital asset adoption, positioning the region as a leader in cutting-edge payment technologies ripple.com.
For over seven years, UBRI has fostered blockchain education in higher academia. What started as a promising academic bet has evolved into a robust regional initiative, empowering students, researchers, and entrepreneurs through hands-on projects, rigorous scholarship, and real-world experimentation—backed with essential financial and strategic support ripple.com.
Advancing Blockchain Education in APAC
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South Korea & Japan:
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A renewed six‑year, $1.1 million partnership with Korea University reinforces Ripple’s deepening ties in South Korea and builds on its Yonsei University engagement.
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In Japan, ongoing support for Kyoto University and the University of Tokyo through UBRI has now topped $1.5 million
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Singapore:
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UBRI extends its presence with grants to Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and renewed funding for the National University of Singapore (NUS), pushing regional investments over $3 million .
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“Ripple’s generous UBRI grant significantly enhances our R&D efforts … we are developing an autonomous AI agent network on the XRP Ledger,” says Professor Yang Liu of NTU, highlighting the grant’s role in expanding student-led blockchain education
Earlier funding at NUS helped launch Asia’s first Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) on campus and tripled FinTech Society membership—milestones contributing to NUS being named the world’s Top Blockchain University in 2021
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Taiwan:
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UBRI’s inaugural Taiwanese partner, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology (NKUST), receives a six-figure grant to explore real-world asset (RWA) tokenization on the XRP Ledger. The initiative includes a research fellowship, a white paper, and plans to launch an XRPL Student Builders Club and validator node
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“NKUST is excited … Our work will demonstrate how RWA tokenization can unlock new value and empower Taiwan’s next-gen builders,” says Professor Echo Huang at NKUST ripple.com.
Funding Research in Blockchain and Beyond
UBRI has injected over $11 million into Asian education, supporting research in blockchain, cybersecurity, and information systems ripple.com. Notable projects at Korea University and Hanyang University include efforts to improve blockchain sharding efficiency, combine shards with Layer-2 solutions, enhance NFT privacy via zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs), and develop secure financial mixers ripple.com.
Innovation & Curriculum Expansion in Australia
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Australia:
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Renewed partnership at Australian National University (ANU) and a new collaboration with Victoria University bring total UBRI funding in Australia to $1.3 million
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At ANU, investments support advanced coursework, XRPL validator operations, and research into Evernode (a proposed Layer-2 XRPL smart contract platform), while Victoria University focuses on curriculum development and applied blockchain research
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Ripple’s UBRI program is helping to shape the future of global finance by enabling universities to explore and implement groundbreaking blockchain solutions. By funding research, fostering educational programs, and engaging grassroots communities, Ripple is playing a pivotal role in the evolution of APAC’s financial infrastructure.
“Asia‑Pacific has long been a hub of fintech and blockchain innovation … strengthening existing partnerships—and welcoming new ones—reflects our continued commitment,” said Eric van Miltenburg, Ripple’s Senior VP of Strategic Initiatives
This June at Apex 2025 in Singapore, UBRI will host its 7th annual UBRI Connect, uniting researchers from 60 universities across 28 countries. The summit, including a pre-event at NUS, reinforces APAC’s central role in advancing blockchain education and research
TL;DR: Ripple is committing more than $5 million to strengthen its UBRI network across APAC—accelerating blockchain education and research in six countries, supporting Taiwan’s first RWA tokenization efforts, and preparing the next generation of innovators through university partnerships and regional summits.
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