Ripple targets trillion-dollar securities markets with new US brokerage and South Korean deals

Ripple announced partnerships with DriveWealth and Meritz Securities to extend its services across global brokerage and securities markets.The two agreements, announced on Oct. 14, will bring Ripple's stablecoin, payments, and custody infrastructure into DriveWealth's brokerage operations while exploring securities tokenization opportunities with South Korea's Meritz.DriveWealth, which provides investment infrastructure to more than 100 partners worldwide, plans to integrate Ripple's RLUSD stablecoin into European settlement operations, with potential expansion into the US. Meanwhile, Meritz becomes Ripple's first Korean securities-firm partner and fourth institutional partner in the country this year.The agreements deepen Ripple's expansion beyond cross-border payments into traditional capital markets, where financial institutions are exploring blockchain technology to reduce settlement delays, manage collateral and tokenize financial assets.They also come as South Korea prepares to introduce a regulatory framework for tokenized securities in February 2027, potentially opening another market for Ripple's institutional infrastructure.DriveWealth brings RLUSD into global brokerage i...