Metaco

Company overview

Ever try explaining cold storage to your grandma and end up in a conversation about refrigerators? Yeah, me too. But when it comes to crypto custody — the real kind — we’re talking about the digital fortresses that protect billions in blockchain assets. And nestled in the heart of Switzerland, where the cows are happy and the banks are discreet, Metaco has quietly emerged as one of the most sophisticated crypto custody firms in the game. That is, until Ripple decided to make some noise — and drop a cool 0 million to bring Metaco into its ecosystem in May 2023.

Now, you might be asking, “Why would Ripple, already a heavyweight in blockchain finance and cross-border payments, go shopping for a custody company?” Because in crypto, custody isn’t just about storage. It’s about trust, scalability, and enabling institutions to handle digital assets with the kind of security that would make Fort Knox blush. And Metaco? They’ve built a reputation for doing exactly that — with Swiss precision, no less.

Think of Metaco as the digital asset equivalent of a private vault under the Alps, except instead of gold bars, it’s safeguarding XRP, BTC, ETH, and a growing list of tokenized assets. Before the acquisition, Metaco was already serving tier-one banks, asset managers, and central bank initiatives. Their software platform, Harmonize, became the go-to infrastructure for secure digital asset custody, orchestration, and governance. That’s not just fintech jargon — it’s the backbone for institutions entering the blockchain space responsibly.

Ripple didn’t just acquire a company; it acquired a capability. A strategic, institutional-grade capability that supercharges Ripple’s ambitions to be more than a cross-border payments provider. With Metaco under its wing, Ripple is now positioning itself as a full-stack blockchain finance powerhouse — offering custody, liquidity, tokenization, and compliance solutions to banks and financial institutions worldwide.

And let’s be honest, in a world where up to 90% of institutional investors cite secure custody as a prerequisite for entering crypto markets, Ripple’s move wasn’t just smart — it was necessary. The acquisition closes a critical loop in Ripple’s value chain, allowing it to offer end-to-end solutions for digital asset management, from issuance to settlement to safekeeping.

For XRP holders, this is more than just a headline. It’s a signal that Ripple is building the infrastructure needed to support real institutional demand for XRP and other digital assets. With Metaco’s technology, XRP can now be securely held, managed, and transacted within regulated frameworks — a key requirement for mass adoption in trading desks, hedge funds, and global banks.

And let’s not forget the brand synergy here. Metaco brings the Swiss credibility and tech stack. Ripple brings the blockchain rails and global fintech relationships. Together, they’re not just playing the game — they’re rewriting the rules for how digital assets are integrated into the financial system.

Understanding Metaco and Its Impact on XRP

At its core, Metaco is a gateway for traditional financial institutions to interact with digital assets in a compliant, secure, and scalable way. Its flagship product, Harmonize, offers a modular, API-driven platform that enables banks and custodians to manage digital assets across multiple blockchains. From token issuance to transaction workflows and key management, Harmonize allows institutions to build digital asset services without reinventing the wheel — or compromising on security.

So what does this mean for XRP? It means Ripple can now offer a seamless custody solution tailored for institutions that want exposure to XRP and other cryptocurrencies. With Metaco, XRP becomes more than a bridge currency or liquidity tool — it becomes a fully integrated, institution-ready asset that can be held in compliance with local and international regulations. That’s huge. Especially as financial giants like BlackRock, Fidelity, and Goldman Sachs explore tokenized assets and blockchain finance at scale.

• Metaco enables secure, institutional-grade custody for XRP and other digital assets.
• Ripple can now offer full-stack solutions: custody, liquidity, compliance, and payments.
• Institutions can deploy XRP in cross-border trading, treasury operations, and tokenized finance with confidence.
• The acquisition positions Ripple as a holistic blockchain finance provider — not just a payments company.

For XRP investors, this is a foundational upgrade. With Metaco’s infrastructure, XRP can now move into new financial verticals like decentralized finance (DeFi), tokenized securities, and institutional trading desks. In a market where trust and compliance are everything, Metaco gives Ripple the credibility and technical backbone to push XRP into the heart of global finance.

Want more insights like this — from someone who’s been in crypto since Mt. Gox was still a thing? Stick with XRPAuthority.com. I’m Matt, and I’ve been riding the XRP rollercoaster since 2018. Whether you’re a seasoned XRP investor or just XRP-curious, this is your go-to source for smart, real-world crypto insights. Let’s keep building the future of blockchain finance — one Swiss vault at a time.

Products and services

Metaco isn’t your average crypto startup running on buzzwords and whitepapers. This Swiss-based powerhouse delivers a suite of products and services designed specifically for institutional players — think banks, asset managers, and regulated exchanges who don’t have time for trial-and-error when it comes to crypto custody. At the heart of Metaco’s offering is Harmonize, a platform so modular and secure, it might as well come with a Swiss Army knife built-in. Harmonize isn’t just a custody solution; it’s an orchestration layer that brings clarity and control to the chaos of digital asset management.

Let’s break it down. Harmonize gives institutions the ability to securely store, trade, and manage digital assets — including XRP — across multiple blockchain networks. It allows for granular governance, with customizable policies, multi-signature workflows, and the kind of compliance tooling that makes regulators sleep easier at night. Whether you’re a Tier 1 bank launching tokenized securities or a fintech firm managing a crypto treasury, Harmonize adapts to your infrastructure without forcing you to tear it all down and start from scratch.

But Metaco didn’t stop at just building a great product — they built an ecosystem. Their services go beyond custody to include advanced key management (including hardware security modules and MPC), smart contract orchestration, settlement services, and even tokenization frameworks. All of this is delivered via APIs that integrate with existing core banking systems, so institutions can launch digital asset services without disrupting their operations.

• Harmonize Platform: Enables secure, policy-driven digital asset custody and orchestration across multiple blockchains.
• Key Management Services: Combines HSMs and MPC to secure private keys in compliance with institutional standards.
• Smart Contract and Tokenization Tools: Supports token issuance, lifecycle management, and smart contract deployment.
• API-First Architecture: Seamless integration with existing banking and trading infrastructure.
• Multi-Asset Support: From XRP to ETH, BTC, and stablecoins — Metaco is blockchain-agnostic and institution-first.

What makes Metaco’s services even more compelling in the context of XRP is the ability to deploy Ripple’s native asset in regulated financial environments. With Harmonize, XRP can be programmed into treasury workflows, used as collateral in tokenized lending, or integrated into automated trade settlement systems. This takes XRP from being just a liquidity tool to a programmable financial instrument — and that’s the kind of evolution institutional investors have been waiting for.

Security is, of course, non-negotiable. Metaco’s services are built with zero-trust architecture and end-to-end encryption, ensuring that even internal threats are mitigated. And thanks to their roots in Switzerland — a country known for both its financial discretion and regulatory rigor — Metaco’s products are built to comply with global financial standards from day one. That’s a huge win for Ripple, whose institutional clients now have access to a custody solution that’s not just secure, but also regulator-approved.

In short, Metaco doesn’t just safeguard digital assets — it operationalizes them. By enabling institutions to manage XRP and other cryptocurrencies with the same level of control they expect from fiat operations, Metaco paves the way for mainstream adoption. And with Ripple now steering the ship, expect even tighter integration between XRP’s liquidity capabilities and Metaco’s custody infrastructure. That’s not just synergy — that’s strategy in motion.

Partnerships and clients

When it comes to winning the trust of global finance, it’s not enough to have slick tech and a Swiss zip code — you need heavyweight partners willing to bet their balance sheets on your infrastructure. That’s exactly what Metaco has pulled off. Before Ripple ever entered the chat, Metaco was already the go-to digital asset custody provider for some of the biggest names in banking and finance. We’re talking about Tier 1 banks, central banks, wealth managers, and even infrastructure providers that don’t mess around with half-baked crypto experiments.

Let’s name-drop a bit — because credibility matters. Metaco has inked deals with institutions like Citibank, BBVA, and Standard Chartered’s Zodia Custody. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill fintech startups; these are global banking giants with decades of risk management experience. When they choose a crypto custody partner, it’s after months of due diligence, vendor vetting, and risk assessments that would make your compliance officer cry. And guess who made the cut? Metaco. That tells you everything you need to know about their enterprise-grade solutions and operational resilience.

• Citibank: Partnered with Metaco to develop institutional digital asset custody capabilities, aligning with its broader tokenization strategy.
• BBVA Switzerland: Integrated Metaco’s platform to launch one of the first regulated crypto services by a major European bank.
• Zodia Custody (Standard Chartered): Uses Metaco’s infrastructure to offer secure crypto custody to institutional clients under UK regulatory oversight.
• UnionBank of the Philippines: One of the first Asian banks to adopt Metaco’s Harmonize platform for crypto services under regulated frameworks.

Now, with Ripple in the picture, these partnerships take on a whole new dimension — especially for XRP. Imagine Citibank or BBVA not just offering Bitcoin custody, but also integrating XRP into their digital asset strategies. That’s no longer a dream scenario. With Metaco’s infrastructure and Ripple’s XRP-centric ecosystem, these institutions can securely store, manage, and deploy XRP in a fully compliant manner. We’re talking about real-world use cases in cross-border settlements, tokenized liquidity pools, and digital treasury operations — all using XRP as a native layer of value.

And it’s not just banks. Metaco has quietly built relationships with core banking software providers and fintech platforms that serve thousands of financial institutions globally. By embedding Metaco’s custody tech into these platforms, they’re effectively enabling XRP adoption at scale without needing each institution to build from scratch. In fintech, that’s the equivalent of laying fiber optics instead of individual phone lines — scalable, efficient, and future-proof.

For XRP holders (myself included — shoutout to the early 2018 crew), this is the kind of infrastructure play that makes a long-term difference. With Ripple and Metaco integrating custody with liquidity and compliance, XRP is no longer just a speculative asset — it’s a programmable, bank-grade instrument backed by institutional-grade partners. That’s not hype. That’s happening.

Regulatory compliance and security

Let’s talk compliance — the word that makes crypto purists cringe and regulators perk up like they just heard “free audit.” But here’s the thing: in the institutional world, compliance isn’t optional — it’s oxygen. And Metaco? They’re not just breathing it; they’re engineering it into every layer of their tech stack. If you’re going to offer custody solutions to central banks and asset managers, you better come correct with regulatory rigor and security that’s tighter than a Swiss bank vault (because, well, it basically is).

Metaco’s approach to regulatory compliance is nothing short of a masterclass in proactive fintech engineering. Their platform, Harmonize, supports compliance with global standards such as:

• FATF Travel Rule: Ensures traceability of transactions across jurisdictions, a must-have for institutional crypto adoption.
• AML/KYC Integration: Built-in hooks for third-party identity verification and transaction monitoring tools.
• GDPR and Data Sovereignty: Supports data residency requirements, crucial for banks operating in the EU and beyond.
• Auditability and Reporting: Full transaction logs, access control records, and real-time compliance dashboards.

And hey, we’re not just talking about checking boxes here. Metaco is designed for dynamic regulatory environments, which means it can adapt to new rules as fast as lawmakers can write them — well, almost. That’s critical in a landscape where MiCA in Europe, the SEC’s shifting stance in the U.S., and APAC’s evolving digital asset frameworks are all moving targets. Harmonize lets institutions stay ahead of the curve by offering policy-driven governance, real-time risk alerts, and customizable compliance workflows that are API-ready and audit-friendly.

Now let’s get into the security — because if compliance is the seatbelt, security is the armored chassis. Metaco employs a zero-trust architecture that assumes every access request could be malicious. That means multi-factor authentication, role-based access controls, and cryptographically enforced policy gates are standard. Their key management is top-tier, combining Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) and Multi-Party Computation (MPC) to eliminate single points of failure. The result? Even if a bad actor breaches part of the system, they can’t move assets without passing through a gauntlet of cryptographic safeguards.

This is especially critical for XRP, which is increasingly being used in enterprise-grade payment and liquidity solutions. With Metaco’s infrastructure, XRP can be held and transacted within strict regulatory frameworks — whether that’s facilitating cross-border remittances with full AML compliance or being used as settlement collateral in tokenized markets. Institutions can deploy XRP confidently, knowing that every transaction is secure, auditable, and regulator-approved.

It’s also worth noting that Ripple didn’t just acquire Metaco for its tech — it acquired a compliance culture. Switzerland is one of the most tightly regulated financial ecosystems in the world, and Metaco has been built from the ground up to meet those standards. That Swiss DNA, combined with Ripple’s global reach and XRP’s utility, creates a trifecta that’s hard to beat in the blockchain finance space.

So whether you’re a bank CTO vetting custody solutions or an XRP investor wondering when the institutions are coming — the answer is: they’re already here. And thanks to Metaco’s relentless focus on regulatory compliance and security, they’re coming prepared.