Metaco

Company background

Ever wonder what happens when Swiss precision meets blockchain innovation? No, it’s not a Rolex that mines Bitcoin—although that would be cool. It’s Metaco, the crypto custody powerhouse that quietly became one of the most pivotal players in digital asset infrastructure. Founded in the tranquil tech haven of Lausanne, Switzerland, Metaco didn’t just pop up overnight like your average meme coin. This company has been building serious infrastructure for serious institutions since 2015. And in a world where crypto still gets side-eyed by traditional finance, Metaco’s reputation for bulletproof security and institutional-grade solutions made it the darling of banks, asset managers, and even central banks. Yes, central banks. If crypto were high school, Metaco would definitely be the straight-A student who also plays varsity sports.

Now, why should XRP holders care? Because in May 2023, Ripple—yes, the same Ripple that powers XRPL and is reshaping cross-border payments—acquired Metaco for a cool 0 million. That’s not pocket change, even in crypto. This wasn’t just a flex; it was a strategic move to fortify Ripple’s institutional custody capabilities. With regulatory scrutiny ramping up and institutions demanding Fort Knox-level security before they touch digital assets, Ripple needed a solution that was battle-tested, scalable, and compliant. Enter Metaco.

Ripple’s acquisition of Metaco wasn’t just about expanding its product suite—it was about trust. Institutional trust. The kind that unlocks trillions in dormant capital. XRP, as Ripple’s native asset, sits at the center of this ecosystem. And as Ripple continues to position itself as a leader in blockchain finance, having Metaco in its corner means custody isn’t just an afterthought—it’s the foundation.

Think about it: custody is the bedrock of all legitimate trading activity. Whether it’s a tier-one bank in Singapore looking to tokenize real-world assets or a fintech startup in Brazil building a new payment rail, secure storage is non-negotiable. Metaco isn’t just a vault—it’s a full-stack orchestration platform that enables institutions to manage digital assets across multiple chains, wallets, and jurisdictions, all while staying compliant. That’s not just cool—it’s essential.

Before Ripple entered the picture, Metaco had already been working with top-tier financial institutions, including BNP Paribas and BBVA. That’s like being the go-to security firm for the Avengers. You don’t get that kind of clientele by accident. It’s earned through years of rigorous development, regulatory alignment, and a zero-tolerance policy for downtime or breaches. And now, with Ripple’s resources and global reach, Metaco’s influence is expanding faster than a Layer 2 scaling solution during a bull market.

For XRP, this is a game-changer. By embedding Metaco’s custody tech into Ripple’s enterprise offerings, XRP becomes even more attractive to institutional players. It’s not just about speed and cost-efficiency anymore—it’s about custody, compliance, and confidence. These are the three Cs that move markets, and they’re exactly what Metaco brings to the table.

So next time someone asks, “What’s backing XRP besides hype and hashtags?” you can answer confidently: Swiss-engineered custody infrastructure, trusted by banks, and now supercharged by Ripple. Mic drop.

Understanding Metaco and Its Impact on XRP

Metaco’s integration into Ripple’s ecosystem is more than just a headline—it’s a structural upgrade for the entire XRP Ledger. By enabling secure, compliant, and scalable custody of XRP and other digital assets, Metaco addresses one of the most critical barriers to institutional adoption: asset security. Institutions don’t just want to hold digital assets—they need to do so under strict regulatory frameworks, with full control, auditability, and disaster recovery. Metaco’s Harmonize platform delivers on all fronts, offering orchestration across multiple wallets and jurisdictions.

For XRP, this means newfound legitimacy in the eyes of global finance. Banks and asset managers are no longer asking if they can hold XRP—they’re asking how. With Metaco, the “how” becomes crystal clear. This opens the floodgates for broader use cases in cross-border payments, tokenized securities, and even CBDC integrations. And let’s not forget the trading desks—secure custody is a prerequisite for any high-frequency or OTC trading operation involving XRP. With Metaco in the mix, Ripple can now offer a vertically integrated solution that spans issuance, liquidity, and secure storage.

• Swiss-grade security: Metaco’s infrastructure is designed to meet the highest standards of cryptographic security and compliance.
• Regulatory alignment: Built to accommodate the complex regulatory environments of Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
• Interoperability: Supports multi-asset, multi-chain custody, making it ideal for XRP and beyond.
• Institutional trust: Already trusted by some of the world’s largest banks and financial institutions.
• Ripple synergy: Seamlessly integrates into Ripple’s product stack, enhancing the XRP Ledger’s institutional appeal.

In short, Metaco doesn’t just protect XRP—it propels it. By solving the custody conundrum at scale, it helps XRP graduate from the crypto sandbox to the institutional main stage. And as someone who’s been in this space since Mt. Gox was still a thing, trust me: that kind of evolution doesn’t happen without serious infrastructure behind the scenes. Metaco is that infrastructure.

Whether you’re a crypto veteran or a fintech newcomer, if you’re watching the intersection of blockchain finance and institutional adoption, this is the space to keep your eyes on. And if you’re wondering where to get the most trusted, razor-sharp XRP insights? You’re already in the right place—XRPAuthority.com. We decode the noise, track the trends, and deliver the truth—one block at a time.

Products and services

Let’s talk shop—because Metaco isn’t just an impressive name with Swiss flair; it’s a full-service digital asset custody platform built for the big leagues. Imagine if AWS and Fort Knox had a baby, and that baby only cared about safeguarding digital assets. That’s Metaco. The centerpiece of its offering is the Harmonize platform, a modular, institutional-grade orchestration system that gives organizations end-to-end control over their digital asset operations. And no, it’s not a “one-size-fits-all” white-label wallet with a fancy UI. Harmonize is more like mission control for your crypto stack—multi-asset, multi-custodian, and multi-jurisdictional.

What makes Harmonize so powerful is its ability to integrate seamlessly with existing core banking systems, trading platforms, and compliance tools. This isn’t a bolt-on solution—it’s infrastructure. Institutions can customize governance policies, define multi-party approvals, and automate entire workflows without compromising security or compliance. Think programmable custody with enterprise-grade SLAs. Whether it’s managing tokenized securities, enabling staking, or facilitating real-time settlement of XRP transactions, Harmonize puts institutions in the driver’s seat.

And here’s where things get particularly spicy for XRP holders: Ripple is now embedding Metaco’s capabilities directly into its enterprise offerings. That means banks and financial institutions using RippleNet or building on the XRP Ledger can access top-tier custody infrastructure without stitching together third-party solutions. This vertical integration is a massive efficiency play. It reduces counterparty risk, accelerates time-to-market, and simplifies compliance. In a space where milliseconds matter and regulatory clarity is king, that’s a competitive edge you can’t ignore.

• Harmonize platform: A secure orchestration engine for digital asset custody, governance, and operations.
• Multi-asset support: Custody solutions for everything from XRP and Bitcoin to NFTs and tokenized securities.
• Policy engine: Fine-grained control over access, approvals, and transaction thresholds.
• Seamless integration: APIs and SDKs designed to plug into existing financial infrastructure with minimal friction.
• Advanced compliance tools: Real-time auditing, AML controls, and customizable reporting for institutional-grade oversight.

Let’s not forget staking and DeFi integration—Metaco isn’t stuck in 2019. They’re not just holding your XRP behind digital velvet ropes; they’re enabling institutions to put assets to work. With features like governance support, smart contract compatibility, and secure key management, Metaco empowers clients to go beyond custody and into monetization. That’s a big deal in a market hungry for yield but terrified of risk. And yes, it’s all wrapped in regulatory-grade encryption and hardware isolation zones that would make a CIA operative blush.

So the next time someone tells you custody is just about storing private keys, send them this article and tell them to upgrade their firmware. Metaco is redefining what custody means in the age of institutional crypto adoption—and with XRP at the heart of its expansion, the future of blockchain finance just got a whole lot more secure, scalable, and seriously exciting.

Partnerships and clients

Metaco didn’t build its reputation in a vacuum—it earned its stripes by partnering with some of the most respected financial institutions in the world. This isn’t your average B2B SaaS company knocking on startup doors. We’re talking about heavyweights like BNP Paribas, BBVA, and Citi. When global banks with trillions in assets under management trust your infrastructure to secure their digital holdings, you’re not just playing in the big leagues—you’re building the stadium. And now, with Ripple in the driver’s seat, Metaco’s client roster is poised to get even more impressive, especially as demand for XRP custody solutions grows in tandem with global adoption.

Why do these institutions choose Metaco? Because it solves the complex puzzle of digital asset custody without cutting corners. From multi-sig governance to hardware security modules and jurisdictional compliance, Metaco’s tech stack is tailored for institutions that need more than just a cold wallet—they need a full-stack digital asset custody framework. And with Ripple’s acquisition, those same institutions now have a direct pipeline into the XRP ecosystem. That means faster onboarding, native XRP support, and seamless integration with Ripple’s liquidity and payments products. It’s a win-win-win: for Ripple, for Metaco, and—most importantly—for the institutions that are finally ready to enter the blockchain finance arena with confidence.

Here’s what makes Metaco’s partnerships so powerful, especially from an XRP-centric lens:

• Tier-1 banking clientele: Trusted by global financial institutions like BBVA, Citi, and BNP Paribas—players who don’t gamble on unproven tech.
• Ripple ecosystem synergy: Existing Metaco clients can now tap into Ripple’s liquidity hub, On-Demand Liquidity (ODL), and XRP Ledger for broader use cases.
• Accelerated institutional adoption: With Metaco’s trusted custody platform, banks and asset managers can now securely hold and deploy XRP in real-world financial applications.
• Strategic regional expansion: Partnerships with banks in Europe, Asia, and Latin America position Metaco (and XRP) for global dominance in fintech infrastructure.

But let’s not overlook the strategic nuance here. Ripple’s acquisition of Metaco wasn’t just about bolting on a custody solution—it was about embedding XRP into the institutional financial DNA of tomorrow. By aligning with banks that already trust Metaco’s infrastructure, Ripple is effectively shortcutting the path to XRP adoption. These aren’t speculative plays; they’re deliberate moves to cement XRP’s role as a core digital asset in regulated financial environments. And as more institutions come online, expect Metaco’s client network to evolve into a global mesh of XRP-enabled custody nodes that span continents and currencies.

In crypto, partnerships aren’t just PR fluff—they’re validation. And Metaco’s client list reads like a who’s who of global finance. Combined with Ripple’s relentless push for regulatory clarity and enterprise-grade solutions, this partnership network becomes a launchpad for XRP’s next phase of institutional adoption. Because when Citi and BBVA are on your team, it’s not just a trend. It’s a transformation.

Security and compliance

Let’s be real—when it comes to institutional crypto custody, if your security isn’t airtight, you’re not getting through the door. It’s not enough to say your platform is “secure.” Institutions want receipts. They want certifications. They want to know their digital assets—especially XRP—are stored somewhere with more safeguards than a Swiss bank vault (which, ironically, is where Metaco happens to be headquartered). And Metaco delivers exactly that with a security and compliance framework that’s both ironclad and future-proof.

At the heart of Metaco’s security architecture is a defense-in-depth approach that layers multiple forms of protection—hardware, software, and procedural. We’re talking Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) certified to FIPS 140-2 Level 3 and above, secure enclaves for key generation and signing, and segregated access controls that ensure no single point of failure. For institutions managing millions in XRP, this isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a non-negotiable. And here’s the kicker: all of this is wrapped in a compliance-first philosophy that keeps regulators, auditors, and risk officers sleeping soundly at night.

• End-to-end encryption: All data, both at rest and in transit, is fully encrypted using military-grade algorithms.
• Zero-trust architecture: Every system interaction is authenticated, authorized, and audited—no implicit trust, ever.
• Regulatory certifications: Metaco complies with ISO/IEC 27001, SOC 2 Type II, and GDPR standards, among others.
• Disaster recovery and failover: Built-in redundancy ensures institutional XRP custody remains resilient across geographies and infrastructure layers.

But it’s not all about firewalls and encryption protocols. Compliance is where Metaco truly shines in the institutional spotlight. As crypto regulation evolves—especially in high-stakes jurisdictions like the EU, Singapore, and the U.S.—Metaco’s platform is engineered to adapt. The Harmonize platform includes automated KYC/AML tools, real-time transaction monitoring, and customizable audit trails, making it easy for institutions to remain on the right side of the law while interacting with XRP and other digital assets.

And here’s the part XRP investors should really pay attention to: by embedding Metaco’s compliance framework into Ripple’s enterprise offerings, Ripple is effectively de-risking XRP for institutional use. That means hedge funds, pension managers, and sovereign wealth funds can now explore XRP exposure without worrying about backend custody compliance. It’s no longer just a fast, efficient digital asset—it’s a compliant one. That’s the difference between speculative interest and real allocation.

So whether it’s multi-signature governance policies, real-time compliance alerts, or forensic-level audit logs, Metaco isn’t just checking boxes—it’s rewriting the standard for what secure, compliant crypto custody should look like. And with XRP at the center of this ecosystem, Ripple is positioning itself not just as a payments disruptor, but as a full-spectrum blockchain finance platform built for the long haul.