Metaco

Company background

What happens when a 21st-century fintech juggernaut buys a Swiss precision-engineered crypto custody firm? You get a powerhouse that could make even the most skeptical institutional investor raise an eyebrow — and maybe even open a cold wallet. That’s exactly what happened in May 2023, when Ripple dropped a cool 0 million to acquire Metaco, a firm known in crypto custody circles for doing one thing exceptionally well: keeping digital assets safer than gold bars in a Swiss vault. Literally.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Another acquisition? So what?” But this isn’t your average Silicon Valley shopping spree. This is Ripple — the XRP-fueled titan of blockchain finance — strategically absorbing a company that’s been laser-focused on institutional-grade custody solutions since its inception. And if you think that’s just corporate fluff, think again. This move has profound implications for anyone serious about trading, holding, or building on XRP.

Metaco was founded in 2015 in Lausanne, Switzerland — a country that takes both its chocolate and its financial infrastructure very seriously. The company carved out a niche by providing secure, compliant, and interoperable custody infrastructure for banks, asset managers, and other regulated financial institutions. Basically, Metaco was that quiet genius kid in class who aced every exam while the rest of us were still figuring out how to spell “blockchain.”

Before Ripple came knocking, Metaco had already established itself as a trusted partner to some of the world’s most risk-averse financial institutions. Its flagship product, Harmonize, wasn’t just another crypto wallet — it was a full-stack orchestration layer capable of handling tokenized assets, digital securities, and yes, XRP. The firm’s commitment to compliance, modular design, and military-grade security made it a go-to solution for institutions exploring digital asset custody without venturing into the Wild West of crypto.

So why was Ripple so eager to bring Metaco into the fold? Simple: synergy. Ripple has long positioned itself as the enterprise blockchain solution for global payments, and with XRP at its core, it needed a way to offer secure, scalable custody options to its growing roster of institutional clients. Metaco fit the bill perfectly — combining Swiss-level security with an API-driven architecture that plays nicely with Ripple’s existing suite of products.

In acquiring Metaco, Ripple didn’t just buy a custody firm — it bought credibility, infrastructure, and a direct pipeline into the institutional finance world. It also sent a loud-and-clear message to the market: XRP isn’t just for retail traders or speculative plays. It’s an enterprise-grade asset, and Ripple is building the backend to prove it.

Let’s be real — custody isn’t sexy. But you know what is? Institutional adoption. And in the world of blockchain finance, custody is the bedrock upon which everything else is built. Without it, you can’t have tokenized securities, regulated DeFi, or cross-border payments that actually scale. By acquiring Metaco, Ripple didn’t just strengthen its custody game — it fortified the entire XRP ecosystem.

Understanding Metaco and Its Impact on XRP

With Metaco now under Ripple’s wing, XRP is poised to become a far more attractive asset for institutional portfolios. Why? Because storage and compliance are no longer barriers. Metaco’s infrastructure allows financial institutions to securely manage digital assets — including XRP — with the same confidence they apply to fiat or traditional securities. That’s not just a technical upgrade; it’s a paradigm shift for how XRP can be used in global finance.

Metaco’s tech stack is designed to be blockchain-agnostic, but its integration with RippleNet and Ripple’s Liquidity Hub opens the door for XRP to serve as a bridge asset in tokenized asset transfers, real-time settlements, and even central bank digital currency (CBDC) projects. This is especially important in a market where interoperability and compliance are king. When you’re dealing with multi-billion-dollar portfolios, custody isn’t just about holding keys — it’s about integrating with risk management systems, audit trails, and regulatory frameworks.

• Enhanced institutional trust: Metaco’s compliance-first architecture makes XRP a viable asset for banks and regulated entities.
• Seamless integration: Ripple can now offer custody as a native feature within its enterprise stack, improving client adoption.
• Future-proofing XRP: With Metaco’s modular design, Ripple can adapt to emerging standards and asset classes without overhauling its infrastructure.

Bottom line? Metaco is more than a bolt-on — it’s a foundational layer that turns Ripple’s vision for XRP into an enterprise-grade reality. And for investors like us, that’s not just bullish — it’s brilliant.

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Core products and services

Let’s talk tools — because in the world of crypto custody, the toolbox matters just as much as the safe. Metaco’s flagship offering, Harmonize, isn’t just a glorified digital lockbox. It’s a full-on orchestration engine that lets banks, asset managers, and fintech firms manage digital assets like XRP with the kind of precision you’d expect from, well, a Swiss firm. Think multi-asset custody, smart contract execution, governance workflows, and compliance controls — all wrapped into one sleek, API-driven platform.

Harmonize is designed from the ground up for institutional-scale operations. That means it doesn’t just store private keys — it integrates with core banking systems, risk management platforms, and trading desks. The real magic? Its ability to support multi-party computation (MPC) and hardware security modules (HSM) in tandem, giving clients flexibility without compromising security. This enables institutions to maintain full control over their assets while distributing operational risk — a must-have in environments where a single point of failure could mean a multimillion-dollar loss.

But Metaco didn’t stop at custody. The platform also supports tokenization of traditional assets, opening the door for banks to digitize bonds, equities, real estate, and — yes — even fine art. And for Ripple, this is where the synergy with XRP becomes a game-changer. Harmonize lets institutions issue, manage, and trade tokenized assets on-chain, with XRP acting as the liquidity layer for fast, low-cost settlement across borders and asset classes.

• Multi-asset support: Harmonize handles everything from Bitcoin to XRP to tokenized securities — all under one roof.
• Institutional-grade security: MPC + HSM support offers bank-level protection with zero compromise on speed or usability.
• Compliance automation: Built-in tools for KYC, AML, and audit logging streamline regulatory reporting and reduce operational overhead.
• Tokenization engine: Enables banks to issue and manage digital representations of real-world assets — with XRP as the settlement rail.

And here’s the kicker — Metaco’s platform is modular and API-first. This means Ripple’s enterprise clients don’t need to rip and replace their existing infrastructure. They can plug Harmonize into their existing stack, enabling digital asset custody and tokenization with minimal friction. For RippleNet users already moving value across borders, adding secure XRP custody and tokenized asset support is now just an API call away.

So, while most people are still arguing about whether crypto is dead or just sleeping, Ripple and Metaco are quietly building the infrastructure that makes XRP a legitimate player in institutional finance. This isn’t about hype — it’s about hard-coded, audit-ready, regulator-approved systems that move real money in real time.

Partnerships and clients

When it comes to validation in the institutional crypto custody world, partnerships speak louder than press releases — and Metaco’s client roster reads like a who’s who of global finance. Before Ripple ever entered the picture, Metaco had already inked deals with top-tier banks, central banks, and asset managers, each one a testament to the firm’s bulletproof security model and regulatory-first mindset. We’re talking heavyweights like BBVA, Standard Chartered’s Zodia Custody, and the UnionBank of the Philippines — not exactly fly-by-night DeFi projects.

These weren’t just vanity partnerships either. BBVA, for example, leveraged Metaco’s Harmonize platform to launch a fully integrated crypto trading and custody service embedded within its existing infrastructure. That’s not just a tech demo — that’s real adoption by a globally recognized, regulation-bound financial institution. And with UnionBank — one of the most forward-thinking banks in Southeast Asia — Metaco helped roll out a compliant, enterprise-grade custody solution for digital assets, including XRP. These use cases prove that Metaco’s infrastructure is battle-tested in diverse regulatory environments, a critical factor for Ripple’s global ambitions.

Now, with Ripple owning the keys to Metaco’s castle, XRP doesn’t just get a seat at the table — it gets to help set the menu. The integration of Harmonize into Ripple’s suite means that existing Metaco clients are now one degree closer to native XRP support, RippleNet connectivity, and Liquidity Hub integration. That’s a massive network effect in the making, especially in regions where Ripple is actively courting central banks and financial institutions for CBDC and cross-border settlement solutions.

• BBVA: One of Europe’s largest banks, using Metaco to offer crypto trading and custody to retail and institutional clients.
• Zodia Custody: A Standard Chartered-backed platform leveraging Metaco for secure, compliant digital asset custody.
• UnionBank: A trailblazer in Southeast Asia, relying on Metaco to bring regulated crypto services — including XRP — to market.

These aren’t just client logos on a pitch deck — they’re active deployments of Metaco’s tech in real-world financial workflows. And now that Ripple controls that stack, XRP is in prime position to be the digital asset of choice within these institutional ecosystems. Whether it’s providing liquidity for tokenized assets, enabling real-time settlement, or serving as a bridge currency in FX corridors, XRP’s utility is amplified through Metaco’s trusted partnerships.

In the fintech arms race, it’s not just about who has the flashiest tech — it’s about who can get it into the hands of regulated players, legally and securely. That’s where Metaco shines, and why Ripple’s acquisition was one of the most strategic moves in recent blockchain finance history. With clients already live and more on the horizon, Metaco is the bridge — and XRP is the asset crossing it.

Regulatory compliance and security

Let’s face it — in crypto, security isn’t just a feature; it’s a survival requirement. For institutional players eyeing XRP and other digital assets, the first question is never “how fast is the transaction?” — it’s “how secure is the custody?” Enter Metaco, the Swiss firm that treats compliance like a religion and security like national defense. If Harmonize is the engine, then regulatory compliance and security are the seatbelts, airbags, and anti-lock brakes — and yes, they come standard.

Metaco’s regulatory framework was built for the real world — not just the crypto-native sandbox. It supports compliance with global standards including FATF’s Travel Rule, MiCA in the EU, and SEC/FINRA expectations in the U.S. That’s a huge deal for Ripple, which is constantly navigating a shifting regulatory landscape while positioning XRP as a bridge asset in institutional finance. With Metaco under the hood, Ripple can offer XRP custody that satisfies both internal governance teams and external regulators — a double win in any compliance checklist.

• Regulatory-grade audit trails: Every transaction, access event, and key usage is logged immutably, making reporting to regulators a breeze.
• Granular permissioning: Role-based access controls let institutions define who can do what — and when — down to the function level.
• Jurisdictional compliance: Harmonize can be configured to operate within the legal boundaries of specific countries, enabling geo-fenced custody models.

And let’s talk security — not the kind that just relies on “strong passwords” and good vibes. Metaco’s architecture is built around multi-party computation (MPC) and hardware security modules (HSMs), offering a layered defense that even the most determined attackers would struggle to breach. This means private keys are never fully exposed — not even during transactions — and operational control is distributed among multiple parties. In the crypto world, that’s the equivalent of Fort Knox with a biometric lock and a zero-trust policy.

Ripple’s acquisition of Metaco translates directly into institutional confidence. When a bank or asset manager considers adding XRP to its portfolio or settlement rails, knowing that the custody infrastructure is compliant with their jurisdiction and hardened against internal and external threats is a game-changer. This isn’t theoretical — it’s already happening. Metaco’s systems are ISO 27001 certified, SOC 2 compliant, and designed to integrate with financial institutions’ existing risk and compliance frameworks.

And let’s not forget the elephant in the room — regulatory uncertainty. While the SEC continues its tug-of-war with crypto projects, Ripple now holds a major compliance asset in its arsenal. Metaco gives Ripple the ability to offer XRP custody solutions that are regulator-ready out of the box, a key differentiator in markets where compliance isn’t optional, it’s existential. With tokenization, cross-border payments, and CBDCs on the horizon, this level of security and compliance isn’t just nice to have — it’s the cost of entry.

So, whether you’re a fintech innovator, a conservative asset manager, or a central banker dipping your toe into digital assets, Metaco’s regulatory and security framework gives you the confidence to move forward — with XRP fully in play. And if you’re looking for the best insights on where this is all heading, you know where to go. At XRPAuthority.com, we don’t just follow the trends — we track the tectonic shifts. Stay smart. Stay secure. Stay XRP-focused.