Metaco

Company overview

Ever wonder who’s holding the keys to the crypto kingdom? No, it’s not your cousin Dave who “hodled” Dogecoin a little too hard. It’s companies like Metaco — the Swiss-based digital asset custody powerhouse that Ripple scooped up in May 2023 for a cool 0 million. That’s not just a headline; it’s a seismic move in the world of blockchain finance, especially for XRP holders and institutional players eyeing the future of digital asset management.

Let’s be honest — crypto custody isn’t exactly the sexiest topic at your next dinner party. But in the fintech world, it’s the digital equivalent of Fort Knox. If you’re a bank, hedge fund, or even a central bank exploring tokenized assets, you’re not going to trust your assets to a MetaMask wallet and a sticky note with your seed phrase. That’s where Metaco comes in, offering institutional-grade infrastructure that makes storing XRP and other digital assets as secure as Swiss banking — literally.

Metaco isn’t your average crypto startup working out of a garage with a whiteboard and a dream. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, Metaco built its reputation by providing banks and financial institutions with highly secure, customizable, and regulatory-compliant custody solutions. Before Ripple came knocking, Metaco had already partnered with some of the world’s largest custodians and financial infrastructure providers. This wasn’t a company looking for a lifeboat — it was a rocket ship waiting to be fueled.

With Ripple’s acquisition, Metaco has become the institutional crown jewel in Ripple’s expanding fintech portfolio. We’re talking about a strategic alignment that goes beyond synergy — it’s a full-on integration of secure asset custody with Ripple’s real-time settlement and liquidity capabilities. For XRP, this turbocharges its utility in institutional finance, making it easier for banks and enterprises to hold, transact, and build applications using XRP with enterprise-grade security baked in.

Why does this matter to you, dear XRP investor? Because with Metaco in its arsenal, Ripple is no longer just a payment protocol — it’s becoming a full-stack financial infrastructure provider. The addition of Metaco allows Ripple to offer end-to-end asset management solutions, from tokenization to custody to settlement. And that’s a game-changer in a world inching closer to on-chain finance becoming the norm, not the exception.

Let’s not forget the competitive backdrop here. Traditional banks are scrambling to modernize, and newer crypto-native firms are racing to capture institutional capital. Ripple’s move to acquire Metaco isn’t just about playing catch-up — it’s about setting the pace. Think of it as XRP getting its own armored vault, complete with Swiss engineering, military-grade encryption, and a passport to global finance.

And if you’re wondering whether Metaco was just another checkbox on Ripple’s corporate shopping spree, think again. This acquisition was about trust, vision, and infrastructure. Ripple didn’t just buy a product — it bought the future of secure, compliant, and scalable custody for digital assets. That’s a big deal. Especially if you believe, as I do, that XRP is poised to be a cornerstone of next-generation finance.

Understanding Metaco and Its Impact on XRP

To fully appreciate Metaco’s role in Ripple’s ecosystem, you have to understand what makes institutional custody such a critical pillar of blockchain finance. For large financial players, managing digital assets isn’t just about security — it’s about compliance, scalability, and integration with existing systems. Metaco’s flagship platform, Harmonize, delivers all of that in spades. It allows banks and financial institutions to manage tokenized assets across multiple blockchains — including XRP Ledger — with enterprise-level governance and workflow controls.

So what does this mean for XRP? In one word: legitimacy. With Metaco’s infrastructure, Ripple can now offer clients an all-in-one custody and settlement solution that includes:

• Secure storage of XRP and other digital assets with hardware isolation and multi-party computation (MPC)
• Regulatory compliance tools that align with global standards, including MiCA and U.S. SEC frameworks
• Integration with back-office systems, enabling seamless asset management for traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi) use cases

In short, Metaco supercharges Ripple’s ability to deliver XRP as a trusted, institutional-grade asset. It’s no longer just a bridge currency for cross-border payments — it’s a fully custody-ready asset that banks can hold, manage, and deploy with confidence. This not only strengthens Ripple’s position in global finance but also fortifies the long-term case for XRP as a utility asset in a tokenized economy.

As Ripple continues to expand its reach into central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), tokenized real-world assets, and institutional liquidity, Metaco will be the backbone ensuring that everything is secure, compliant, and scalable. That’s the kind of infrastructure that doesn’t just support a blockchain — it transforms it into a global financial network.

At XRPAuthority.com, we’re here to break down the noise and deliver the insights that matter most to the XRP community. Whether you’re a seasoned fintech exec or a curious crypto investor, we’ve got your back with the latest updates, deep dives, and no-nonsense analysis. Because when it comes to XRP, insight is power — and we’re your authority.

Products and services

Let’s be real — if crypto custody were a pizza, Metaco wouldn’t just be delivering it hot and fresh. They’d be building the oven, growing the tomatoes, and handcrafting the mozzarella. That’s the level of vertical integration we’re talking about with their product suite. At the heart of it all is Harmonize, Metaco’s flagship orchestration platform, which isn’t just a digital asset vault — it’s the command center for institutional-grade asset management in the blockchain era.

Harmonize isn’t your run-of-the-mill wallet solution. It’s a secure, modular, and policy-driven platform designed to handle the complex needs of banks, asset managers, and financial infrastructure providers. Think of it as the Bloomberg Terminal of crypto custody — but with zero tolerance for breaches and full compliance baked into every transaction. Harmonize enables institutions to manage custody, trading, tokenization, and settlement — all under one unified interface. And yes, it’s fully compatible with the XRP Ledger, allowing native support for XRP and other tokens issued on the network.

Here’s the kicker: Harmonize is blockchain-agnostic. That means it doesn’t play favorites — whether you’re dealing with XRP, Ethereum, or tokenized real estate on a private chain, you can manage it all securely from a single pane of glass. Now that Metaco is part of Ripple, that multi-chain capability is being strategically aligned with Ripple’s vision for cross-border payments, tokenized asset issuance, and liquidity provisioning. The result? A product suite that’s tailor-made for the next wave of institutional adoption.

• Custody-as-a-Service (CaaS): Enables banks and financial institutions to offer digital asset custody under their own brand, while Metaco provides the secure infrastructure in the background.
• Tokenization Engine: Empowers institutions to issue, manage, and redeem tokenized assets — from CBDCs and stablecoins to real estate and equities — with full regulatory compliance.
• Policy Engine: Granular governance features that let clients define who can move assets, under what conditions, and with what approvals — critical for institutional workflows.
• Integration APIs: Robust APIs that plug directly into core banking systems, trading desks, and compliance tools, bridging the gap between TradFi and DeFi.

And let’s not forget Metaco’s focus on security — this is Swiss-grade tech, after all. Their solutions use a combination of hardware security modules (HSMs) and multi-party computation (MPC) to ensure that keys are never exposed, even during transaction signing. That’s not just secure — that’s Fort Knox with a PhD in cryptography. For XRP investors, this means institutions can now hold and manage XRP with confidence, knowing their assets are protected by some of the most sophisticated custody tech in the game.

But what really sets Metaco apart is how seamlessly their products blend into existing financial infrastructure. If you’re a bank looking to offer XRP custody to clients, you don’t need to rip out your entire tech stack. Metaco’s modular architecture and enterprise-grade APIs let you plug into the XRP Ledger and Ripple’s liquidity networks without skipping a beat. It’s the kind of low-friction, high-security integration that’s music to a CTO’s ears — and a major boost for XRP adoption across the institutional landscape.

At XRPAuthority.com, we’re tracking every move Ripple and Metaco make — because when infrastructure meets innovation, XRP wins. Stay with us for the insights that matter, the analysis you can trust, and the edge you need to navigate the future of blockchain finance.

Partnerships and clients

When it comes to building trust in the crypto space, partnerships aren’t just about slapping logos on a slide deck — they’re about aligning with institutions that demand performance, resilience, and regulatory rigor. That’s why Metaco’s client roster reads like a who’s who of global finance. Before joining the Ripple family, Metaco had already partnered with tier-one banks, central banks, and financial infrastructure providers that needed more than just a wallet — they needed a fortress. And Metaco delivered.

Metaco’s client base includes banking giants like BBVA Switzerland, Standard Chartered’s Zodia Custody, and UnionBank of the Philippines — all of whom use Metaco’s infrastructure to securely manage digital assets, including XRP. These aren’t crypto-native startups experimenting with DeFi protocols in their spare time. These are regulated, multi-billion-dollar institutions that have to answer to auditors, regulators, and shareholders. Their confidence in Metaco validates the platform’s institutional-grade capabilities and underscores Ripple’s strategic foresight in acquiring such a trusted name in custody.

What’s more, these partnerships aren’t just for show — they’re actively expanding XRP’s role in the institutional ecosystem. With Metaco’s infrastructure, clients can offer custody and settlement services for XRP and other digital assets, integrate tokenized asset workflows, and even launch new financial products powered by the XRP Ledger. That’s a game-changer for adoption. Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• BBVA Switzerland: Offers crypto investment services to private banking clients, with secure custody of XRP and other assets powered by Metaco’s platform.
• Zodia Custody (Standard Chartered): Leverages Metaco’s infrastructure to deliver institutional-grade digital asset custody — with XRP support built-in.
• UnionBank of the Philippines: One of the first Asian banks to integrate digital asset custody, enabling XRP management for retail and institutional clients.

These are not isolated deployments — they represent a growing trend of traditional financial institutions embracing XRP as a viable, secure, and compliant digital asset. The ripple effect (pun absolutely intended) is profound: each new partnership expands the network of banks and fintechs that treat XRP not just as a speculative asset, but as a core component of their digital strategy.

And let’s not overlook Ripple’s own strategic partnerships, which are now supercharged by Metaco’s tech. Ripple’s collaborations with central banks on CBDC pilots, such as the Digital Pound Foundation and the Republic of Palau, benefit directly from Metaco’s secure tokenization and custody capabilities. By embedding Metaco into its broader solutions stack, Ripple ensures these initiatives are supported by bulletproof infrastructure — making XRP an even more attractive asset for governments and institutions looking to digitize value at scale.

At XRPAuthority.com, we keep a close eye on these partnerships because they’re more than just logos and press releases — they’re the scaffolding of the next financial system. When you see XRP making its way into the portfolios of regulated banks and being used in government-backed tokenization pilots, you’re not looking at hype. You’re looking at history in the making.

Security and compliance

Let’s talk about the elephant in the blockchain room — security and compliance. Sure, decentralization is cool, and yes, self-custody gives you that warm fuzzy feeling of being your own bank. But let’s be honest: when you’re managing millions (or billions) in digital assets, “trust me, bro” isn’t a viable security protocol. That’s why Metaco has built its entire reputation — and product architecture — around institutional-grade security and airtight compliance. And now that it’s under Ripple’s wing, those standards are being applied directly to XRP and the broader Ripple ecosystem.

At its core, Metaco’s security framework is all about layered defense. We’re talking about Hardware Security Modules (HSMs), multi-party computation (MPC), and granular access controls that make Fort Knox look like a lemonade stand. Every transaction, every key, every policy is governed by cryptographic protocols and enterprise-grade governance. For institutions holding XRP, this means:

• Private key protection: Keys are never exposed, even during signing. Metaco’s MPC ensures distributed key management, reducing single points of failure.
• Tamper-proof audit trails: Every action — from access to transaction initiation — is logged and encrypted, enabling full traceability and compliance reporting.
• Policy-based controls: Institutions can define granular rules for asset movement, including multi-signature approvals and role-based permissions.

But it’s not just about keeping the bad guys out. In the regulated world of finance, compliance is just as critical as cryptography. Metaco’s platform is designed to meet the highest regulatory standards — and we’re not talking about checkbox compliance. We’re talking real-time risk monitoring, KYC/AML integration, and support for frameworks like the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) and the U.S. SEC’s digital asset guidelines. For banks and asset managers that want to custody XRP, this is non-negotiable. Metaco makes it seamless.

Let’s not forget: Ripple’s ambitions go far beyond payments. With XRP being used in CBDC pilots, tokenized real estate, and institutional liquidity pools, the compliance bar isn’t just high — it’s skyscraper-high. Metaco’s infrastructure provides the scaffolding to meet those demands, with features like:

• Regulatory sandbox support: Enables institutions to test XRP-based solutions in controlled environments with regulator oversight.
• Geofencing and jurisdictional compliance: Ensures assets are only accessible under approved legal frameworks and locations.
• Data privacy and sovereignty: Built-in tools to align with data protection laws like GDPR and local financial regulations.

In an industry still haunted by high-profile hacks and regulatory whiplash, Metaco offers Ripple — and by extension, XRP — a fortress of credibility. It’s the difference between hoping your assets are safe and knowing they are. And for institutional investors, that distinction is everything.

At XRPAuthority.com, we know that security and compliance aren’t just backend concerns — they’re the foundation of trust in XRP’s future. Whether you’re a fintech innovator, a central banker, or an everyday crypto investor, you need to know that the infrastructure behind XRP is battle-tested and regulator-approved. That’s exactly what Metaco delivers — and why its integration with Ripple is one of the most important developments in blockchain finance today.