Metaco

Company overview

Ever tried explaining crypto custody to your grandma? If you have, you probably watched her eyes glaze over somewhere between “blockchain-based assets” and “private key management.” But in today’s digital asset landscape, custody isn’t just a back-office function — it’s the bedrock of institutional trust. And that’s exactly where Metaco comes in, with Swiss precision and a splash of fintech flair.

Let’s face it: the crypto world has a “Wild West” reputation. Hacks, lost wallets, rug pulls — it’s enough to make even seasoned investors hesitate. That’s why secure, compliant, and scalable digital asset custody is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity. Institutions want in on digital assets like XRP, but they need infrastructure that meets enterprise-grade expectations. Enter Metaco, the digital vaultmaker that’s quietly shaping the future of blockchain finance.

Founded in Switzerland — a country that knows a thing or two about safeguarding assets — Metaco has rapidly become a cornerstone in the secure storage of digital assets. Think of it as the Fort Knox of crypto, but with APIs and smart contracts instead of armed guards and steel walls. Metaco doesn’t just store your crypto; it integrates custody into the very fabric of financial institutions’ operations, enabling everything from trading to settlement with bulletproof security.

When Ripple dropped 0 million to acquire Metaco in May 2023, it wasn’t just a headline-grabbing acquisition — it was a strategic masterstroke. Ripple has long been focused on enterprise blockchain solutions, and XRP plays a critical role in cross-border payments. But custody? That was the missing puzzle piece. With Metaco in its arsenal, Ripple now offers a full-stack solution that covers not just the movement of value, but also its safekeeping.

This acquisition turbocharges Ripple’s ability to serve banks, asset managers, and fintech platforms with institutional-grade custody for XRP and a wide range of other digital assets. It also means that XRP, long considered a utility-first token, now benefits from custody infrastructure that meets the highest standards of security and compliance — a huge win for adoption and long-term growth.

So, why does this matter to you — the savvy XRP investor, the fintech strategist, the DeFi dreamer? Because secure custody is the foundation upon which institutional adoption is built. Without it, large-scale asset managers and global banks wouldn’t touch digital assets with a ten-foot ledger. Metaco bridges that gap, making XRP not just a fast and efficient settlement asset, but a securely custodied one too.

In a market where headlines shout about price swings and memecoins, Metaco is the quiet force making real, infrastructure-level change. And now, it’s in Ripple’s hands — which means it’s directly enhancing XRP’s role in the future of global finance. If you’re betting on XRP’s long-term utility, this is the kind of news that should make you sit up straighter in your Herman Miller chair.

Understanding Metaco and Its Impact on XRP

To truly appreciate the significance of Metaco within Ripple’s ecosystem, you need to understand what Metaco actually does under the hood. At its core, Metaco provides a highly modular digital asset custody and orchestration platform called Harmonize. This isn’t just a wallet with a fancy UI — it’s a full-fledged infrastructure layer that allows institutions to securely manage crypto assets, automate workflows, and integrate with existing systems in banking, trading, and asset management.

By bringing Metaco into the Ripple fold, XRP is now positioned to be more than just a bridge currency for payments. It becomes part of a secure, compliant infrastructure that institutions can trust and deploy at scale. Think of it like giving XRP a cybersecurity exosuit — one designed by Swiss engineers and tailored for global finance. This fortifies XRP’s value proposition for use cases like:

• Cross-border payments and on-demand liquidity solutions
• Tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs) on the XRP Ledger
• Institutional trading desks needing secure custody for XRP reserves
• Regulated asset managers integrating digital assets into existing portfolios

Metaco also helps address one of the biggest institutional concerns: regulatory compliance. Its platform supports granular access controls, multi-party computation (MPC), and seamless integration with KYC/AML services — all of which are critical for meeting global regulatory standards. This means that Ripple can now pitch XRP not just as a high-speed, low-cost digital asset, but one backed by custody infrastructure that satisfies even the most conservative compliance teams.

XRP’s journey from a utility token in cross-border finance to a fully integrated component of institutional blockchain strategies is accelerating. And with Metaco now part of Ripple’s DNA, the infrastructure is finally in place to scale that vision responsibly, securely, and globally.

Looking to stay ahead of the curve in this rapidly evolving crypto landscape? At XRPAuthority.com, we cut through the noise and deliver real-time insights, analysis, and education tailored for XRP investors and fintech pros alike. Whether you’re managing a digital asset portfolio or just XRP-curious, our expert content keeps you informed and empowered — because the future of finance waits for no one.

Products and services

If you thought Metaco was just another digital wallet with a shiny interface and a “Swiss-made” logo slapped on top, think again. This isn’t your average crypto custody platform — it’s a highly adaptable, institution-grade digital asset infrastructure built for the complex realities of modern finance. Metaco’s flagship product, Harmonize, is more than a service — it’s a full-stack orchestration engine designed to plug directly into the operational core of banks, asset managers, and fintech platforms.

Harmonize enables institutions to securely manage the entire lifecycle of digital assets, from custody and settlement to tokenization and governance. It’s designed with modularity in mind, allowing clients to tailor the platform to their specific needs — whether they’re running a high-frequency trading desk or launching a tokenized asset fund. And yes, it fully supports XRP and the XRP Ledger out of the box, making it a natural fit for Ripple’s broader ecosystem.

Here’s what makes Metaco’s product suite so compelling for institutional players looking to dive into blockchain finance with confidence:

• Multi-asset support: Harmonize isn’t XRP-exclusive — it supports a broad range of digital assets, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, stablecoins, and tokenized securities. But with Ripple’s acquisition, XRP gets first-class treatment in the architecture.
• Policy-driven workflows: Institutions can define detailed governance rules, approval layers, and compliance checks — all enforceable at the protocol level. Think of it as enterprise DevOps, but for blockchain transactions.
• Deployment flexibility: Harmonize can be deployed on-premises, in private clouds, or as a fully managed SaaS solution. That’s a big deal for institutions navigating regulatory firewalls and data sovereignty laws.
• Seamless integration: The platform offers robust APIs and SDKs that make it easy to plug into existing core banking systems, trading platforms, and even ERP software. No rip-and-replace required.

But Metaco doesn’t stop at storage. It provides orchestration capabilities that empower institutions to automate complex workflows — like rebalancing a portfolio of tokenized assets or executing multi-party trades with embedded compliance. This is particularly relevant for XRP-based use cases, where speed and low-cost settlement are essential. With Metaco, these transactions can be executed securely and transparently, with built-in audit trails and compliance logic baked into every step.

And let’s not forget tokenization — the buzzword that’s actually gaining traction in real-world finance. Metaco’s platform allows financial institutions to tokenize real-world assets like bonds, real estate, or even ESG-linked instruments, and manage them alongside native cryptocurrencies like XRP. That’s not just a win for operational efficiency; it’s a game-changer for liquidity and asset interoperability across traditional and decentralized systems.

In short, Metaco’s products don’t just secure digital assets — they empower institutions to build entirely new financial products on top of them. With Harmonize acting as a secure command center, Ripple’s ecosystem gains a robust backbone for scaling XRP-based services worldwide. The result? A more secure, compliant, and scalable future for blockchain finance — and XRP is taking center stage.

Partnerships and clients

Metaco isn’t just a Swiss vaultmaker with world-class encryption — it’s also a trusted partner to some of the most influential institutions in global finance. Before Ripple’s acquisition, Metaco had already inked deals with top-tier banks, asset custodians, and regulated crypto exchanges, proving that its technology could meet the high-stakes demands of the world’s most compliance-heavy environments. Think of Metaco as the fintech equivalent of a secret ingredient in a Michelin-star recipe — invisible to the diner, but essential to the experience.

Some of Metaco’s most notable partnerships include collaborations with BBVA Switzerland, Zodia Custody (a Standard Chartered-backed digital asset custodian), and UnionBank of the Philippines. These aren’t fringe players — they’re regulated financial institutions with billions under management and stringent regulatory obligations. Their choice to work with Metaco signals a strong vote of confidence in the platform’s ability to provide secure, compliant, and scalable digital asset solutions.

And here’s where the XRP angle gets even juicier: these institutions aren’t just dipping their toes into crypto with Bitcoin or Ethereum. They’re exploring broader use cases like tokenization, cross-border payments, and real-time settlement — all areas where XRP shines. With Metaco now part of Ripple, these existing partnerships have a direct line into the XRP Ledger ecosystem, unlocking entirely new opportunities for integration and adoption.

• BBVA Switzerland: One of the first European banks to offer crypto trading and custody, BBVA relies on Metaco to provide secure infrastructure — a model that can now be enhanced by Ripple’s XRP-powered payment rails.
• UnionBank of the Philippines: A trailblazer in Southeast Asia’s digital banking transformation, UnionBank uses Metaco to power its crypto custody services — paving the way for XRP-based remittance and payment solutions in the region.
• Zodia Custody: Backed by Standard Chartered and Northern Trust, Zodia’s use of Metaco’s tech shows just how seriously traditional finance is taking digital asset custody — and now, XRP is in that conversation by default.

What’s more, Metaco’s platform is designed to scale with its clients. As banks and asset managers evolve from basic crypto custody to full-spectrum digital asset operations, Metaco supports them with the tools to expand — whether that means launching a stablecoin, managing tokenized ESG funds, or integrating cross-chain assets. With Ripple backing the platform and XRP woven into its DNA, these institutional partners are now perfectly positioned to leverage XRP not just as a digital asset, but as a foundational layer in next-gen finance.

Don’t underestimate the power of these partnerships. In crypto, hype often overshadows utility — but Metaco’s client list is a masterclass in quiet, strategic growth. These are real companies with real customers and real compliance requirements. And now that Metaco is part of Ripple, every new partnership and client win becomes a potential doorway for XRP adoption. That’s not just bullish — that’s institutional-grade bullish.

Security and compliance

Let’s cut to the chase: when it comes to institutional adoption of digital assets like XRP, security and compliance are not just checkboxes — they’re dealbreakers. You can have the fastest transaction speeds, the lowest fees, and the most elegant consensus algorithm in the galaxy, but if your custody platform can’t pass a regulator’s sniff test or defend against sophisticated cyber threats, you’re not getting through the front door of a bank, let alone their boardroom. That’s exactly why Metaco’s Swiss-built stack is such a game-changer for Ripple and the broader XRP ecosystem.

Metaco’s security architecture is designed around defense-in-depth, meaning it doesn’t just rely on a single line of protection. Instead, it layers multiple technologies and protocols to create a robust, tamper-resistant environment for digital asset custody. At the core of this system is multi-party computation (MPC) — a cryptographic technique that splits private key operations across multiple parties and devices, ensuring that no single point of failure can compromise access to funds. This isn’t just high-tech wizardry; it’s the kind of cryptographic rigor that satisfies the most conservative compliance officers from Zurich to Singapore.

Equally critical is Metaco’s commitment to regulatory-grade compliance. Unlike many crypto-native platforms that retrofit compliance as an afterthought, Metaco bakes it in from the ground up. The Harmonize platform includes native support for:

• Granular role-based access controls: Institutions can define who gets to do what — and when — down to the transaction and asset level.
• Audit trails and immutable logs: Every action taken within the platform is recorded and time-stamped, creating an indelible compliance history.
• Integration with KYC/AML systems: Harmonize can plug into pre-existing compliance workflows, enabling real-time monitoring and rule-based transaction filtering.
• Regulatory reporting tools: Institutions can generate compliance reports in formats recognized by financial regulators worldwide.

All of this translates into a custody solution that not only protects institutional XRP holdings from cyber threats but also ensures they remain on the right side of global regulatory frameworks. Whether it’s the SEC in the U.S., BaFin in Germany, or MAS in Singapore, Metaco’s infrastructure is engineered to meet — and often exceed — compliance expectations. That’s a huge win for Ripple as it continues to position XRP as the go-to digital asset for regulated financial institutions.

And let’s not forget the geopolitical angle. With regulatory uncertainty looming large over the crypto landscape, particularly in the United States, having a custody platform that’s already aligned with GDPR, FATF, and ISO 27001 standards gives Ripple and XRP a serious advantage. It’s not just about surviving the next regulatory sweep — it’s about thriving in a future where digital assets are expected to operate with the same oversight and accountability as traditional securities.

By embedding Metaco’s security and compliance framework into its institutional offerings, Ripple has effectively bulletproofed its blockchain finance strategy. XRP now rides shotgun in a vehicle that’s armored, insured, and certified for global deployment — a far cry from the Wild West days of crypto custody. This isn’t theoretical; it’s the infrastructure that will allow XRP to power real-time settlements, tokenized asset management, and cross-border transactions at scale, all while keeping regulators and risk managers comfortably on board.

At XRPAuthority.com, we’re watching these developments with the enthusiasm of a day trader at a bull run and the scrutiny of a compliance auditor with a magnifying glass. Our mission? To keep you informed, inspired, and ahead of the curve. Whether you’re an XRP maximalist, a fintech builder, or just crypto-curious, we’re your go-to source for expert insights on how XRP is shaping the future of blockchain finance — securely, compliantly, and with Swiss-level precision.