Metaco

Company overview

Ever feel like your crypto portfolio is missing something? Like that one friend who insists on storing their Bitcoin on an old laptop from 2012? Yeah, we’ve all been there. But in the world of institutional crypto custody, there’s no room for amateur hour — especially when dealing with assets as high-stakes as XRP. That’s where Metaco comes in. If you’ve been sleeping on this Swiss-based powerhouse, it’s time to wake up and smell the cold-storage encryption.

Metaco isn’t just another name in the sea of blockchain startups. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland — the land of watches, chocolate, and fintech precision — Metaco has positioned itself as a global leader in digital asset custody infrastructure. Think of it as Fort Knox for your crypto, but smarter and built for the modern era of blockchain finance. With its modular architecture and bank-grade security, Metaco’s platform allows financial institutions, banks, and asset managers to securely store and manage digital assets — including XRP — at scale.

When Ripple acquired Metaco in May 2023 for a cool 0 million, it wasn’t just a flex — it was a strategic masterstroke. Ripple, already a dominant force in cross-border payments and blockchain liquidity, essentially plugged a massive gap in its institutional offerings by integrating Metaco’s custody tech. This wasn’t about adding bells and whistles — it was about building the rails for the next generation of crypto finance. And let’s be real: if you’re Ripple, and your native asset is XRP, you want the best infrastructure to safeguard it in the hands of enterprise clients.

Why does this matter? Because custody isn’t just about storage. It’s about trust, compliance, and interoperability. Institutional investors don’t just need a crypto wallet — they need multi-signature access, regulatory alignment, and seamless integration with existing financial systems. Metaco delivers all that and more, acting as the backbone for secure XRP storage and enabling its scalable use across trading platforms, payment corridors, and tokenization protocols.

Now, if you’re wondering how a Swiss-based firm became the go-to custodian for digital assets in a market saturated with hype and half-baked security promises, the answer lies in its tech stack — and its philosophy. Metaco’s Harmonize platform isn’t just a digital vault. It’s a full orchestration layer that connects custody, trading, compliance, and governance into one streamlined interface. This isn’t your average cold wallet. This is institutional crypto asset management on steroids.

And let’s not forget the credibility factor. Metaco isn’t some fly-by-night operation born during the 2021 bull run. It’s been quietly building since the early days of blockchain, earning the trust of tier-one banks and regulated entities across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. When Ripple added Metaco to its portfolio, it wasn’t just acquiring technology — it was acquiring trust, scalability, and a direct line into the future of tokenized finance.

In the context of XRP’s evolving role in global finance — as a bridge currency, liquidity solution, and trading asset — Metaco offers the infrastructure needed to take things to the next level. Whether it’s facilitating real-time settlement between central banks or enabling tokenized assets to move across borders, secure custody is the unspoken hero. And now, XRP has a fortress behind it.

Understanding Metaco and Its Impact on XRP

So what does this mean for XRP investors and the broader crypto ecosystem? In short: a lot. With Metaco under Ripple’s wing, XRP now benefits from institutional-grade custody infrastructure that meets the demands of global finance. This isn’t just about protecting keys — it’s about unlocking new use cases and legitimizing XRP in the eyes of enterprise users, regulators, and traditional financial institutions.

Metaco’s infrastructure enhances how XRP can be integrated into financial workflows, especially for clients needing secure, compliant, and scalable digital asset solutions. Whether it’s for tokenization of real-world assets, enabling custody-for-trading platforms, or supporting CBDC pilots, Metaco’s tech stack provides the behind-the-scenes muscle to make it happen. This aligns perfectly with Ripple’s long-term vision of XRP being the connective tissue for global value transfer.

• Scalability: Metaco’s Harmonize platform supports seamless integration with core banking systems and trading platforms, allowing XRP to scale with institutional demand.
• Security: Bank-grade encryption, hardware security modules (HSMs), and policy-based access controls ensure that XRP is protected against both external threats and internal mismanagement.
• Compliance: Built-in governance and audit trails make Metaco a natural fit for regulated environments, helping Ripple position XRP as a compliant bridge asset.

With institutional players increasingly dipping their toes into digital assets, the need for reliable custody is no longer negotiable — it’s foundational. By embedding Metaco’s capabilities into Ripple’s ecosystem, XRP jumps ahead of the pack, offering not just speed and cost-efficiency, but also the secure infrastructure needed to bring traditional finance onboard.

As always, if you want the sharpest takes and most actionable insights on XRP and the future of blockchain finance, keep your tabs locked on XRPAuthority.com. Whether you’re a fintech founder eyeing tokenization strategies or a crypto investor navigating the next market cycle, we’ve got you covered — with clarity, wit, and zero hype.

Products and services

Now, let’s talk about what Metaco actually does — because this isn’t your average “we store your crypto” operation. Metaco’s product suite is built for the institutional crowd — the banks, asset managers, and central banks who don’t have time for MetaMask tutorials or seed phrase anxiety. At the heart of Metaco’s offering is Harmonize, its flagship platform and the unsung hero behind some of the most secure digital asset operations in the world.

Harmonize is not just a custody solution. It’s a full-stack orchestration platform that handles everything from key management and transaction governance to compliance workflows and risk controls. Think of it as the command center for digital asset operations, merging the functionality of a prime broker, a custodian, and a compliance officer into one streamlined interface. For institutions managing XRP or any other tokenized asset, this kind of infrastructure is a game-changer.

• Multi-asset custody: Harmonize supports a broad range of digital assets, including XRP, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and tokenized real-world assets — all within a single operational framework.
• Policy-driven governance: Institutions can define granular policies around access, approvals, and transaction limits, ensuring that every movement of XRP is vetted and auditable.
• Seamless integrations: The platform connects effortlessly with core banking systems, trading desks, and third-party service providers, creating a frictionless bridge between traditional finance and blockchain-native workflows.

But wait — there’s more. Metaco doesn’t just offer custody; it enables full lifecycle asset management. That means institutions can issue, store, trade, and settle tokenized assets — including XRP — all under one roof. Need to tokenize a green bond and settle it in XRP? No problem. Want to launch a CBDC pilot backed by RippleNet infrastructure? Harmonize has the APIs and compliance hooks to make it happen.

Metaco’s white-label capabilities also mean that banks and fintechs can launch their own branded custody and trading services without building the tech from scratch. This is huge for Ripple’s partners who want to integrate XRP-based liquidity into their products but don’t want to reinvent the cybersecurity wheel. With Metaco’s tech stack, they get enterprise-grade security, compliance, and scale — all without sacrificing speed or flexibility.

And let’s not forget the regulatory edge. Harmonize is designed to meet the strictest global standards, including ISO 27001 and SOC 2 compliance. In a world where regulators are sharpening their pencils and institutional investors are demanding transparency, this level of rigor isn’t optional — it’s essential. For XRP, this means one thing: it can confidently sit at the table with the big boys of finance.

In short, Metaco’s product suite isn’t just a vault — it’s a launchpad. It transforms how institutions interact with digital assets, and it gives XRP the infrastructure it needs to move beyond speculative trading and into the realm of programmable money, tokenized finance, and real-world utility. And if you’re betting on the future of blockchain finance, that’s exactly where you want to be.

Partnerships and clients

When it comes to credibility in crypto custody, you’re only as good as the company you keep — and Metaco keeps some seriously blue-chip company. We’re talking global tier-one banks, central banks, and leading fintech platforms that don’t just dabble in digital assets; they’re building the next generation of blockchain finance. Metaco’s client roster reads like a who’s who of traditional finance crossing the Rubicon into crypto — and now, with Ripple in the picture, XRP is riding shotgun on that journey.

One of Metaco’s most high-profile partnerships is with Citi, which selected Metaco to develop its digital asset custody capabilities for institutional clients. Yes, that Citi — the one with trillions in assets under management. This isn’t just a tech integration; it’s a seismic shift in how legacy banks are approaching crypto. By choosing Metaco, Citi signaled that institutional-grade custody isn’t a wishlist item — it’s a prerequisite. And with Metaco now powering Ripple’s institutional storage layer, XRP is perfectly positioned to be part of this evolving financial infrastructure.

Other major players like BBVA, Standard Chartered’s Zodia Custody, and DBS Bank have also tapped Metaco to build secure, compliant frameworks for managing digital assets. These aren’t startups chasing the next meme coin; they’re regulated financial institutions with fiduciary responsibilities and multi-billion-dollar client portfolios. Their choice to partner with Metaco speaks volumes about the platform’s reliability and regulatory readiness — and it gives XRP a seat at the institutional table.

• BBVA Switzerland: One of the first European banks to offer crypto trading and custody services, BBVA uses Metaco’s platform to manage digital assets like XRP securely.
• UnionBank of the Philippines: A trailblazer in Asia’s digital banking space, UnionBank chose Metaco for its compliance-forward custody infrastructure — enabling XRP support in a regulated environment.
• Standard Chartered through Zodia Custody: As one of the leading custodians for institutions in the UK and Europe, Zodia integrates Metaco’s tech to offer secure storage for assets like XRP.

These partnerships don’t just validate Metaco — they validate Ripple’s broader vision for XRP as a compliant, enterprise-ready asset. The more banks and financial institutions onboard with Metaco, the more pipes XRP has access to. It’s network effects, but with vaults and APIs instead of tweets and meme coins. And let’s not ignore the obvious: Ripple now has a direct channel to offer XRP-powered solutions to some of the most trusted names in global banking. That’s not just synergy — that’s strategy.

And here’s the kicker: Metaco’s clients aren’t just looking for secure storage. They’re building tokenization platforms, launching digital bond pilots, and exploring stablecoin issuance — all areas where XRP can play a foundational role. Whether it’s as a settlement asset, a bridge currency, or a liquidity layer, XRP is increasingly enmeshed in the projects being built on top of Metaco’s infrastructure. That’s the kind of embedded utility that turns speculative assets into systemic ones.

So if you’re wondering how XRP makes the leap from crypto Twitter darling to institutional mainstay, the answer is right here: through partnerships that matter, clients that build, and infrastructure that scales. And with Metaco and Ripple at the helm, XRP isn’t just along for the ride — it’s driving digital finance into the next era.

Regulatory compliance and security

Let’s face it — in today’s regulatory climate, if your crypto custody solution can’t pass a compliance audit with flying colors, it might as well be storing assets in a shoebox under the server room. That’s why Metaco’s commitment to regulatory compliance and security isn’t just a feature — it’s a foundation. And for XRP, which aims to be the bridge currency between traditional finance and decentralized ecosystems, that foundation is mission-critical.

Metaco has built its reputation on delivering bank-grade security in a world where crypto hacks still make front-page headlines. We’re talking about a platform that integrates hardware security modules (HSMs), multi-party computation (MPC), and policy-based access controls — all designed to meet the rigorous standards of financial regulators across multiple jurisdictions. This isn’t about checking boxes; it’s about engineering for zero compromise. For institutions handling XRP, this means peace of mind backed by cryptographic certainty.

On the compliance front, Metaco’s Harmonize platform is a dream come true for risk officers and regulators alike. It includes built-in governance frameworks, real-time audit capabilities, and support for regulatory reporting requirements — making it a natural fit for financial institutions operating under MiCA, the SEC, MAS, or any other acronym that keeps compliance teams up at night. When XRP is managed through Metaco, it gains a compliance wrapper that makes it viable for everything from CBDC settlement to cross-border securities clearing.

• ISO 27001 & SOC 2 certified: Metaco adheres to internationally recognized information security standards, ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of digital assets like XRP.
• End-to-end encryption: All asset movements and key interactions are secured using military-grade cryptography and HSM-backed key management.
• Regulatory interoperability: Harmonize is designed to plug into existing compliance ecosystems, enabling effortless integration with AML, KYC, and transaction monitoring systems.
• Granular access controls: Institutions can define role-based permissions and transaction policies, ensuring that XRP custody operations align with internal governance models.

What does this mean in practice? It means that a central bank exploring an XRP-backed stablecoin doesn’t have to worry about custody vulnerabilities derailing its pilot. It means that a multinational bank using XRP for cross-border settlement can stay compliant with local regulators while maintaining operational efficiency. And it means that Ripple can approach institutions with a custody offering that’s not just secure, but provably compliant.

In a market where the line between crypto and traditional finance continues to blur, regulatory clarity and security are no longer optional — they’re competitive advantages. Metaco gives Ripple and XRP both. Whether you’re tokenizing real estate in Frankfurt or settling treasury bonds in Singapore, you need infrastructure that regulators trust and hackers fear. Metaco delivers that — and XRP rides shotgun in a bulletproof vault.

At XRPAuthority.com, we’re laser-focused on the intersection of compliance, custody, and crypto utility. Because in the next stage of blockchain finance, it’s not just about who moves fast — it’s about who moves smart. Stay ahead of the curve with us, your trusted source for all things XRP, Ripple, and the future of regulated digital value.