Rewrite Ripple Partners with Ctrl Alt to Tokenize Dubai Real Estate, Paving Way for Fractional Ownership
– Ripple teams up with Ctrl Alt to bring secure, blockchain-based custody to Dubai’s real estate title tokenization project.
– Backed by the Dubai government, the initiative enables fractional ownership of property through title deed tokenization on the XRP Ledger.
Ripple has formed a strategic partnership with Ctrl Alt, a UAE-based tokenization infrastructure platform, to expand its digital asset custody services into the Gulf region. The agreement, signed on July 15, is Ripple’s latest move in broadening its global footprint after launching services across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Africa.
As part of the collaboration, Ctrl Alt will use Ripple’s institutional-grade custody technology to support an ambitious initiative by the Dubai Land Department (DLD). This project involves issuing digital real estate title deeds on the XRP Ledger—marking the first time a Middle Eastern government has tokenized property on a public blockchain.
According to a statement posted by Ripple on social media, the partnership will allow for scalable, secure storage of the tokenized title deeds, enabling fractional ownership, greater transparency, and more efficient management of real estate assets.
Strengthening Presence in the Middle East
Ripple’s increased activity in the United Arab Emirates reflects its growing commitment to the Middle East. In March 2025, Ripple became the first blockchain payments firm licensed by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA). Additionally, Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin gained official recognition within the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), further legitimizing the company’s role in the region’s digital finance ecosystem.
First VASP License for Issuer Services Granted to Ctrl Alt
Ctrl Alt also made history by securing a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA). The license makes Ctrl Alt the first company in the region authorized to offer issuer-related services, connecting token issuance with the custody of real-world assets. This comprehensive regulatory oversight ensures the secure issuance, settlement, and lifecycle management of tokenized assets.
Ctrl Alt’s CEO, Matt Ong, emphasized the significance of the Ripple partnership:
“Partnering with Ripple allows us to leverage proven and trusted technology that meets the highest security and operational standards. We’re excited to work together to make Dubai’s real estate investment sector more accessible.”
Revolutionizing Real Estate Investment in Dubai
The Dubai Land Department’s project, powered by Ripple’s technology, is expected to reshape the real estate landscape by enabling fractional ownership of property. With tokenized title deeds stored on the XRP Ledger, multiple investors can co-own portions of a single property. This innovation lowers entry barriers for smaller participants and optimizes operational transparency and efficiency.
Reece Merrick, Ripple’s Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa, highlighted the groundbreaking nature of the project:
“This is the first time a government real estate registration authority in the Middle East has tokenized property title deeds on a public blockchain.”
Ripple Eyes European Expansion
Beyond the Middle East, Ripple is also setting its sights on Europe. In April, the company established Ripple Payments Europe S.A. in Luxembourg and is preparing to apply for a Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) license. A Ripple spokesperson said the move comes in response to “significant opportunity in the European market,” and affirmed the firm’s plans to become fully MiCA-compliant.
With active projects now spanning the Middle East and plans underway in Europe, Ripple continues to position itself as a global leader in blockchain-based financial infrastructure and real-world asset tokenization.
Ripple’s partnership with UAE authorities
Ripple has taken a bold leap into the heart of the Middle East with a game-changing partnership that could redefine real estate investment in the region. Teaming up with Ctrl Alt, a UAE-based tokenization infrastructure provider, Ripple has secured a major custody agreement that aligns with the UAE’s aggressive push toward blockchain adoption. The collaboration isn’t just a tech handshake—it’s a strategic alliance backed by the Dubai Land Department (DLD), a government body known for pioneering digital innovation in property registration.
This partnership marks a significant milestone: for the first time, property title deeds in Dubai will be tokenized and stored on a public blockchain—the XRP Ledger. That’s right, real estate ownership in one of the world’s most dynamic property markets is going on-chain, and Ripple is at the heart of it. The move signals the UAE’s readiness to embrace decentralized technologies for real-world asset (RWA) tokenization and positions Ripple as a key player in this transformation.
What makes this even more compelling is that Ctrl Alt has become the first company in the region to secure a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) specifically for issuer-related services. This regulatory nod ensures that the entire process—from token issuance to custody and lifecycle management—is conducted with full compliance and transparency. In a market where regulatory clarity is often a bottleneck, this is a strong green light for institutional and retail investors alike.
Ripple’s institutional-grade custody technology will underpin this initiative, offering advanced security protocols and seamless integration with tokenized asset platforms. This isn’t just about safekeeping digital assets—it’s about reshaping how property rights are recorded, transferred, and shared. By embedding title deeds onto the XRP Ledger, Ripple is helping transform Dubai’s real estate market into a digitally native ecosystem where ownership is both verifiable and divisible.
- Government-Backed Innovation: The Dubai Land Department’s support ensures institutional credibility and a clear regulatory framework.
- Secure Blockchain Custody: Ripple’s technology provides robust, bank-grade custody solutions tailored for real-world assets.
- New Investment Models: Tokenized titles unlock fractional ownership, allowing broader market participation and liquidity.
Matt Ong, CEO of Ctrl Alt, summed it up best when he said, “Partnering with Ripple allows us to leverage proven and trusted technology that meets the highest security and operational standards.” The sentiment reflects a broader trend: trusted blockchain infrastructure is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity for governments and institutions aiming to future-proof their operations.
For XRP holders and crypto investors, this partnership signals a real-world use case that could drive long-term demand for XRP-based transactions. As tokenized real estate titles begin to circulate, the XRP Ledger becomes more than just a payments rail—it evolves into a foundational layer for decentralized asset management. That’s not just bullish for Ripple—it’s a whole new chapter in blockchain utility.
Tokenizing real estate titles on the XRP Ledger
At the core of this groundbreaking initiative lies the tokenization of real estate title deeds—an innovation that combines the transparency of blockchain with the security of institutional-grade custody. By leveraging Ripple’s XRPL (XRP Ledger), the Dubai Land Department and Ctrl Alt are transforming traditionally paper-based property records into immutable, digital tokens that can be stored, transferred, and fractionally owned. This isn’t just digitization—it’s decentralization with purpose.
The XRP Ledger is uniquely suited for this kind of real-world asset (RWA) tokenization. It offers high throughput, low transaction costs, and built-in token creation capabilities, making it an ideal platform for managing property rights at scale. Unlike permissioned ledgers that require gatekeepers, XRPL is a public blockchain, meaning anyone can verify the authenticity of a title deed token. This transparency adds a layer of trust that’s often missing from traditional real estate systems.
Here’s how it works in practice: when a property is registered with the Dubai Land Department, a corresponding title deed token is minted on the XRP Ledger. Each token is cryptographically linked to the physical asset and holds metadata such as location, ownership history, and legal status. These tokens can be split into fractional units, enabling multiple investors to co-own a single property. Ownership transfers are executed on-chain, reducing the need for intermediaries and slashing settlement times from weeks to seconds.
- Immutable Records: The XRPL’s blockchain architecture ensures that once a title deed is recorded, it cannot be altered or tampered with—providing a single source of truth.
- Fractional Ownership: Real estate investors can now diversify their portfolios by owning fractions of high-value properties, previously inaccessible due to high capital requirements.
- Smart Contract Automation: Future iterations may include automated rent distribution, maintenance fee payments, and compliance checks via smart contracts embedded in the tokens.
For investors, this model opens up a previously locked asset class. Dubai’s luxury real estate market, historically a playground for the ultra-wealthy, is now accessible to a global pool of micro-investors. Institutional players—such as real estate funds and REITs—can also benefit from enhanced liquidity, faster settlement, and lower overheads. And because the tokens are stored on the XRPL, they can be integrated with DeFi protocols, potentially enabling collateralization and lending use cases in the near future.
It’s worth noting that Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin plays a crucial role in this ecosystem. Investors can use RLUSD to buy, trade, and settle tokenized real estate assets, ensuring price stability and frictionless cross-border transactions. This interoperability between custody, tokenization, and payments is what gives Ripple a competitive edge in the RWA tokenization space.
From a technical standpoint, Ripple’s custody solution ensures that the tokenized title deeds are stored securely in compliance with the highest regulatory standards. The custody layer protects against unauthorized access, supports multi-signature approvals, and integrates seamlessly with Ctrl Alt’s token issuance infrastructure. This end-to-end solution—from token minting to secure storage—is what makes the project both scalable and sustainable.
In the words of Reece Merrick, Ripple’s Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa, “This is just the beginning. Tokenizing real estate on the XRPL will transform how people invest, manage, and interact with property—forever.”
Crypto investors and XRP holders should keep a close eye on this development. As the volume of tokenized real estate grows, so too will the utility—and demand—for XRP as the native asset powering transactions on the ledger. This isn’t just another blockchain use case—it’s a tangible, regulated, and revenue-generating ecosystem that’s already live in one of the world’s most forward-thinking cities.
Implications for the Middle East property market
The entry of Ripple and Ctrl Alt into Dubai’s real estate sector isn’t just a tech milestone—it’s a seismic shift in how property markets across the Middle East could operate in the near future. Tokenized real estate titles on the XRP Ledger open the floodgates for a wave of innovation, democratizing access to one of the region’s most lucrative asset classes while injecting transparency and liquidity into a traditionally opaque system.
Historically, property investment in the Middle East—especially in high-demand markets like Dubai and Abu Dhabi—has been the domain of high-net-worth individuals and institutional investors. The barriers were steep: large capital requirements, complex legal frameworks, and lengthy transactional processes. But that paradigm is rapidly changing. With blockchain-backed title deeds and fractional ownership now a reality, the real estate market is being re-engineered to welcome a broader spectrum of investors.
- Increased Accessibility: Middle-class investors and international buyers can now gain exposure to Dubai’s real estate market without needing to purchase an entire property. Fractional ownership drastically lowers the capital threshold.
- Cross-Border Investment Flows: The use of tokenized title deeds and stablecoins like Ripple’s RLUSD enables frictionless, real-time cross-border transactions—particularly appealing to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) investors and diaspora communities abroad.
- Regulatory Confidence: With VARA’s VASP licensing regime and the full backing of the Dubai Land Department, this initiative sends a clear signal: blockchain is not only welcome, it’s being institutionalized.
This modernization of property rights management could serve as a blueprint for neighboring countries like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar, all of which are actively investing in smart city initiatives and digital transformation. If Dubai’s tokenized real estate pilot proves successful—and early indicators suggest it will—it may prompt a regional arms race in blockchain adoption for real estate and beyond.
For developers and real estate firms, the benefits are equally compelling. Tokenization simplifies the fundraising process for new developments, allowing them to issue fractional ownership tokens to raise capital from a global investor base. This model could also reduce dependence on traditional financing methods and banks, aligning with the UAE’s broader strategy of becoming a fintech powerhouse.
Moreover, tokenized property assets introduce secondary market dynamics previously unavailable in the region. Imagine a digital marketplace where investors can trade fractional ownership in Dubai’s prime real estate as easily as they would shares on a stock exchange. This liquidity layer could dramatically enhance asset turnover, reduce holding periods, and introduce new financial products such as real estate-backed derivatives or yield-generating tokens tied to rental income.
And let’s not forget the geopolitical angle. The Middle East, with its strategic location and burgeoning tech ecosystem, is positioning itself as a global hub for digital assets. By embracing blockchain for real-world asset custody and tokenization, the UAE is not just following global trends—it’s setting them. This move places Dubai in direct competition with global financial centers like Singapore, Zurich, and London in the race to become the capital of tokenized finance.
For XRP holders, the implications are profound. As more real estate tokens are minted and traded on the XRP Ledger, the network’s volume and utility grow—potentially driving up demand for XRP as the native currency for fees and settlements. This could also attract institutional capital into the XRP ecosystem, as large investors seek exposure to tokenized RWAs with proven utility and regulatory backing.
In sum, Ripple’s presence in the Middle Eastern real estate sector isn’t just about custody—it’s about catalyzing a digital revolution in property ownership, investment, and liquidity. The days of waiting weeks for property transfers and navigating paperwork-heavy bureaucracy may soon be over. In their place: fast, transparent, and borderless real estate transactions powered by blockchain and anchored in one of the world’s most advanced financial hubs.
Future outlook for blockchain-based asset custody
The fusion of Ripple’s institutional-grade custody solutions with Ctrl Alt’s tokenization infrastructure is more than a regional pilot—it’s a prototype for the future of asset custody on a global scale. As jurisdictions like the UAE lead the charge in regulatory clarity and technological adoption, blockchain-based custody is poised to replace traditional models that are often siloed, opaque, and riddled with inefficiencies.
Custody has long been the Achilles’ heel of digital asset adoption, especially for institutional investors. Questions around security, governance, and regulatory compliance have kept many on the sidelines. But Ripple’s approach—combining secure, multi-signature custody with full compliance under the UAE’s VARA framework—offers a blueprint that could be replicated across asset classes, from real estate and equities to intellectual property and carbon credits.
Here’s why the future of blockchain-based custody is looking increasingly bright:
- Global Regulatory Convergence: As more countries introduce digital asset laws inspired by frameworks like MiCA and VARA, the demand for compliant, scalable custody solutions will surge. Ripple’s early compliance gives it a head start.
- Tokenization of Everything: Real estate is just the beginning. The same infrastructure can be applied to tokenizing art, commodities, and even identity credentials. Secure custody will be the backbone of this transformation.
- Interoperable Ecosystems: Ripple’s XRPL is designed to interoperate with other blockchains and financial systems. This means assets held in custody can move seamlessly across DeFi platforms, traditional banks, and payment rails—bringing unprecedented fluidity to capital markets.
Looking ahead, the role of custody will evolve from passive safekeeping to active asset enablement. Think programmable custody, where assets can be governed by smart contracts that enforce compliance, automate settlements, or trigger events like dividend payouts or title transfers. Ripple’s architecture is already laying the groundwork for such use cases, and its partnership with Ctrl Alt serves as a live demonstration of what’s possible when regulatory alignment meets technical excellence.
Moreover, with Ripple’s stablecoin RLUSD gaining traction, the custody layer gains an added layer of utility. RLUSD can be used to collateralize tokenized assets, settle trades in real-time, and even serve as a liquidity buffer within custody wallets. This closed-loop system—where custody, tokenization, and payments coexist in a unified framework—is what separates Ripple from legacy custodians scrambling to catch up.
From an investor standpoint, the implications are massive. Institutions can now enter markets like Dubai’s real estate sector with confidence, knowing their assets are held in a secure, compliant, and technologically advanced environment. Retail investors, too, benefit from enhanced transparency and the ability to verify their ownership on-chain in real-time.
And for XRP holders? The future couldn’t be more promising. As more real-world assets (RWAs) are tokenized and stored on the XRP Ledger, the demand for XRP as a transactional and settlement medium is likely to increase. This growing utility positions XRP not just as a speculative asset, but as a core component of the emerging tokenized economy.
In short, Ripple’s custody technology is no longer just a backend solution—it’s becoming a foundational pillar of modern finance. As blockchain adoption accelerates, the winners will be those who can offer secure, scalable, and compliant custody at the speed of innovation. With the UAE as its proving ground and the XRP Ledger as its engine, Ripple is making a compelling case that the future of asset custody is not only digital—it’s decentralized, tokenized, and global.