Ripple Expands University Initiative with $5 Million in New Grants for APAC Region

• Ripple is expanding its university research initiative in Asia-Pacific with $5M in grants.
• The program now includes new partnerships in Taiwan and Australia, among others.
• The move is part of Ripple’s 1 billion XRP commitment to global blockchain innovation.

Fintech leader Ripple is doubling down on its commitment to the Asia-Pacific region, injecting a fresh $5 million into its prestigious University Blockchain Research Initiative (UBRI) to fund the next generation of developers and researchers. 

The move expands Ripple’s deep academic partnerships into Taiwan and Australia, along with renewing its support for top universities in the established tech hubs of South Korea, Japan, and Singapore. According to reports, this latest funding round is part of Ripple’s massive 1 billion XRP commitment to global blockchain innovation. 

Eric van Miltenburg, Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Ripple, acknowledged the APAC region’s status as a fintech and blockchain innovation hub. According to Miltenburg, Ripple has been proud to invest in the region’s academic talent from the very beginning.

Related: Ripple Taps Four Universities in Europe For Its UBRI Program

UBRI Program Focuses on Academic Research and Student Initiatives

For over seven years, Ripple has recognized academic research as the core engine behind blockchain’s biggest breakthroughs. The UBRI program is designed to invest in this future by supporting academic research, student-led initiatives, and the development of blockchain-focused curricula, often centered on the XRP Ledger (XRPL). 

The firm’s next step is to deepen that commitment in Asia-Pacific with new UBRI partnerships, including the first in Taiwan and a global network now spanning over 60 universities.

Multi-Million Dollar Grants Target Core Research in Korea, Japan, and Singapore

The new grants build upon a multi-million dollar foundation of success in the region. South Korea is one of the program’s top beneficiaries, with Ripple committing over $1.1 million in the last six years to Korea University. The UBRI program in South Korea focuses on blockchain scalability, privacy, and cryptographic security. The partnership builds on Ripple’s existing collaboration with Yonsei University.

Related: Ripple Partners with BDACS to Expand Institutional Crypto Custody in South Korea

Japan also ranks among the top beneficiaries, with Kyoto University and the University of Tokyo receiving grants worth over $1.5 million from Ripple to support ​​research in decentralized finance and blockchain interoperability. Meanwhile, Singapore has also benefited from the UBRI program, with Ripple issuing academic grants to Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and supporting the National University of Singapore (NUS). Ripple’s UBRI program funding in Singapore has surpassed $3 million.