Reece Merrick, Ripple’s Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa, reacted positively on social media after Franklin Templeton highlighted XRPL’s role in payments-focused blockchain infrastructure.
His post, marked with partnership and rocket emojis, underscored Ripple’s enthusiasm about deepening ties with one of the world’s largest asset managers, which oversees more than $1.6 trillion in assets.
The endorsement reflects a broader shift in how large financial institutions are viewing blockchain networks—not as experimental technology, but as infrastructure capable of supporting regulated financial products and global payment flows.
Franklin Templeton Positions XRPL as Payments-First Infrastructure
Roger Bayston, Franklin Templeton’s Head of Digital Assets, has described the XRP Ledger as a “payments-first blockchain,” emphasizing its ability to handle real-time, low-cost cross-border transactions. This focus aligns with Ripple’s long-standing positioning of XRPL as a network optimized for settlement efficiency rather than speculative use cases.
According to Franklin Templeton, these characteristics make XRPL particularly suitable for institutional finance, where speed, predictability, and cost control are critical.
Regulated XRP Exposure and Tokenization Efforts
Institutional confidence has already translated into new financial products. Franklin Templeton recently launched the Franklin XRP Trust (XRPZ), a spot exchange-traded product listed on NYSE Arca, giving investors regulated exposure to XRP’s price movements.
Beyond market exposure, Franklin Templeton is also working with Ripple and DBS Bank on tokenization initiatives. These collaborations involve trading and lending services backed by tokenized money market funds issued on the XRP Ledger, demonstrating how XRPL can be integrated into traditional financial workflows.
The firm has described XRP as a “foundational building block” within a diversified digital asset portfolio, signaling that its interest extends beyond short-term market trends. Together, these developments highlight how XRPL is increasingly being viewed as practical financial infrastructure rather than purely a crypto-native network.
