Ripple Exec Endorses Franklin Templeton XRP Strategy - Institutional Adoption
Ripple Managing Director Reece Merrick has publicly endorsed Franklin Templeton's decision to label XRP a foundational asset. The $1.6 trillion asset manager recently integrated the XRP Ledger for its tokenized money market funds.
Franklin Templeton defines its XRP strategy
Franklin Templeton, a global asset manager with around $1.6 trillion in assets under management, has formalised its approach to XRP and the XRP Ledger. The firm launched the Franklin XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF) in 2025 as a regulated stock exchange product for United States investors. An exchange-traded fund (ETF) is a security that tracks an index or asset and trades on an exchange like a stock. The ETF, listed under the ticker XRPZ on NYSE Arca, holds XRP directly in custody rather than using derivatives.
XRP ledger framed as payments infrastructure
Franklin Templeton describes the XRP Ledger, also called XRPL, as a system for cross-border payments and settlement. XRP Ledger is presented as infrastructure for real-time settlement and low-fee transfers between currencies. In the firm’s statement, XRP is framed as a “foundational building block” inside diversified digital portfolios. Within this view, XRP functions as a liquid token for value transfers between financial institutions and trading venues.
XRP Ledger is a payments-first blockchain enabling real-time, low-cost settlement and cross-border transaction efficiency. — Roger Bayston, Head of Digital Assets, Franklin Templeton
Ripple response and institutional signalling
Ripple managing director Reece Merrick reacted publicly to Franklin Templeton’s XRP message through a social media post using partnership and rocket emojis. The reaction followed a Franklin Templeton post that highlighted XRP Ledger and XRP together with the XRPZ ETF. Ripple is the technology company that develops software and services using XRP Ledger for cross-border settlement. Merrick’s post expressed support for Franklin Templeton’s institutional ETF wrapper around XRP without adding new technical claims.
Tokenised funds and xrp ledger usage
Franklin Templeton, DBS Bank, and Ripple also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to run tokenised money market funds on XRP Ledger. A money market fund is a pooled investment vehicle that holds short-term debt instruments such as Treasury bills and commercial paper. Under this arrangement, DBS lists Franklin Templeton’s sgBENJI token, which represents a United States dollar money market fund, alongside Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin on the DBS Digital Exchange. Accredited and institutional investors trade these tokens and use them in lending and repurchase agreement structures handled by DBS.