XRP News Today: Ripple Launches Custody Services in Africa: Safeguarding the Continent’s Transition to Digital Assets

Ripple, a provider of digital asset infrastructure, has strengthened its footprint in Africa by forming a strategic alliance with Absa Bank, one of South Africa’s leading banks, to deliver institutional-level digital asset custody solutions. Announced on October 15, 2025, this partnership represents Ripple’s inaugural major custody collaboration in Africa and highlights its comprehensive 2025 Africa roadmap, which features projects like cross-border transactions via Chipper Cash and the introduction of its USD-pegged stablecoin, RLUSD, through partners such as VALR.

Through this partnership, Absa will utilize Ripple’s custody platform to offer secure storage for tokenized assets and cryptocurrencies to its institutional customers in South Africa. This initiative coincides with increasing regulatory certainty across the continent, including Kenya’s newly proposed digital assets legislation, which seeks to create a regulatory structure for

asset service providers. “Africa is undergoing a significant transformation in the way value is stored and transferred,” stated Reece Merrick, Ripple’s Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa, highlighting the partnership’s significance in unlocking Africa’s digital asset opportunities.

This collaboration extends Ripple’s established presence in Africa, which already includes support for Chipper Cash’s crypto payment services and the rollout of RLUSD in the region. Absa’s move into digital asset custody signals growing institutional interest in robust infrastructure, with Robyn Lawson, Absa’s Head of Digital Product, affirming that Ripple’s technology adheres to “the highest standards of security and operations.” The partnership also positions South Africa as a pivotal hub for regulated crypto offerings, a trend fueled by evolving legal frameworks in emerging economies.

Although the partnership is seen as a positive step for Africa’s digital financial landscape, XRP’s market performance remains varied. The token is trading at $2.50, with notable support at $2.40 and resistance at $2.60, based on Binance Futures order book data. Community feedback on platforms like X reflects both enthusiasm for institutional involvement and doubts about the immediate effect on XRP’s price.

Ripple’s global custody operations now cover Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Africa, showcasing its vision to serve as a foundation for institutional blockchain use. According to the company’s 2025 New Value Report, 64% of finance executives in the Middle East and Africa view faster payments and settlements as key motivators for adopting blockchain. With more than 60 regulatory licenses worldwide, Ripple is focused on addressing compliance as it moves into regions with developing digital asset markets.

The Absa partnership also aligns with Ripple’s recent stablecoin efforts, such as RLUSD’s use in climate risk insurance pilots in Kenya and its uptake by organizations like AMINA Bank. These initiatives demonstrate Ripple’s approach to grounding its digital assets in practical applications while expanding custody solutions to facilitate institutional engagement.