Ripple Drops $5M on APAC Schools—Because Blockchain Classrooms Beat Regulatory Gridlock

Ripple''s latest play? Turning APAC students into blockchain evangelists—with a cool $5 million earmarked for crypto education. Because nothing disrupts legacy finance like arming the next generation with XRP Ledger textbooks.

Why schools? Maybe because classrooms don''t file SEC lawsuits. The move doubles down on Ripple''s ''educate-to-dominate'' strategy—while Wall Street still thinks ''blockchain'' is a spreadsheet upgrade.

One cynical footnote: At least this $5M won''t get stuck in cross-border payment purgatory.

Why APAC?

Ripple believes that APAC has the right environment for blockchain to thrive. Countries in the region have active developer communities and are home to many neobanks and financial technology startups. The growing interest in decentralized finance (DeFi), tokenization, and AI makes APAC a key player in the global blockchain space.

By investing in education and research, Ripple aims to support long-term adoption and use of blockchain technology. Through UBRI, the company is working to ensure that students, researchers, and future leaders have access to the tools and knowledge they need to drive innovation in the industry.

Ripple’s Collaborations with Leading Universities

As part of this new funding round, Ripple is expanding its partnerships with several leading universities across the APAC region.

Ripple has extended its partnership with Korea University in Seoul. Under a new six-year agreement, the university will receive $1.1 million in funding. This support will be used to advance blockchain research, develop educational programs, and support student-led innovation in the field.

In Japan, Kyoto University and the University of Tokyo will benefit from additional funding. The University of Tokyo has already received over $1.5 million from UBRI. These universities will continue to conduct research into blockchain applications, digital identity, and decentralized systems.

Ripple is investing heavily in Singapore, one of the region’s most advanced fintech hubs. Over $3 million is being directed to Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the National University of Singapore (NUS).

Professor Yang Liu from NTU shared insights into one of their ongoing projects: “With our current grant, we are developing an autonomous AI agent network on the XRP Ledger to create a transparent, modular, accessible, and collaborative AI platform. We believe this innovation will be pivotal in shaping the future of AI.”

This type of project highlights how blockchain and artificial intelligence can work together to create smarter, more efficient systems without relying on centralized control.

Ripple has added National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology in Taiwan to its UBRI network. This new partnership will focus on real-world asset tokenization, a growing area of blockchain use that involves turning physical assets like real estate or artwork into digital tokens.

The research will explore how different blockchains, such as the XRP Ledger, Ethereum, and Solana, can interact with each other and support institutional use. The university will also study how to make it easier for traditional institutions to enter the blockchain world through better on-ramp and off-ramp systems.

In Australia, Ripple is deepening its relationship with the Australian National University and forming a new partnership with Victoria University. These institutions will share $1.3 million in funding to support legal and policy research on digital payments, blockchain governance, and decentralized technologies.

The funding will also support faculty-led studies on platforms like Evernode, a project focused on enabling smart contract capabilities on the XRP Ledger.

A Long-Term Vision for Decentralized Innovation

Ripple’s investment in education is part of a long-term strategy to support global blockchain adoption. By helping universities conduct cutting-edge research and train students in blockchain and AI, Ripple is laying the groundwork for a more inclusive and innovative digital future.

These collaborations aim to create academic ecosystems where students and researchers can build real-world solutions using the XRP Ledger and other decentralized technologies. As blockchain becomes more integrated into finance, supply chains, and even artificial intelligence, having a well-educated workforce is critical.

Ripple’s UBRI initiative already spans more than 50 universities worldwide. With this new $5 million push in APAC, Ripple is making it clear that the future of blockchain innovation will be driven by education, collaboration, and global partnerships.