Ripple Labs has unveiled a $5 million expansion of its University Blockchain Research Initiative (UBRI) across the Asia-Pacific region, with new grants earmarked for institutions in Australia and Taiwan.
This forms part of a broader $30 million global education and development push for 2025, which includes separate $25 million grants for US-based non-profits and a Web3 startup fund in Japan.
Since launching UBRI in 2018, Ripple has invested more than $11 million in Asia and collaborated with 13 institutions, including leading universities in South Korea, Japan, and Singapore.
Academic research is the engine behind blockchain breakthroughs: on.ripple.com/4mSEOus
Ripple has been investing in the next generation of blockchain talent for over seven years, and we’re deepening that commitment in Asia-Pacific with new UBRI partnerships, including our
Taiwan and Australia join Ripple’s APAC education network
The fresh $5 million injection into UBRI marks Ripple’s first academic partnership in Taiwan, where the National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology (NKUST) will work on real-world asset tokenisation on the XRP Ledger.
NKUST also plans to establish a student builder club and XRPL validator node.
In Australia, the company has extended funding to the Australian National University (ANU) and welcomed Victoria University into its partner network.
ANU will focus on legal research related to blockchain, while Victoria University will support applied research and blockchain curriculum development.
These grants are aligned with Ripple’s efforts to back blockchain law education, Layer 2 infrastructure research such as Evernode, and student-driven publications.
Ripple said the new funding is part of a long-term regional strategy to support fintech innovation through academic research.
The Asia-Pacific region is one of Ripple’s most heavily funded zones, with its investments now covering six countries.
Ripple increases funding to top universities in South Korea, Japan, and Singapore
Ripple’s renewed commitment includes the continuation of several multi-year partnerships.
In South Korea, the company has extended a $1.1 million agreement with Korea University and continues to support research at Yonsei and Hanyang Universities.
Current projects there involve work on Layer 2 solutions, zero-knowledge proofs, and privacy-focused blockchain tools.
Japan remains a key node in Ripple’s academic programme, with total UBRI investment in the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University now exceeding $1.5 million.
In Singapore, Ripple has granted additional funding to Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and renewed its relationship with the National University of Singapore (NUS).
The firm’s total investment in Singapore’s academic ecosystem has now topped $3 million. NTU’s research teams are currently building AI agent networks on XRPL.
The 2025 edition of UBRI Connect—Ripple’s global academic summit—is set to take place during the XRP Ledger Apex event in Singapore later this year.
The forum will bring together blockchain researchers from across Ripple’s 60 university partners worldwide.
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