Mercado Bitcoin to Tokenize $200M in Regulated Assets on XRP Ledger

Mercado Bitcoin plans to tokenize over $200 million in regulated assets on the XRP Ledger, marking one of the largest tokenization efforts in Latin America. The move aims to expand access to digital financial products and improve liquidity in South American and European markets. Ripple is supporting the rollout, citing the XRP Ledger's reliability and institutional-grade infrastructure. Mercado Bitcoin serves over four million users across Brazil and Portugal, operating as a digital bank, exchange, and tokenization platform.

Latin American cryptocurrency exchange Mercado Bitcoin has announced plans to tokenize over $200 million in real-world assets (RWAs) on the XRP Ledger (XRPL). This initiative marks one of the largest tokenization efforts in Latin America, aiming to expand access to digital financial products and improve liquidity in South American and European markets [1].

Mercado Bitcoin, serving over four million users across Brazil and Portugal, is well-positioned to lead this digital transformation. The exchange operates as a digital bank, exchange, and tokenization platform, with a strong presence in the private credit asset tokenization space. The company has already tokenized over Brazilian real $1 billion (approximately $185 million) in assets [1].

Ripple, a key contributor to the XRPL, is supporting Mercado Bitcoin's integration. The collaboration includes using Ripple Payments for cross-border treasury flows between Brazil and Portugal and listing RLUSD, an enterprise-grade, USD-denominated stablecoin, on Mercado Bitcoin's exchange [1].

The move highlights the growing trust institutions place in public blockchain networks. According to Silvio Pegado, Ripple's LATAM managing director, "Mercado Bitcoin’s integration with the XRPL shows how public blockchain infrastructure is being trusted by institutions and is becoming a reliable foundation for bringing regulated financial products to the market" [1].

The tokenization of RWAs is projected to surge from approximately $0.6 trillion in 2025 to nearly $19 trillion by 2033, driven by the need for greater efficiency, transparency, and the ability to offer novel products such as tokenized private credit and money market funds that provide intraday yield [1].

Mercado Bitcoin's initiative reflects a broader trend of traditional asset managers adopting blockchain technology to modernize their operations. Major players like BlackRock, Apollo, and Franklin Templeton are leading the charge, with the real-world asset (RWA) tokenization market surpassing $20 billion [2].

The convergence of traditional finance and blockchain technology is rapidly moving beyond theoretical discussions into tangible, high-value applications. This shift is fundamentally reshaping on-chain finance and promising to overhaul the operational infrastructure of asset management [2].

For traders, the short-term market reflects a more mixed sentiment, with key infrastructure assets experiencing slight pullbacks against the US dollar. However, the long-term narrative remains compelling, driven by institutional adoption, regulatory progress, and infrastructure improvements [2].

As asset managers increasingly move away from legacy systems and embrace the efficiency of blockchain, the demand for the underlying digital assets that power this new financial architecture is poised for sustained growth. The transition from quarterly PDF reports to real-time, on-chain verification is not a matter of if, but when, and the market is beginning to price in the leaders of this transformation [2].

References:
[1] https://www.coindesk.com/business/2025/07/07/crypto-exchange-mercado-bitcoin-to-tokenize-usd200m-in-real-world-assets-on-xrp-ledger
[2] https://blockchain.news/flashnews/rwa-tokenization-deep-dive-how-blackrock-apollo-are-using-blockchain-to-revolutionize-asset-management-and-impact-crypto-markets