XRP News Today: Zodia Custody Joins Ondo's Global Markets Alliance to Advance Tokenized Real-World Assets with Institutional-Grade Custody

Zodia Custody, a digital asset custodian backed by Standard Chartered Bank, has joined Ondo Finance’s Global Markets Alliance, a collaborative initiative focused on advancing tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) across capital markets. The partnership aims to leverage Zodia’s institutional-grade custody infrastructure, security protocols, and compliance frameworks to facilitate the tokenization of assets such as treasuries, private credit, and exchange-traded funds. Zodia becomes the latest addition to the alliance, joining entities like Solana Foundation, BitGo, Jupiter, and Fireblocks, all of which contribute technical and operational expertise to expand interoperability in the tokenized asset ecosystem [1].

The collaboration underscores a broader industry shift toward integrating blockchain technology with traditional finance. By enabling real-world assets to be represented as digital tokens on distributed ledger platforms, the alliance seeks to enhance liquidity, transparency, and accessibility for institutional investors. This aligns with growing institutional interest in tokenization, as major financial institutions—including BlackRock, Fidelity, and Franklin Templeton—have launched or expanded initiatives in the space. Zodia’s role is particularly significant given its focus on institutional clients, including asset managers, banks, and hedge funds, and its recent launch of a token rewards program for stablecoins like USDC and USDE [2].

Standard Chartered’s backing of Zodia highlights the bank’s strategic pivot to support fintech innovation, particularly in custody solutions for digital assets. The integration of Zodia into Ondo’s ecosystem addresses critical challenges in tokenization, such as regulatory compliance and secure asset management, which have historically hindered mainstream adoption. Anoosh Arevshatian, Zodia’s chief product officer, emphasized the role of stablecoins in complementing traditional financial systems for cross-border transactions, signaling a potential expansion of tokenized asset use cases beyond capital markets [3].

The timing of the announcement coincides with intensified competition in tokenization initiatives. For instance, Brazil’s VERT recently launched a private credit solution on the XRP Ledger, reflecting a broader race to establish dominance in RWA tokenization ecosystems. However, the Zodia-Ondo partnership differentiates itself by prioritizing institutional trust and custody infrastructure, rather than platform-specific blockchain solutions. This focus positions the alliance to address the unique needs of traditional financial players seeking to enter the digital asset space without compromising compliance standards [1].

Analysts suggest that the success of such collaborations will depend on their ability to demonstrate scalable, regulated use cases. While the partnership does not include immediate financial metrics, it emphasizes long-term infrastructure development—a common trend in early-stage tokenization initiatives. The inclusion of Zodia, with its ties to a global banking institution, may accelerate mainstream adoption by mitigating institutional hesitancy around risk management and regulatory uncertainty [3].

Sources:

[1] [Standard Chartered-backed Zodia Custody joins Ondo’s Global Markets Alliance](https://crypto.news/standard-chartered-backed-zodia-custody-joins-ondos-global-markets-alliance/)

[2] [Ondo Finance (@OndoFinance) / X](https://x.com/ondofinance)

[3] [Brazil’s VERT launches private credit solution on XRP Ledger](https://crypto.news/brazil-vert-launch-private-credit-solution-xrp-ledger/)