Ripple has taken another big step in expanding its global presence by signing a major crypto custody deal with Ctrl Alt, a licensed Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) in Dubai. This strategic partnership is set to support the Dubai Land Department’s (DLD) Real Estate Tokenization Project, a first-of-its-kind initiative in the Middle East to tokenize property title deeds on a public blockchain.
With this move, Ripple continues to strengthen its position in the digital asset infrastructure space, offering secure and regulatory-compliant custody services to meet the rising demand for blockchain-based innovation in government sectors.
Supporting Real Estate Tokenization in Dubai
The heart of this partnership lies in the DLD’s Real Estate Tokenization Project, which aims to digitise and tokenise property title deeds using blockchain technology. The project is a significant milestone, marking the first time a government-backed real estate authority in the Middle East has adopted such an approach.
Ripple’s institutional-grade custody solution will play a key role in this initiative. By providing secure storage for tokenised real estate assets on the XRP Ledger, Ripple ensures both scalability and protection for digital property records. The XRP Ledger’s public blockchain infrastructure allows for transparent and tamper-proof ownership records, enabling fractional ownership and easier property transactions.
Reece Merrick, Ripple’s Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa, highlighted the importance of the partnership by stating that this project showcases Dubai’s position as a forward-thinking hub in the digital asset industry.
Ctrl Alt: Ripple’s First Custody Partner in the UAE
Ctrl Alt, which recently received its VASP licence from Dubai’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA), is the first provider authorised to offer issuer-related services in the UAE. The partnership marks Ripple’s first major custody collaboration in the country.
Matt Ong, CEO and Founder of Ctrl Alt, emphasised the importance of using proven technology for such an ambitious project. According to Ong, partnering with Ripple allows Ctrl Alt to leverage robust crypto custody tools that are built to meet the highest global standards for security and operational efficiency.
Ctrl Alt brings its financial engineering and tokenisation expertise to the table, while Ripple ensures the underlying infrastructure is secure, compliant, and scalable.
Meeting the Demand for Secure Crypto Infrastructure
As governments and institutions around the world explore blockchain applications, the need for secure and regulated digital asset infrastructure is growing rapidly. This partnership directly addresses that demand in the Middle East, a region increasingly focused on digital innovation.
Ripple already holds over 60 regulatory licences and registrations across various jurisdictions, making it a trusted partner for institutional-grade crypto custody. By aligning with regional regulatory frameworks, Ripple ensures the project not only meets technical expectations but also complies with the region’s legal and financial requirements.
For Dubai’s tokenised real estate initiative, this means property ownership can now be divided into digital shares, enabling multiple investors to co-own assets. These digital shares are securely stored using Ripple’s technology, reducing the risk of loss, theft, or fraud.
Strengthening Ripple’s Global Custody Network
Ripple’s deal with Ctrl Alt adds Dubai to its expanding global custody network, which already spans across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, and Latin America. The strategic partnership not only strengthens Ripple’s footprint in the Middle East but also sets the stage for further government-led blockchain projects in the region.
By showcasing how public institutions can safely adopt digital asset technology, Ripple and Ctrl Alt are paving the way for broader adoption of blockchain-based solutions in real estate, finance, and beyond. The Dubai project serves as a model for how tokenisation, when combined with strong custody and compliance standards, can transform traditional industries.
The Ripple-Ctrl Alt partnership is more than just a custody deal, it’s a demonstration of how secure, compliant, and scalable crypto infrastructure can support real-world use cases like property tokenisation. As Dubai pushes forward with its digital transformation agenda, this initiative could become a blueprint for future blockchain integration across global government and enterprise sectors.
