Exchange Ranking
Top Exchanges
24h Volume Ranking
Popularity Ranking
Exchange BTC Balance
Proof of Reserves
Decentralized Exchanges
Funding Rate
Funding Heatmap
Liquidation Data
Max Pain
Long/Short Ratio
Whale L/S Ratio
Binance/Okex/Huobi L/S
Bitfinex Margin L/S
ETF Tracker
Solana ETF
XRP ETF
Hong Kong ETF
Bitcoin Treasuries
Crypto Reversal
Ethereum Reserves
HyperLiquid Wallet Analysis
Hyperliquid Whale Watch
Large Transactions
On-chain Movement
Bitcoin ROI
Stablecoin Market Cap
Options Analysis
News
Articles
Economic Calendar
Features
Wallet
Contract Calculator
Security
Collections
Watchlist
Following
XRP Ripple hires London Metal Exchange executives to strengthen tokenization and institutional trading operations
Ripple announced that Joseph Thompson, former senior vice president and chief treasury officer of the London Metal Exchange (LME), has joined its trading and markets team. The move comes as the company accelerates the deployment of institutional trading, tokenization and financial businesses.
Key appointments from commodities
Thompson will leave the London Metal Exchange on August 31 to officially join Ripple. At Ripple, his responsibilities are expected to include promoting the tokenization of real-world assets and strengthening transaction operations that connect traditional financial markets with blockchain platforms. The London Metal Exchange is one of the world's largest commodity exchanges and the main trading market for non-ferrous metals such as aluminum, copper and zinc. Thompson's joining has brought Ripple rich experience in market structure, liquidity management and collateral operations, helping the company deepen its expertise in areas that traditional market infrastructure providers specialize in.
Micro Dictionary: The London Metal Exchange (LME) is the world's leading metals trading platform focusing on price discovery, hedging and physical delivery in the metals industry.
Strategic expansion into corporate finance
The recruitment is part of Ripple's larger strategic layout in the area of institutional infrastructure. In 2025, Ripple acquired long-running treasury management platform GTreasury for US$1 billion and integrated it into Ripple Treasury, thereby combining traditional cash management tools with digital asset solutions. Since then, Ripple has launched native digital asset capabilities on its treasury platform, allowing corporate customers to leverage both traditional and blockchain-based mechanisms to manage liquidity and operations.
Ripple is positioning its financial instruments to work in conjunction with existing systems such as SWIFT, reflecting that the company has moved beyond purely crypto-native businesses to provide relevant solutions to the broader institutional finance landscape.
Expansion in the tokenized asset field
Ripple has also increased its investment in the tokenization of real-world assets. Through its investments in ZILO and Licuido, the company aims to develop infrastructure for issuing, transferring and managing collateral in institutional markets. Ripple's Kaiyuan Blockchain XRP Ledger (XRPL) has added a number of tokenized products. Aviva Investors recently launched a tokenized liquidity fund on XRPL, highlighting the network's growing role in the tokenization of real-world assets.
Ripple, in conjunction with Boston Consulting Group, predicts that by 2033, the tokenized asset market could approach $19 trillion. However, the actual speed of adoption is likely to depend on regulatory progress and institutional needs. Ripple and Boston Consulting Group predict that the tokenized asset market could reach $19 trillion by 2033, while noting that regulatory clarity and institutional participation will be key factors in growth.
Although the high-profile recruitment is eye-catching, it does not mean that the London Metal Exchange itself will adopt Ripple's technology. Instead, Ripple continues to recruit talent from traditional financial and commodity markets, demonstrating its desire to further expand its ambitions in areas such as institutional finance, liquidity and collateral management.
