Ripple CEO Breaks Silence on Company's Academic Blockchain Vision

Ripple’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of blockchain innovation in academia just hit a new milestone, which has Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse excited.

Ripple's University Blockchain Research Initiative (UBRI) promotes research and innovation across fields, including finance, law, engineering and the arts. At the University of Kansas (KU), UBRI funding by Ripple has spawned an interdisciplinary collaboration that merges blockchain, community storytelling and contemporary art.

In collaboration with the Spencer Museum of Art, the project explores how blockchain can empower communities to reclaim ownership over space, memory and digital expression.

In an X post, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse reacted to this milestone, which aligns with the reason the UBRI was founded in the first place.

"This is exactly why Ripple launched the University Blockchain Research Initiative: to support academic research driving new utility and long-term impact of crypto," Garlinghouse said.

Through the UBRI, Ripple has provided funding for blockchain research at the University of Kansas, including experimental collaborations such as the Spencer Museum of Art's decentralized counter-mapping initiative.

Recent developments

Ripple announced in the week that Bank of New York Mellon will be the primary custodian for Ripple’s U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin (RLUSD) reserves.

The partnership is expected to improve regulatory compliance for Ripple as well as institutional confidence for both the company and the rapidly growing stablecoin market. BNY is the oldest bank in the United States, serving mostly institutions and companies.

In recent weeks, Ripple applied for a national banking charter in the United States as well as a Federal Reserve master account, which would allow the company to keep reserves directly with the central bank and access its payment rails.