Tokenised Gold Gains Momentum on XRPL as Real-World Metals Go On-Chain

Meld Gold’s launch of gold and silver tokens on the XRP Ledger is being used by XRPL developers to argue that tokenised metals are now practical on the network, not just a concept. 

Meld partnered with Ripple in June 2024 and released the tokens in Q3 2024, each one backed by one gram of physical metal held by third-party providers. 

Read more: Tokenisation’s Reality Check: Do Stocks Matter More Than Crypto?

When Will We See Tokenised Gold on XRPL?

Supporters say the XRPL’s 24/7 settlement, fast transfers and built-in automated market maker tooling make it a workable venue for metal-backed tokens. 

Phil Kwok, co-founder of Web3 education platform EasyA, said “tokenised gold is coming to the XRPL,” and pointed to the ledger’s technical fit for always-available trading and settlement.

The XRPL, launched in 2012, has been positioned primarily for payments and institutional transfers, and is also used for tokenising real-world assets and NFTs. Community members said additional metals products could add new transaction flows and increase the range of financial tools built on the network.

Being feature-rich, the bigger issue for XRPL is then a matter of adoption. Pano Mekras of Anodos Finance argued the main obstacle is incentives: large issuers are unlikely to deploy high-volume products on XRPL without a clear economic upside, and attracting them may require stronger on-ledger incentives and more active outreach.

The demand for tokenisation is an undeniable reality now, and institutions like BlackRock are a good example of how investors are gradually shifting towards it. On December 30 of last year, BlackRock’s tokenised fund hit US$100M (AU$149M) in dividends since launching in March 2024.

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