Partnerships & Ecosystem

XRP has gained 5% from a support level of $1.28 due to increased whale accumulation, with large holders now buying over 11 million XRP daily. Ripple executives are attending a significant XRPL event in Japan, though broader market sentiment remains cautious amid geopolitical tensions.

Standard Chartered Bank plans to restructure its holding of Zodia Custody Ltd., integrating its cryptocurrency custody business into the corporate and investment banking division, and expects to issue a related announcement within this month. Zodia Custody will continue to operate as an independent crypto-asset custody SaaS company.

Gate News message, April 8, SBI Ripple Asia has completed development of a token issuance platform based on the XRP Ledger, and has registered in Japan as a prepaid payment instrument issuer. The platform enables businesses to issue tokenized payment instruments.

Currenc Group Inc., a Nasdaq-listed company, engaged Securitize to tokenize its common stock, aiming to enable 24/7 trading and fractional ownership, and to advance decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. Securitize is a leading institution in the tokenization space, and it also participates in building a tokenized securities platform for the New York Stock Exchange.

On April 8, Polymarket announced the acquisition of DeFi infrastructure company Brahma, and the team will continue to handle key roles. This integration is intended to improve trade reliability and execution speed, reduce barriers for users, and enhance cross-blockchain interoperability.

SOL Strategies Inc. has acquired Darklake Labs for $1.2M to enhance zero-knowledge privacy on the Solana network, strengthening its position in decentralized finance and securing on-chain transactions. The move integrates Darklake's expertise, aiming to bolster financial security and advance product development.

SBI Ripple Asia announced that its token issuance platform based on the XRP Ledger has officially launched, marking an important application of blockchain in compliant financial services. The platform enables businesses to manage tokens directly on-chain and complies with regulatory requirements, improving payment and loyalty mechanisms. In the future, SBI will also optimize cross-border payments between Japan and Korea, driving XRPL’s adoption in the real economy.

Mastercard’s cryptocurrency business partners number more than 100, covering multiple key areas and working toward becoming the connection layer in the payments pathway. Its strategy aims to lower the access threshold, expand network effects, and attract payment institutions and financial endpoints to join the network, which differs from the strategies of traditional payments giants.

AgentPay, launched by Alchemy, is designed to address interoperability issues between AI payment systems and provides a unified interface for multiple payment protocols. By simplifying payment integration through an API entry point, the tool enhances system security and scalability, promotes the fusion of AI with crypto payments, and helps drive the development of decentralized payment networks.

Several Swiss financial institutions jointly launched a Swiss franc stablecoin sandbox test, aiming to build a blockchain-based digital settlement layer and promote stablecoin payments and asset transfers. This project is subject to regulation and will continue until 2026, to accumulate experience for future commercialization. This move strengthens Switzerland’s competitive edge in the digitization of finance and indicates that the global financial system is evolving toward “on-chain” development.

In 2026, the Korean crypto market will see significant changes, with USD Coin trading activity surging, reflecting growing demand for dollar-pegged stablecoins. Circle’s CEO will visit South Korea to discuss stablecoin use cases and partnerships with multiple banks. At the same time, South Korean regulators are strengthening stablecoin legislation, laying the groundwork for the digital asset market.

Noos Protocol has partnered with Cluster Protocol to create decentralized AI applications by combining AI agents, blockchain technology, and decentralized computing. This collaboration aims to streamline Web3 development, allowing users to create and tokenize apps through simple prompts, ultimately enhancing user experience and pushing technological boundaries.

Ripple expects on-chain stablecoin trading volume to reach $330k at the Tokyo XRP Conference, emphasizing that stablecoins are evolving from auxiliary tools into liquidity infrastructure. As a bridge connecting traditional and digital finance, Ripple is helping bring stablecoins such as RLUSD to market and accelerating institutional adoption. With Japan’s regulatory environment being clear, it plays a key role in promoting the growth of the XRP ecosystem. If stablecoins achieve high trading volumes, it will change the way capital flows and how cross-border payments operate; XRP’s future price action will depend on institutional adoption and the growth of real trading demand.

Sui and Foresight News will host a private gathering in Hong Kong Central on April 21, inviting outstanding Chinese-language creators to participate. Adeniyi Abiodun, co-founder of Mysten Labs, will share insights on finance and DeFi to drive Sui’s growth. The event is limited-invite only, with the goal of bringing together key creators in the industry.

Planet Hares, a decentralized metaverse platform that provides users with an immersive experience, today announced a strategic partnership with Magne.AI, an AI-powered decentralized infrastructure that specializes in developing AI-driven Web3 smartphones and mobile services for the decentralized

Africa’s digital asset adoption is rapidly expanding as Ripple highlights rising usage, regulatory clarity, and growing institutional demand across key markets. Key Takeaways: Ripple highlights $205B+ in on-chain value, signaling massive capital inflows into Africa. 52% growth shows Africa

Gate News update: On April 8, according to the ADI Predictstreet official website, the prediction market platform ADI Predictstreet will go live officially on April 9. Previously, the platform had reached a multi-year cooperation agreement with FIFA, becoming the official prediction market partner for the 2026 World Cup.

Crypto market maker GSR announced that it will lead an investment in the tokenized platform Libeara, incubated by SC Ventures. Through this collaboration, it will strengthen its tokenization capabilities across the token’s full lifecycle services. Libeara has supported the creation of more than $1 billion in on-chain assets and holds a Singapore Capital Markets Services license. GSR’s goal is to integrate resources and develop into an RWA investment bank, providing end-to-end digital asset services.