Aviva Investors, the global asset management business of Aviva plc, and Ripple, a financial technology company that offers crypto solutions for businesses, have announced a partnership with the intention of tokenising traditional fund structures.

Ripple will support Aviva Investors with the initiative as part of its broader effort to bring traditional financial assets with real utility to the XRP Ledger – a decentralised open-source public blockchain that is designed for fast and efficient global financial transactions. The collaboration is Ripple’s first with an investment management business based in Europe, building upon the firm’s significant experience working with financial institutions in other regions.

The initiative is also the first of its kind for Aviva Investors, as they seek to incorporate tokenised solutions into their existing product offering. The collaboration is anchored in a shared long-term vision, with both parties set to work together closely over 2026 and beyond to bring tokenised funds to the XRP Ledger.

The XRPL enables Aviva Investors to reliably issue and manage its tokenised funds using fast, secure, low-cost blockchain transactions, with the lack of mining required to settle transactions expected to support energy efficiency. It offers a set of features, including compliance capabilities, designed to support financial institutions operating in regulated markets. Since 2012, the network has processed more than 4 billion transactions, supports over 7 million active wallets, and is maintained by 120 independent validators.

Jill Barber, Chief Distribution Officer at Aviva Investors, said:

“We’re really delighted to announce our collaboration with Ripple, and we look forward to working closely with the team to explore tokenising solutions. We believe there are many benefits that tokenisation can bring to investors, including improvements in terms of both time and cost efficiency. As the investment arm of the UK’s leading insurer, we have a long track record with regards to innovation. We are committed to adopting technological advancements that we believe can bring about positive change for our business, and we think tokenised funds can be hugely beneficial to our clients.”

Nigel Khakoo, Vice President, Trading and Markets, Ripple:

“Tokenisation is now moving from experimentation to large-scale production. Institutions like Aviva Investors are now focused on how to deploy regulated financial assets at scale. The development of tokenised fund structures is one that we believe can bring huge technological efficiencies to the investment sector, and we expect this to take full effect over the next decade. With its built-in compliance tools, near-instant settlement, and native liquidity, the XRPL provides the secure and scalable infrastructure required to support the next generation of institutional assets.”

Source: Aviva