Ripple has hired a senior London Metal Exchange (LME) treasury executive as the company expands its focus on institutional trading, tokenization and corporate finance.
Joseph Thompson, senior vice president and head of treasury at the LME, is leaving the exchange on Aug. 31 to join Ripple’s Trading and Markets team. According to the original hire report, his responsibilities are expected to include work related to tokenized real-world assets.
The appointment adds experience from one of the world’s largest commodities exchanges to a company increasingly focused on liquidity, collateral and blockchain-based capital markets.
Ripple Expands Institutional Finance Strategy
Thompson’s appointment follows Ripple’s broader push into corporate treasury services and institutional financial infrastructure.
Ripple acquired GTreasury for $1 billion in 2025, adding an established treasury management platform to its business. The platform has since been integrated into Ripple Treasury, which combines traditional cash management with digital-asset capabilities.
Ripple has also launched native digital-asset functionality across its Treasury platform. Coinpaper’s coverage of Ripple’s SWIFT tools showed how the company is increasingly positioning its products alongside existing financial infrastructure rather than targeting only crypto-native users.
Tokenization Becomes a Larger Focus
Ripple has also increased its exposure to tokenized assets. Recent investments in ZILO and Licuido were aimed at strengthening issuance, transfer agency and collateral infrastructure for institutional markets.
The $XRP Ledger is gaining more tokenized products as well. Aviva Investors recently launched a tokenized liquidity fund on XRPL, expanding the network’s real-world asset footprint.
Ripple and Boston Consulting Group have estimated that tokenized assets could approach $19 trillion by 2033, although adoption will depend heavily on regulation and institutional demand.
Thompson’s appointment does not mean that the LME itself is adopting Ripple technology. Instead, it highlights Ripple’s effort to recruit expertise from traditional market infrastructure as the company seeks to expand beyond payments and further into institutional finance.
For background on the relationship between Ripple, $XRP and the $XRP Ledger, Coinpaper’s evergreen $XRP guide provides a concise overview.
