Dubai / Global — Ripple, the leading enterprise blockchain and digital asset infrastructure provider, has taken a major step forward in expanding its blockchain footprint by enhancing its partnership with UAE based financial institutions, including Zand Bank and fintech platform Mamo. This move underscores Ripple’s broader strategy to embed blockchain technology into regulated financial systems and streamline cross border payments across key global markets.
Building on Regulatory Momentum
Ripple’s expanded collaboration leverages a significant regulatory milestone: in March 2025, the company became the first blockchain enabled payments provider licensed by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) to operate within the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). This authorization has opened the door for Ripple to offer compliant, enterprise grade blockchain payment services in a region that is rapidly embracing digital finance innovation.
Under the partnership, Zand Bank — a digital bank focused on bridging traditional finance and blockchain — and Mamo, a UAE fintech platform, will integrate Ripple Payments, Ripple’s blockchain based cross border payments solution. The technology enables near instant settlement, lower costs, and improved transparency for international funds transfers, addressing key inefficiencies in legacy systems.
Blockchain Adoption in the Middle East
With this collaboration, Ripple is helping financial institutions leverage the XRP Ledger — its underlying blockchain network — alongside its suite of digital asset services to enhance operational efficiency and deliver competitive payment offerings. Zand Bank has expressed plans to launch an AED backed stablecoin, further deepening the role of digital assets in everyday banking and international commerce. Ripple’s expansion in the UAE comes amid growing regional interest in blockchain technologies.
A survey from Ripple highlights that 64% of Middle East and Africa finance leaders view faster payments and settlement times as a major impetus behind blockchain adoption — a sentiment that aligns with Ripple’s core mission of transforming cross border financial services.
Global Implications and Strategic Direction
The Zand partnership is part of a broader pattern of enterprise blockchain growth for Ripple, which continues to secure partnerships with financial institutions and fintech firms worldwide. Ripple’s global payments network covers more than 90 payout markets and processes tens of billions in transaction volume, reflecting the company’s scaling enterprise solutions across multiple continents.
Industry observers note that regulatory clarity in regions like the UAE is key to driving institutional confidence in blockchain based solutions, as traditional players seek compliant frameworks for digital assets. Ripple’s success in securing DFSA approval and onboarding partners like Zand and Mamo signal a maturing blockchain ecosystem that is moving beyond early experimentation toward tangible enterprise use cases.
Looking Ahead
As Ripple continues to build on its enterprise blockchain infrastructure, stakeholders in financial services are watching closely. The integration of regulated banking institutions with blockchain technology not only accelerates cross border payment modernization, but also lays the groundwork for future innovations in stablecoins, tokenized assets, and decentralized finance applications within institutional contexts.
With strategic partnerships like the one with Zand Bank, Ripple aims to position its technology at the heart of corporate payment rails, institutional asset management, and global financial interoperability — signaling a pivotal moment in the evolution of blockchain adoption across traditional finance sectors.
Published by Banx Network. This article is part of the Banx decentralized media programme, powered by the BXE token on the XRP Ledger.
