How Ripple’s Saudi Adventure Might Just Redefine Your Morning Coffee

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In a move that could make even the most jaded financial analysts raise an eyebrow, Ripple has boldly gone where no blockchain company has gone before: partnering with Jeel Movement, Riyad Bank’s digital innovation arm. Think of it as a high-tech buddy cop movie, but instead of chasing criminals, they’re chasing the ever-elusive goal of modernizing Saudi Arabia’s financial system-because nothing says progress like a good old blockchain handshake.

According to Reece Merrick, Ripple’s less-than-secret-spy, this alliance is set to explore cross-border payments, digital asset custody, and tokenization. Essentially, they’re attempting to make international money transfers as simple as sending a tweet-without the risk of it going viral for all the wrong reasons. All of this is aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which, in case you missed it, is the country’s ambitious plan to turn oil-rich sands into a glittering hub of fintech innovation.

Riyad Bank, mummy to a staggering $130 billion in assets (because what’s a few billion among friends), launched Jeel in 2023, perhaps inspired by the hope that one day, everyone will think digital innovation is as exciting as discovering a new way to grind coffee beans. Meanwhile, the digital revolution isn’t just a theoretical exercise-it’s an art form in Saudi Arabia, and Ripple’s just volunteered to be the brush that paints the future of finance in broad, blockchain-infused strokes.

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2026-01-26 16:21