Ripple announced a partnership with Jeonbuk Bank on August 18, 2026, making the Seoul-based institution the first regional bank in Korea to deploy Ripple Payments for cross-border remittances. The deployment enables near real-time settlement for businesses including import-export companies, IT startups, and online content creators, replacing traditional SWIFT transfers that typically take days to complete.

  • Settlement Speed: Seconds to minutes versus days for traditional bank transfers
  • Operating Model: 24/7 availability with transparent, cost-effective pricing
  • Prior Partnerships: Kyobo Life Insurance and Kbank in 2026
  • Founding Year: Ripple established in 2012

Traditional cross-border payments route transactions through multiple intermediary banks via SWIFT, creating delays and opacity. Ripple’s blockchain-based infrastructure removes this intermediary layer, completing transfers in near real-time while operating continuously. Jeonbuk Bank can now offer faster remittance services to its customer base of small and mid-sized enterprises engaged in international commerce.

This partnership with Jeonbuk Bank reflects the growing momentum we are seeing across Korea’s institutional financial sector, where leading financial institutions are actively building out their digital asset capabilities and seeking infrastructure partners they can rely on for the long term.

The Jeonbuk Bank deal marks Ripple‘s third major Korea partnership in 2026, following deployments with Kyobo Life Insurance for on-chain government bond settlement and Kbank for institutional wallet-as-a-service infrastructure. Each partnership addresses distinct institutional needs across custody, payments, treasury, and wallet infrastructure, demonstrating Ripple’s integrated platform approach across Korea’s financial sector.

Ripple, founded in 2012, develops blockchain-based enterprise solutions for traditional and digital finance, offering global payments, custody, liquidity, and treasury management services supported by the stablecoin RLUSD and cryptocurrency XRP.

By Gavriel Gavrielides

Gavriel Gavrielides is the Founder and Chief Editor of fintech-intelligence. An ACA-qualified finance executive, he previously served as Group CFO and Global Head of Accounting & Finance for a major international Forex broker with over 800 employees, following a foundational career as an auditor at a Big Four firm. Having spent over 15 years navigating complex international regulatory frameworks, scaling financial infrastructure, and managing global corporate strategies, Gavriel launched fintech-intelligence because he recognized that the traditional boundaries between finance and technology have completely dissolved. He saw a critical need for an industry publication driven by actual operational expertise rather than outside commentary. Today, Gavriel leverages his deep institutional background to cut through the market noise, delivering high-signal, deeply analytical insights into the technologies, regulations, and innovations reshaping the future of money. Connect with Gavriel on https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavriel-gavrielides-103734124/