Ripple President Monica Long to headline XRP Seoul 2026, highlighting Ripple’s push into Korea
Ripple President Monica Long will be a featured speaker at XRP Seoul 2026 on October 3, giving one of Ripple’s highest-profile executives a public stage at one of Asia’s flagship XRP-focused events. The event takes place during Korea Blockchain Week (KBW), whose main conference runs Sept. 30–Oct. 1 in Seoul.
XRP Seoul’s account said it was “honored to welcome” Long, noting she leads Ripple’s business, product and engineering teams and has been with the company since 2013. The event organizer described her as instrumental in shaping Ripple into “a one-stop shop to move, manage, hold and tokenize value.”
Why the appearance matters
- Official presence: Long’s attendance lends significant company weight to a gathering aimed at XRP holders, XRPL builders, ecosystem projects and firms working on blockchain finance.
- Market importance: South Korea is one of XRP’s most active retail markets. Korean trading activity—especially on exchanges like Upbit—has driven notable XRP volume spikes during market cycles. In May, XRP’s KRW pair led Upbit volumes after Hana Bank moved to acquire a large stake in Dunamu, Upbit’s operator.
- Builder focus: XRP Seoul says it expects more than 3,000 attendees and more than 100 companies, with programming centered on XRPL growth, institutional adoption and real-world use cases. Local initiatives such as XRPL Korea and the Korea Financial Innovation Program 2026 are also supporting developer activity, creating a stronger “builder” angle in addition to market interest.
Ripple’s broader Korea engagement
Ripple’s ties to Korea extend beyond trading volumes. In May, Ripple Custody announced a pilot with Kyobo Life Insurance to settle tokenized Korean government bonds in near real-time, using Ripple Custody for holding, transfer and settlement and exploring stablecoin payment rails via RLUSD. That project underscores Ripple’s push into custody, tokenization and stablecoins alongside its payments and ledger infrastructure.
Open questions for XRP holders
Ripple’s business evolution—into areas such as banking partnerships, stablecoins, custody and tokenized assets—has prompted scrutiny from some XRP holders who want clearer evidence that these moves create durable demand for XRP itself. Recent industry analyses have suggested RLUSD could gain traction first if Ripple secures a trust charter or a Fed master account, and that Ripple appears to be working with existing bank messaging systems rather than trying to replace them wholesale.
What to expect at XRP Seoul
Monica Long’s appearance gives Ripple an opportunity to clarify how it sees XRP fitting with RLUSD, custody services, tokenization and broader market expansion in Korea. Investors, builders and institutional participants will be watching for signals on how Ripple’s commercial roadmap will translate into on-chain demand and local adoption—especially in a market as active and influential for XRP as South Korea.
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