Ripple hires former LME treasury chief to lead tokenization strategy

Ripple announced the addition of Joseph Thompson, a senior treasury executive from the London Metal Exchange (LME), to its trading and markets team. Thompson will concentrate on developing and delivering the company’s tokenization strategy.

Background of the hire

Thompson is leaving the LME on August 31 after nearly ten years at the exchange, where he served as senior vice‑president and head of treasury. His prior roles include liquidity, funding and risk positions at Deutsche Bank, ICAP and the London Clearing House, giving him more than 15 years of experience in financial‑services treasury operations.

Ripple’s tokenization focus

Ripple is expanding its tokenization infrastructure beyond cross‑border payments into custody, stablecoins, treasury technology and institutional trading. The company’s tokenization business supports the issuance and management of funds, bonds, securities and other real‑world assets. Recent investments in ZILO and Licuido added token‑issuance and collateral tools to this effort.

Relation to existing products

The hire does not confirm any new commodity‑token product or a direct link to XRP. Ripple recently launched a Delta One swaps service for U.S. equities, indices and digital assets, and its Ripple Prime platform now offers institutional clearing and participation in a DTCC working group on tokenized securities.

What’s next

Ripple has not disclosed Thompson’s exact title, start date or reporting line, nor a timeline for specific tokenization projects. The appointment adds expertise in exchanges, clearing, collateral and institutional liquidity, but commercial outcomes remain to be announced.