Ripple hires LME treasury executive to bolster tokenization and institutional trading

Key appointment from commodities sector

Thompson is set to leave the LME on August 31 to join Ripple. At Ripple, his responsibilities are expected to include the development of tokenized real-world assets and the strengthening of trading operations that connect traditional financial markets with blockchain-based platforms.

The LME is among the world’s largest commodities exchanges, operating as a major marketplace for non-ferrous metals such as aluminum, copper, and zinc.

Thompson’s move brings extensive experience in market structure, liquidity management, and collateral operations into Ripple, as the firm deepens its expertise in areas traditionally handled by established market infrastructure providers.

Mini dictionary: The London Metal Exchange (LME) is a leading global trading platform for metals, focusing on price discovery, hedging, and physical delivery in the metals industry.

Strategic expansion into corporate finance

The recruitment follows Ripple’s larger strategic move into institutional infrastructure. In 2025, Ripple acquired GTreasury, a longstanding treasury management platform, in a $1 billion transaction. The integration of GTreasury into Ripple Treasury has combined conventional cash management tools with digital asset solutions.

Ripple has since launched native digital-asset functionalities on its Treasury platform, which enable corporate clients to leverage both traditional and blockchain-based mechanisms for liquidity and operations.

Coinpaper has noted that Ripple now positions its financial tools to work alongside established systems like SWIFT, reflecting the company’s evolution beyond strictly crypto-native offerings to solutions relevant for broader institutional finance.

Expansion in tokenized assets

Ripple has also increased its engagement in the tokenization of real-world assets. Investments in ZILO and Licuido have targeted the development of infrastructure for issuing, transferring, and managing collateral in institutional markets.

The XRP Ledger (XRPL), Ripple’s open-source blockchain, has seen the addition of new tokenized products. Most recently, Aviva Investors launched a tokenized liquidity fund on XRPL, underscoring the network’s growing role in real-world asset (RWA) tokenization.

Ripple collaborated with Boston Consulting Group, estimating the tokenized asset market could approach $19 trillion by 2033. However, the actual pace of adoption will likely depend on regulatory developments and institutional demand.

Ripple and Boston Consulting Group have projected that the market for tokenized assets may reach $19 trillion by 2033, while noting that regulatory clarity and institutional involvement will be critical factors for growth.

Despite the new high-profile hire, the move does not indicate that the LME itself will adopt Ripple’s technology. Instead, Ripple’s ongoing recruitment from established financial and commodity markets signals its aim to expand further into areas such as institutional finance, liquidity, and collateral management.