Ripple backs UK tokenization plan targeting £33B annual boost

Ripple has officially endorsed a new UK government-led strategy aimed at transitioning wholesale financial markets toward tokenized infrastructure. Spearheaded by the Wholesale Digital Markets Champion Chris Woolard, the initiative seeks to integrate on-chain funds, bonds, and repo transactions into the mainstream financial system. The strategy projects that widespread tokenization could contribute up to £33 billion in annual economic output and £14 billion in tax revenue by 2035. A taskforce comprising 54 firms from banking and digital asset sectors will focus on nine action groups, with a primary goal of executing a live end-to-end repo transaction by spring 2027. The plan also prioritizes the issuance of a digital gilt by early 2027 and seeks regulatory clarity on using tokenized bonds as collateral. By moving beyond pilot programs, the UK aims to leverage its capital market depth to capture a share of a projected $88 trillion global tokenized asset market. This shift represents a significant move toward production-grade blockchain infrastructure, though it remains contingent on establishing clear rules for custody, legal ownership, and settlement.