The move expands Ripple’s presence in the Middle East, building on Dubai’s regulatory license obtained earlier this year.
MANAMA, October 9, 2025 – Ripple, the leading digital asset infrastructure provider for financial institutions, today announced a strategic partnership with Bahrain Fintech Bay (BFB), the Kingdom’s leading fintech incubator and ecosystem builder, which partners with government and other agencies to further accelerate the development and adoption of blockchain technology and digital assets to Bahrain.
The agreement will see Ripple and Bahrain Fintech Bay work together to positively contribute to the Kingdom’s digital assets ecosystem through a range of activities, including supporting the development of proofs of concept and pilot projects relevant to Bahrain’s fintech ecosystem; showcase solutions in areas such as blockchain technology, cross-border payments, digital assets, stablecoins and tokenization; lead knowledge initiatives through educational collaborations and acceleration programs; and participate in events dedicated to the local ecosystem to foster new industrial partnerships and stimulate innovation.
“The Kingdom of Bahrain became an early adopter of blockchain technology and was one of the first jurisdictions in the world to regulate cryptoassets,” said Reece Merrick, Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa at Ripple. “At Ripple, we look forward to working with Bahrain Fintech Bay to continue building the foundation for a thriving local blockchain industry, as well as ultimately offering our digital asset custody solution and stablecoin Ripple USD (RLUSD) to financial institutions in Bahrain. »
“Bahrain has long been recognized as a financial services hub, and today, this heritage is further strengthened in the area of digital assets and blockchain. This partnership with Ripple reflects Bahrain FinTech Bay’s commitment to bringing global innovators closer to the local ecosystem, creating opportunities for pilot projects, talent development and cutting-edge solutions that will shape the future of finance. Together, we achieve our goal of enhancing fintech innovation in the region,” said Suzy Al Zeerah, Chief Operating Officer of Bahrain Fintech Bay.
In addition to the new partnership with Bahrain Fintech Bay, Ripple is present at Fintech Forward 2025, an Economist Impact event taking place in Sakhir on October 8-9, which brings together experts from fintechs, banks, governments and regulators to look at the challenges and opportunities facing the international financial sector.
Ripple has over a decade of experience in digital assets. Its simple, secure and compliant digital asset infrastructure means it is well placed to provide the core services financial institutions need to store, exchange and move digital assets. Ripple holds over 60 licenses and regulatory registrations in various global jurisdictions, including its DFSA license granted in March 2025, making Ripple the first blockchain-enabled payments provider to be licensed by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA).
