Since its inception, Ripple’s University Blockchain Research Initiative (UBRI) has been committed to fostering a global ecosystem where academic rigor meets real-world blockchain utility. Today, we are proud to announce the latest evolution of this mission: the University Digital Asset Xcelerator (UDAX) program. This program is designed to bridge the gap between early-stage innovation and institutional readiness, providing founders with the technical resources, mentorship, and capital connections necessary to scale on the XRP Ledger (XRPL).
In fall 2025, the inaugural cohort, UDAX - UC Berkeley, was launched in partnership between a multidisciplinary team from Ripple and one of UBRI’s premier global hubs, the University of California, Berkeley—renowned for producing more venture-backed founders than any other university. Over six intensive weeks, Ripple engineers and UC Berkeley faculty, lecturers, and industry experts worked alongside nine startups to transform ambitious concepts into market-ready solutions.
From Pilot to Mainnet
The pilot UDAX - UC Berkeley cohort represented innovation in finance, with teams building in sectors ranging from tokenized capital markets to decentralized insurance and the creator economy. The program kicked off with a launch summit in Berkeley, followed by weeks of development, synchronous coaching, and intensive fundraising sessions.
The journey culminated in a closing summit and demo day with remarks from Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen and CTO Emeritus, David Schwartz at Ripple’s San Francisco headquarters. Founders presented their progress to a room of XRPL core developers, Ripple leadership, and representatives from 13 leading venture capital firms.
For many, the program was a catalyst for immediate traction. WaveTip, a platform enabling instant tips for Twitch streamers, successfully transitioned to the XRPL Mainnet during the program and launched on the Chrome Web Store. Similarly, X-Card, which turns physical collectibles into liquid assets, onboarded over $1.5M in inventory and secured partnerships with merchant communities representing thousands of collectors.
Empowering Global Founders
The impact of UDAX - UC Berkeley extended far beyond technical development. For founders like those at BlockBima, who are building automated climate-risk microinsurance for vulnerable communities, the program not only helped them triple their active users but also provided the narrative clarity needed to secure future funding.
The team noted that refining their fundraising pitch under the guidance of Andrea Barrica and other industry mentors was their single greatest win, moving them from uncertainty to a confident, investor-ready position. Teams across the accelerator reported a 67% average increase in product maturity and 92% average growth in their fundraising confidence by the end of the program.
In the realm of capital markets, CRX Digital Assets leveraged the accelerator to sharpen their strategy for exporting Brazilian credit offerings to global markets. Utilizing Ripple’s global payments network, they validated how institutional players can leverage the XRPL to unlock international liquidity and increased their tokenized volume from $39M to $58M. And Blockroll, using RLUSD momentum, launched stablecoin-backed virtual cards for African freelancers.
“With RLUSD, Blockroll can offer additional institutionally accepted stablecoins that streamline remittance settlements from Sub-Saharan Africa’s leading source (the U.S.) and enable financial access use cases such as stablecoin-backed debit cards that work globally.” Sadiq Isiaka, Blackroll, CEO commented. “This also unlocks world-class wealth-building opportunities for African users, including stablecoin yields and tokenized U.S. stocks.”
The UDAX - UC Berkeley pilot was designed to support a breadth of use cases and help customize growth plans and business strategies for each of these unique startups.
Through direct access to legal and corporate affairs mentors, the WellArrive team refined their vision to a more strategic, high-impact dual-sided marketplace model. This helped solve immediate data fragmentation issues for researchers and users alike, allowing the WellArrive team to graduate from the program with a strong go-to-market (GTM) strategy.
Strengthening the XRP Ecosystem
Other highlights from the cohort include:
- Spout: finalized a complex equity tokenization model and secured several key VC meetings, solving critical architectural challenges through one-on-one mentorship
- EXFIL: doubled their active user base, forged 50+ new strategic relationships, and sharpened their business model narrowing the problem set to deliver an investor ready, real-time blockchain threat intelligence platform.
- Mintara Labs: validated their GTM strategy for crypto-bank insurance, successfully generating revenue and underwriting initial deposits during the six-week period
Looking Ahead: The Next Wave of Innovation
The success of the UDAX - UC Berkeley pilot demonstrates the power of combining Ripple’s deep technical expertise with the entrepreneurial energy of the world’s leading research institutions. As we look toward future cohorts, Ripple remains dedicated to supporting founders who are helping build the Internet of Value.
Are you building the next breakthrough on the XRP Ledger? We are looking for mission-driven founders ready to scale their impact.
Apply now to join the next UDAX cohort and accelerate your journey.
Stay tuned to Ripple Insights for more updates on our university partnerships and the growing XRPL developer ecosystem.
