Nasdaq-listed VivoPower (VVPR) is making one of the boldest corporate bets yet on the XRP ecosystem, unveiling a new joint venture structure that could give investors indirect exposure to nearly $1 billion worth of XRP without buying the token outright.
VivoPower just announced that its digital asset division, Vivo Federation, is working on securing a $300 million stake in private Ripple Labs shares as part of the VivoPower Ripple share deal, pushing the company even deeper into an XRP-focused treasury and investment strategy.
They’ve crunched the numbers, and at today’s prices, that Ripple equity stake lines up with about 450 million XRP tokens. That’s a notional value of roughly $900 million.
Now, they’re not buying XRP tokens directly, but that doesn’t make this any less interesting. This setup gives institutional and qualified retail investors a big way to tap into XRP exposure—only this time, it’s through owning a piece of Ripple Labs itself.
A Strategic Structure Built for Institutions
Rather than placing XRP directly on its balance sheet, VivoPower’s partner, South Korea–based Lean Ventures, plans to establish a dedicated investment vehicle that will acquire and hold Ripple Labs shares sourced by Vivo Federation.
This vehicle targets institutional and qualified retail investors in South Korea—a country where XRP trading never really slows down. The market there stays busy, liquid, and full of action.
South Korea stands out as a major hub for XRP. Trading volumes stay high, and retail investors really get involved. VivoPower’s top brass keep calling South Korea a key spot for rolling out more XRP-based financial products, and honestly, it’s easy to see why.
According to the company, Ripple has already approved the sale of an initial tranche of preferred shares, and Vivo Federation is now negotiating further purchases from existing institutional shareholders.
When asked for additional transaction details, VivoPower declined to comment beyond its public disclosures, citing legal restrictions around market-sensitive information. A Ripple representative also declined to provide comment on the matter.
No Balance Sheet Risk, But Meaningful Upside
Here’s what stands out about this deal: VivoPower isn’t putting its own money on the line to buy Ripple shares.
Instead, they’re stepping in as the middleman structuring the deal, finding the right partners, and pocketing management fees plus a cut of the profits. If everything goes as planned and that first $300 million mandate gets fully invested, VivoPower’s looking at up to $75 million in net returns over the next three years. Not bad for not having any skin in the game.
That model allows the company to gain asymmetric upside from XRP-linked exposure while limiting direct downside risk, a structure more commonly seen in private equity and alternative asset management than in publicly traded energy firms.
Market observers say the approach reflects a growing sophistication in how public companies are approaching digital asset strategies.
VivoPower’s XRP-First Treasury Pivot
The Ripple share initiative builds on VivoPower’s broader transformation into one of the first publicly listed companies to center its digital asset strategy around XRP rather than Bitcoin or Ethereum.
Earlier this year, the company raised $121 million in a private placement, led by Saudi investor Abdulaziz bin Turki Abdulaziz Al Saud, specifically to support its XRP-focused treasury ambitions.
Since then, VivoPower has been busy putting money to work all over the XRP ecosystem.
They’ve already thrown $100 million into yield-generating strategies with Flare’s FAssets system. That’s the infrastructure that lets XRP-linked assets use smart contracts—pretty big deal if you care about squeezing more out of your holdings. On top of that, VivoPower has brought Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin into its treasury operations. That’s a clear signal they trust Ripple’s growing lineup of financial tools, not just its payments.
So, VivoPower isn’t just sitting on XRP and waiting. They’re right in the mix, shaping how this ecosystem’s financial side grows and changes.
South Korea’s Role in the XRP Strategy
Executives involved in the deal have repeatedly emphasized the importance of South Korea to XRP’s global footprint.
An expert familiar with VivoPower’s strategy said South Korea represents the largest concentration of XRP holders by both value and participation, making it a natural launchpad for structured XRP-linked investment products.
The new investment vehicle is expected to appeal to investors who want exposure to Ripple’s growth while avoiding the custody, volatility, and regulatory complexities associated with holding tokens directly.
“This structure allows qualifying investors to gain Ripple-linked exposure at a material discount to spot XRP prices,” an expert involved in the transaction said, highlighting the appeal of private equity access in a market where retail demand for XRP remains strong.
Lean Ventures and Early Investor Interest
Lean Ventures, the South Korea–based asset manager partnering with VivoPower, has already begun canvassing interest among potential investors.
That outreach reportedly includes K-Weather, a Korean sustainability-focused firm that signed a heads-of-agreement earlier this year to acquire an initial 20% stake in VivoPower. The company has indicated it is in the final stages of due diligence on that transaction.
If completed, K-Weather’s involvement would further anchor VivoPower’s strategy within South Korea’s institutional investment ecosystem, reinforcing the regional focus of the Ripple-linked vehicle.
Ripple’s Broader Expansion Across Asia and Europe
Ripple isn’t just sticking to the U.S. anymore. The VivoPower deal shows they’re thinking bigger, reaching out to institutions all over the world.
Take Asia, for example. SBI Ripple Asia just teamed up with Doppler Finance. Together, they’re rolling out separate XRP custody, yield products, and even real-world asset tokenization for institutional players. The idea here? Push XRP past its usual cross-border payment role and open the door to yield-focused financial products built right on the XRP Ledger.
An expert involved in the initiative said the goal is to position XRP as a productive asset rather than a passive settlement token.
In Europe, Ripple has also moved deeper into regulated banking channels. A Swiss-regulated institution recently announced it would become the first European bank to use Ripple’s licensed end-to-end payments network, a milestone that strengthens Ripple’s credibility within traditional finance.
What This Means for XRP and Corporate Crypto Strategy
VivoPower’s latest move says a lot about how big companies are starting to handle crypto. They’re not just sitting on tokens anymore. Now, they’re digging into private equity, looking for ways to earn yield, and getting creative with how they tie themselves to the blockchain world.
Take XRP, for example. This deal really pushes the idea that institutions are changing how they approach crypto—while everyday investors keep riding their usual ups and downs. By connecting Ripple equity to the economic impact of XRP itself, VivoPower is basically building a link between old-school finance and a core part of the crypto universe.
Will other public companies follow this playbook? Hard to say right now. But you can’t ignore the scale. A $300 million equity commitment, backed by nearly a billion dollars’ worth of XRP exposure, puts VivoPower right in the spotlight. It’s one of the boldest corporate crypto bets we’ve seen so far.
As rules get clearer and more institutions look for smart ways to tap into digital assets, don’t be surprised if this kind of deal goes from rare to routine. This feels like a real sign of where things are heading.
