Ripple and Brinc have opened applications for a 12-week fintech accelerator in Hong Kong, targeting startups from the pre-seed stage to Series A. The program is aimed at teams building practical digital finance products for the broader Asian market, with submissions handled through Brinc’s dedicated application platform.
The focus areas include cross-border payments, foreign exchange operations, trade finance, lending, stablecoins, tokenization, settlement networks, and AI-powered payment systems. Startups selected for the cohort will receive mentorship from specialists in finance, blockchain, and business development across the 12-week schedule. Brinc says the effort is meant to support not just product development, but also commercial partnerships and real market use cases.
All participating teams will build on XRPL
Every startup in the program is expected to develop on the XRP Ledger (XRPL). Ripple’s native blockchain is presented as a fit for payment and settlement products because of its fast transaction speeds and relatively low fees. The accelerator is structured around solutions that can address actual financial needs in Hong Kong and in Asian markets more broadly.
Participants will also be introduced to potential investors, corporate partners, and financial institutions. Projects that meet the criteria may apply for grant funding that does not require any equity transfer, giving founders a way to continue product development without immediate ownership dilution.
Hong Kong’s stablecoin rules add context to the launch
Hong Kong is also advancing its regulated stablecoin framework. Authorities recently introduced a new licensing regime for issuers of fiat-referenced stablecoins, and after two license approvals earlier this year, officials expect the first Hong Kong dollar-backed stablecoins by mid-2026.
That regulatory backdrop gives the accelerator added weight. A clearer rule set could improve the commercial outlook for startups building payment rails, settlement infrastructure, and other digital finance products in the region, especially those tied to stablecoin and cross-border transaction use cases.
Ripple CTO puts forward a new XRPL ordering model
Separate from the accelerator announcement, Ripple Chief Technology Officer David Schwartz has proposed a new transaction ordering system for the XRPL decentralized exchange and automated market maker. The stated goal is to reduce exposure to front running and sandwich attacks while making transaction execution on the network more predictable.
According to the source material, the proposal is designed to limit front-running risks for DEX and AMM transactions on XRPL. For teams building financial applications on-chain, execution consistency and trade integrity are closely tied to how usable those products become in practice.