Institutional engagement with XRP continues to deepen as Vivopower International PLC (Nasdaq: VVPR) unveils a structured equity strategy that provides large-scale indirect exposure to the digital asset without requiring direct token custody. Announced on December 15, the transaction references approximately 450 million underlying XRP tokens, valued at roughly $900 million at current spot prices, through a targeted purchase of Ripple Labs shares.
Structure: Equity Ownership Linked to XRP Economics
Vivopower's digital asset unit, Vivo Federation, was engaged by Lean Ventures to originate an initial $300 million of Ripple Labs preferred shares under a joint venture partnership. The company confirmed it had received written approval from Ripple Labs for the initial tranche and entered bilateral negotiations with institutional holders for additional shares. Vivopower will participate through management fees and performance carry tied to the vehicle, targeting a net economic return of approximately $75 million over three years based on initial assets under management.
“This translates to approximately 450 million underlying XRP tokens, worth an estimated $900 million at the current XRP spot price,” the announcement stated. The structure offers institutional participants indirect XRP-linked economics through equity ownership, bypassing the operational and regulatory burdens of direct token custody.
Focus on South Korea: A Strategic XRP Hub
The joint venture framework follows a definitive agreement reached on December 12 between Vivopower and Lean Ventures. It is designed to serve qualified South Korean institutional and retail investors. South Korea represents a strategic target due to its high concentration of XRP ownership and active trading activity, positioning the Ripple-linked structure as part of a broader, phased expansion of Vivopower's XRPL-based digital asset strategy. The company emphasized that no balance sheet capital deployment is required from Vivopower; instead, returns are generated via fee structures and carried interest.
This development signals growing demand for compliant, scalable access to XRP exposure among institutional investors who may be restricted from directly holding tokens. By replicating this equity-linked model, Vivopower could pave the way for additional institutional capital flows into XRP and Ripple Labs, further integrating digital assets into traditional structured finance.