The center will support research, education, and digital asset innovation while nurturing global academic and industry ties.
Ripple and UC Berkeley have joined forces to push digital assets into a new chapter.
The university’s College of Engineering is opening a Center for Digital Assets, backed by Ripple’s $1.3 million contribution. The new facility aims to explore blockchain technology and digital twin models that can transform how value is tracked and exchanged.
Researchers will study how digital content, now produced at an unprecedented scale, can be classified and treated as assets. This move builds on Ripple’s ongoing university partnerships while introducing a fresh platform for innovation.
According to a university release, Ripple’s University Blockchain Research Initiative funded the center with $1.3 million in Ripple USD. The stablecoin grant will support a wide range of projects spanning blockchain and asset digitization.
UC Berkeley researchers said the mission will focus on reliable methods of defining and measuring asset value.
Tarek Zohdi, faculty director of the new center, explained that digital content has long been part of economies but lacked consistent valuation standards. The center intends to build frameworks for understanding digital assets and their exchange.
Efforts will include creating digital twins of physical objects such as crops, machines, and even entire supply chains.
Ripple’s partnership extends beyond funding. The company’s engineers will collaborate with Berkeley faculty on joint projects.
The goal is to produce open-source technology that strengthens the broader blockchain ecosystem. This builds on a seven-year partnership between the company and the university.
Research at the Center for Digital Assets will span multiple industries. For example, digital models of crops could give farmers new tools to secure credit.
Digital twins of machines and industrial equipment could help buyers and sellers negotiate prices with more transparency. The center expects these applications to reduce inefficiencies while opening opportunities for more accurate trade.
Ripple and Berkeley are also launching the Berkeley Digital Asset Accelerator. The pilot program, starting this month, will support startups building on XRPL. Forty-six teams applied for ten slots, reflecting demand for growth in blockchain projects.
The center will focus on three main areas: research and pilot projects, academic development, and ecosystem growth. This includes expanding access to blockchain learning tools and building global connections for research and industry collaboration.
