Ripple Tokens $280M Diamonds on XRP – Game Changer?

Ripple-backed Ctrl Alt and Billiton Diamond tokenize $280M in certified diamonds on XRP Ledger, setting a new global standard for luxury real-world assets.

Luxury assets just moved on-chain. Ctrl Alt, the Ripple-backed tokenization firm, has locked in a deal with Billiton Diamond to put over $280,000,000 in certified diamonds onto the XRP Ledger. The partnership was confirmed across X, and the numbers are hard to ignore.

That is 1 billion-plus AED in physical inventory. Now tradable. That shift alone changes what “illiquid” means in digital commodities.

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XRP Ledger Takes on High-Value Real-World Assets

RWA watchlist account @RWAwatchlist_ posted on X that Ctrl Alt had secured the $280 million diamond tokenization deal in the UAE, adding that luxury assets are officially moving on-chain and that tokenization is now spreading beyond traditional finance.

The deal leans on three things from Ripple’s side. Bank-grade custody for the physical stock. The XRP Ledger’s speed and low transaction cost to turn gemstones into tradable digital tokens. And regulatory alignment inside the UAE’s DMCC and VARA structures.

Ripple team member @reece_merrick posted on X calling it a masterclass in how the XRP Ledger handles high-value real-world assets at scale. He pointed to what he framed as the “Trust Gap” problem in digital commodities, arguing this deal directly addresses it. Merrick called Ripple Custody the bank-grade vaulting the market has needed for $280M-plus in physical inventory.

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The UAE Is Setting the Global Benchmark

Billiton Diamond is among the top certified diamond suppliers operating out of the region. The tokenization process ties each physical stone to a verified digital asset. Ctrl Alt handles that bridge between vault and ledger.

What makes the UAE the obvious location for this? DMCC, the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, and VARA, the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority, both give the deal a compliance structure that most markets cannot match right now. Merrick noted on X this positions the UAE to set a global standard, not just a regional one.

Real-world asset tokenization has been a trend across crypto markets for months. This deal, though, moves it into physical luxury goods at a scale that hasn’t been seen before.

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From Vault to Wallet – What Changes Now

The core idea is simple, even if the execution isn’t. Diamonds sitting locked in a vault generate nothing. Tokenized on XRPL, the same inventory becomes a tradable asset with near-instant settlement and minimal fees. That changes the liquidity math for high-net-worth investors and institutional players.

Merrick’s post on X described the development as part of what he called the “Internet of Value” being built in real time. The phrase captures something real. It’s not a future concept. It’s a $280 million transaction happening now.

The RWA space has long pointed toward commodities as the next frontier after real estate and bonds. Diamonds are a harder problem. They’re not fungible, valuation is complex, and custody is expensive. The Ctrl Alt and Billiton deal takes all three of those friction points head-on.

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The XRP Ledger’s native features do a lot of the heavy lifting here. Transaction costs on XRPL run at a fraction of what Ethereum-based tokenization typically demands. For a deal of this scale, that matters.

Merrick said on X that XRPL’s speed and cost profile is what lets the team turn illiquid luxury goods into tradable assets without the overhead eating into the proposition. That’s the operational argument. The market argument writes itself.