Ripple’s University Blockchain Research Initiative (UBRI) is providing $1.3 million in Ripple USD (RLUSD) to launch a new research hub at UC Berkeley: the Center for Digital Assets (CDA).
According to an official statement, the center, which is under Berkeley’s College of Engineering, seeks to research how physical and digital assets can be traced, valued, and traded using blockchain and digital twin technologies.
The funding marks the first time Ripple has helped establish a dedicated center on campus, building on a seven‑year collaboration with the university in blockchain, cryptocurrency, and digital payment research.
How the CDA will work
The center will bring together UC Berkeley faculty, students, and Ripple engineers to work on open‑source technologies in digital asset management.
The funding for the CDA will support three key areas. First, collaborative research and pilot projects will use UC Berkeley’s facilities and expertise to explore new digital technologies. Second, the center will focus on student learning, giving hands‑on experience with digital assets, digital twins, and related fields like economics, finance, and entrepreneurship. Finally, it will help build a wider ecosystem by connecting academic, industry, and student communities and supporting future innovation.
In addition, the CDA is partnering with Ripple to launch the Berkeley Digital Asset Accelerator (BDAX), a program for growth‑stage startups building on the XRPL blockchain. The pilot program, starting this October, has already received 46 applications for just 10 slots. Future cohorts may expand to projects involving digital twins and physical‑to‑digital asset integration.
UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons called the center “a fantastic example of the game‑changing discoveries such collaborations foster.” He added, “There is no better place than Berkeley to incubate and launch innovations that expand our concept of what’s possible.”
What will the CDA study?
The CDA will explore a wide range of projects, from blockchain‑based innovations to digital twins, detailed virtual replicas of physical assets. These models can represent chips, cars, crops, and even whole forests, allowing researchers to study current and future value. Digital twins might even enable farmers to access funds or consumers to engage with products in virtual reality before buying.
The center will also examine digital content such as cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and digital representations of physical assets. By turning physical items into digital models, researchers hope to improve supply chain transparency, inventory management, and financial access in industries like agriculture.
According to a 2025 report from IDC, global digital data is projected to reach 175–181 zettabytes, equivalent to a trillion gigabytes or about 250 billion DVDs.