Joseph Thompson will officially step down from his position at the London Metal Exchange on August 31, concluding a tenure of nearly ten years. On August 28, Ripple reportedly hired the metals exchange treasury executive to join its trading and markets team.
In his new role, Thompson’s mandate is already clear. His responsibilities will center on the strategy and delivery of asset tokenization products for the company’s enterprise clients.
Bringing Experience from the Metal Exchange
Thompson brings a long track record to the division’s leadership ranks. During his time at the LME, he served as Senior Vice President and Head of Treasury. In that role, he was tasked with overseeing all treasury operations for the industrial metal futures and options exchange.
His expertise is backed by more than 15 years in the financial services industry. Thompson holds a certification from the Association of Corporate Treasurers and has served across multiple global banking institutions. Prior to managing treasury operations at the LME, he managed liquidity and funding at Deutsche Bank. His career also includes handling liquidity risk at ICAP and collateral management at the London Clearing House.
Trillion-Dollar Expansion
Ripple’s recruitment of Thompson coincides with the firm’s broader business expansion across several new sectors, ranging from custody solutions and stablecoin issuance to institutional treasury and trading technology.
To bolster its capital markets infrastructure, Ripple recently invested in platforms ZILO and Licuido. These partnerships introduce token issuance functionality and collateral management tools into the firm’s ecosystem.
This new infrastructure connects directly with Ripple Prime services. Born out of the $1.25 billion acquisition of the Hidden Road platform closed in October 2025, the division now processes more than $3 trillion in annual trading volume for over 300 institutional clients.
In the same announcement, the company also allocated $300,000 in humanitarian aid. The cash donation will be channeled through World Central Kitchen and Mercy Corps to assist victims of recent flooding in Nepal and Tibet.
The arrival of a former executive specialized in collateral and liquidity reflects the evolving expectations of institutional players in the crypto space. For Ripple’s hundreds of clients, bringing in a traditional finance veteran reinforces the company’s commitment to applying strict risk management standards across its asset tokenization offerings.
Reported by crypto.news.
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Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only, not financial advice. Cryptocurrency assets are highly volatile and carry significant risk. Always do your own research (DYOR) and never invest more than you can afford to lose.
