Ripple has officially introduced the University Digital Asset Xcelerator (UDAX) in partnership with UC Berkeley to advance innovation on the XRP Ledger (XRPL) and foster practical applications of $XRP-related technology. The program is part of Ripple’s broader academic initiative (the University Blockchain Research Initiative, or UBRI) and aims to bridge early academic research with real-world, institutional-ready blockchain products.
Key points about the initiative:
1) University Digital Asset Xcelerator (UDAX) was launched with the University of California, Berkeley to support early-stage teams building on the XRP Ledger.
2) The first cohort — UDAX-UC Berkeley — ran as a six-week pilot in fall 2025.
3) Nine startups participated, receiving technical support, mentorship, and access to venture capital networks as they developed and prepared their projects for deployment.
4) Ripple engineers worked alongside UC Berkeley faculty and industry experts, culminating in a demo day at Ripple’s San Francisco headquarters featuring Ripple leadership and VC representatives.
This program is designed to help turn academic innovation into deployed, scalable solutions on the XRP Ledger, supporting broader adoption and utility of the XRP ecosystem.
