New XRPL Startup Initiative Launched by Seoul FinTech and XRPL Korea (Report)

Seoul FinTech Lab, a Seoul Metropolitan Government-funded incubator for fintech companies, has announced a collaboration with the Korean arm of the XRP Ledger (XRPL) ecosystem to support promising builders on the XRPL. The goal is to develop teams that can turn product ideas into real businesses built on the XRPL.

According to a report from the Korea Startup Post, Seoul FinTech Lab named the initiative the Korea Financial Innovation Program 2026. With Ripple as the main sponsor, about 21 other companies, including venture capital firms and accelerators, are joining as partners. The goal for these other firms is to connect Korea’s blockchain ecosystem to global markets.

Korea’s 2026 Financial Innovation Program

The innovation program will run for three months. Applications and preliminaries are scheduled for April 1 to May 6, after which 12 select teams will advance to the main round running from May 4 to May 13. Seoul FinTech Lab will host the final showdown on June 25 at Two IFC, The Forum in Seoul, Yeouido. Applications are open to both individuals and teams.

Before the main program begins, the organizers will host online sessions addressing technical onboarding and market trends. These sessions will run throughout April, with an offline briefing and insight meeting on April 22.

During the program period, participating teams will receive support, including business consulting, blockchain technology mentoring, and networking. The partners will also offer legal support, investment review, and invitations to overseas conferences. Additionally, there will be support for admission into the Seoul Fintech Lab residency program.

The organizers will provide a dedicated community, named Milgram, to share onboarding materials covering XRPL technology. There will also be content on business expansion, information on regulatory trends, and 1:1 consulting. Individual participants can be paired up with teams – those that advance to the main round will receive support to attract investment.

Up to $21K in Prizes Up For Grabs

At the end of the program, the winning team will receive 5 million Korean Won ($3,340). The teams in second and third place will each receive 3 million KRW ($2,000) and 2 million KRW ($1,330), respectively. Several partners, including Toss and the Korea Fintech Industry Association, will present special awards of 1 million KRW ($1,330) each. Others, like Bae, Kim & Lee, will provide legal advisory services worth 6 million KRW ($4,000) per year to the teams in first and second place.

In total, prizes in the program amount to 32 million KRW ($21,390). Aside from the prices, XRPL Korea will give participants opportunities to link recommendations to the XRPL Grants program. The program will offer up to $200,000 in value.