The University of Toronto has partnered with Ripple to launch an independent XRP Ledger validator as part of Ripple's Blockchain Research Initiative (UBRI) program. The validator will focus on payment processing and participate in Ripple's consensus process, which supports decentralization. The University of Toronto joins other Canadian universities, including Toronto Metropolitan University and the University of Waterloo, as partners in Ripple's UBRI program. Ripple has invested $2 million in Canada's top colleges and universities over the past five years and has committed $80 million to the program this year.