Ripple has announced that it is expanding the reach of its U.S. dollar–backed stablecoin, RLUSD, across Africa. This expansion is set to happen by partnering with three key regional platforms: Chipper Cash, VALR, and Yellow Card. These local integrations now enable institutions to access a regulated digital dollar for cross-border payments, on-chain settlements, treasury use, and tokenized asset support.
This launch builds on Ripple’s global expansion strategy, which has deployed RLUSD across Ethereum and XRP Ledger networks since late 2024.
Jack McDonald, Ripple’s SVP of Stablecoins, affirmed that RLUSD “has become established in enterprise financial use cases, payments, tokenization, collateral, and more”, and that demand from institutional clients drove the African rollout with trusted local partners.
Beyond finance, RLUSD is powering humanitarian use cases. In Kenya, Mercy Corps Ventures is piloting smart-contract–based climate-resilience projects that automatically release payouts in RLUSD when satellite data confirms drought or rainfall thresholds. These trials showcase real-world utility and innovation.
RLUSD stands out for its compliance-first design. It is issued by a New York trust company regulated by the NYDFS, fully backed 1:1 with cash and U.S. Treasury instruments, secured by licensed custodians, and subject to third-party audits. The Dubai Financial Services Authority has also approved RLUSD for use within the DIFC, underscoring its regulatory credibility.
Ripple continues growing RLUSD’s ecosystem, with global listings in progress. The company is also moving to bolster its infrastructure by acquiring stablecoin payment firm Rail for $200 million and prime broker Hidden Road for $1.25 billion. These strategic moves aim to solidify RLUSD’s role in regulated, efficient, institutional finance.
As RLUSD expands to Africa’s rapidly growing markets, it offers the continent, long reliant on unstable payment infrastructures, a trusted, efficient digital alternative. By combining regulatory integration, institutional-grade features, and innovative pilot programs, Ripple positions RLUSD as a stable and scalable solution that shapes the future of cross-border finance in Africa and beyond.
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