KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Ripple expands its USD-backed stablecoin, RLUSD, into the African market through strategic partnerships with Chipper Cash, VALR, and Yellow Card.
- RLUSD, launched in 2024, has surpassed $700 million in market capitalization, emphasizing trust, utility, and compliance.
- The stablecoin facilitates cross-border payments and integrates with DeFi protocols, enhancing financial solutions in Africa.
- RLUSD is also used in pilot projects for drought insurance in Kenya, showcasing its role in financial innovation.
Ripple, a prominent provider of digital asset infrastructure, has announced the expansion of its USD-backed stablecoin, Ripple USD (RLUSD), into the African market. This move is facilitated through partnerships with Chipper Cash, VALR, and Yellow Card. The announcement was made on September 4, 2025, in Dubai.
RLUSD, launched in late 2024, has quickly gained traction, surpassing $700 million in market capitalization. The stablecoin is designed with a focus on trust, utility, and compliance, leveraging Ripple’s extensive experience in both cryptocurrency and traditional finance sectors. It is issued by a New York limited purpose trust company, highlighting its regulatory compliance and credibility.
Strategic Partnerships to Enhance Financial Solutions
Jack McDonald, SVP of Stablecoins at Ripple, emphasized the growing demand for RLUSD among institutional players globally. He noted that the stablecoin is now being distributed in Africa through local partners, enhancing Ripple’s cross-border payments solution.
Ham Serunjogi, Co-Founder & CEO of Chipper Cash, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, highlighting RLUSD’s potential to drive institutional blockchain technology use across Africa. Similarly, Farzam Ehsani, Co-Founder and CEO of VALR, stated that the listing of RLUSD aligns with their strategy to offer compliant digital assets to both institutional and retail clients.
Chris Maurice, CEO and Co-Founder of Yellow Card, reiterated the importance of providing reliable and compliant payment infrastructure. He noted that offering RLUSD aligns with their mission to deliver trusted enterprise-grade solutions.
RLUSD’s Role in Financial Innovation
RLUSD is designed for various enterprise financial use cases, including facilitating instant settlement of cross-border payments, accessing liquidity for remittance and treasury operations, and integrating with decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols. It also serves as collateral for trading tokenized real-world assets, such as commodities and securities.
In addition to its availability in Africa, RLUSD is being utilized in pilot projects led by Mercy Corps Ventures in Kenya. These projects aim to provide drought insurance for farmers and support during extreme rainfall events, using smart contracts to release funds based on satellite data.
Ripple continues to expand RLUSD’s global reach, with availability through partners such as Bitso, Bitstamp, Bullish, CoinMENA, Independent Reserve, Gemini, Kraken, LMAX, Mercado Bitcoin, and Uphold. This ensures widespread access to the stablecoin across various markets.
For more details, the official announcement can be found here.
Why This Matters: Impact, Industry Trends & Expert Insights
Ripple has announced the expansion of its USD-backed stablecoin, Ripple USD (RLUSD), into the African market through partnerships with Chipper Cash, VALR, and Yellow Card.
A recent report highlights that stablecoin adoption in Africa is experiencing significant growth, particularly in sub-Saharan countries. This is driven by the need to mitigate inflation, currency depreciation, and high remittance costs. Ripple’s RLUSD expansion aligns with these trends, offering a stable and regulated alternative to existing digital dollars.
According to industry experts, RLUSD’s entry into Africa is seen as a strategic move to enhance financial inclusion and cross-border payments. This supports Ripple’s aim to provide a reliable digital dollar alternative in regions with currency volatility and limited banking infrastructure.
Explore More News:
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of CoinsHolder. Content, including that generated with the help of AI, is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal, financial, or professional advice. Readers should do their research before taking any actions related to the company and carry full responsibility for their decisions.
