Singapore’s MAS grants Ripple wider payment permissions as APAC demand surges

• MAS expands Ripple’s payment permissions for XRP and RLUSD services.
• The approval boosts Ripple’s role in fast, regulated APAC cross-border payments.
• Regional digital asset activity rises as Ripple deepens Singapore investment.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has approved an expanded range of payment activities for Ripple Markets APAC, the company’s local subsidiary.

This approval allows Ripple to grow its regulated payment services for banks, fintechs, and corporates in one of the world’s most tightly supervised financial markets.

Ripple can now offer a wider suite of digital payment token services linked to XRP and RLUSD.

It also gives the firm more room to deliver cross-border payment solutions that rely on digital assets to settle transactions faster and at a lower cost.

Ripple’s leaders say this development reflects the value of Singapore’s clear regulatory stance.

President Monica Long described MAS as a global benchmark for transparency and stable rules.

She said the decision strengthens Ripple’s plan to deepen its investment in the market and build infrastructure that supports faster global money movement.

MAS’s frameworks under the Payment Services Act give digital asset firms defined rules covering token issuance, custody, and payments.

Expansion aligned with rising APAC demand

The approval marks a surge in digital asset activity in the Asia-Pacific region, with a year-over-year increase of about 70%.

Ripple says Singapore sits at the centre of this growth thanks to its advanced policies and its early embrace of regulated digital token services.

Fiona Murray, Ripple’s Vice President and Managing Director for the region, said the expanded license equips the company to serve the institutions driving that growth.

She noted that regulated payment rails remain essential as cross-border activity accelerates across regional markets.

Ripple first established its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore in 2017.

The company later secured a full MPI license, placing it among a select group of blockchain-focused firms approved to provide digital token services in the country.

Broader capabilities for institutional clients

With the updated permissions, Ripple can now support end-to-end payment flows through a single integration.

This includes collection, holding, token swaps, and payouts.

The system enables clients to avoid multiple infrastructure partners and reduces their reliance on additional banking relationships.

Ripple Payments, the company’s global solution, merges digital tokens with a payout network that handles conversion, compliance, and settlement operations.

By absorbing the technical and blockchain complexity, Ripple enables institutions to offer digital payment services more efficiently.

The company’s stablecoin, RLUSD, sits at the core of several of these services.

The stablecoin recently received recognition in Abu Dhabi as an Accepted Fiat-Referenced Token, allowing licensed firms in the Abu Dhabi Global Market to use it for regulated financial activities.

This adds momentum to Ripple’s broader expansion across the UAE and Asia.

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