Ripple Moves to Acquire BC Payments to Expand Regulated Payments in APAC

TLDR

• Ripple plans to acquire BC Payments Australia to obtain an Australian Financial Services License.
• The license will allow Ripple to manage full cross-border payment transactions in Australia.
• Ripple’s APAC payment volumes nearly doubled year on year in 2025.
• Ripple now holds more than 75 regulatory licenses across global markets.

Ripple plans to acquire BC Payments Australia as part of its strategy to expand regulated operations across the Asia Pacific region. The deal will allow Ripple to obtain an Australian Financial Services License and strengthen its payment services in the country. Acquisition is subject to standard completion processes. Once finalized, Ripple will integrate BC Payments into its global payment infrastructure. 

The move is aimed at supporting financial institutions, fintech firms, and enterprises that rely on cross-border transactions. Ripple said the license will help scale its Ripple Payments platform in Australia. The system uses blockchain technology and digital assets to move funds across borders with faster settlement and improved transparency. 

Ripple Targets Australian Regulatory License Through Acquisition

Ripple plans to secure the Australian Financial Services License through the proposed acquisition of BC Payments Australia Pty Ltd. BC Payments is the Australian subsidiary of Banking Circle, a European payments and fintech infrastructure provider.

The license will allow Ripple to operate under Australia’s established financial regulatory framework. This will enable the company to offer licensed payment services to banks, fintech companies, and enterprises operating in the country.

Fiona Murray, Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Ripple, stated that licensing remains central to the company’s strategy. She said, “Licensing is fundamental to Ripple’s strategy, ensuring we can deliver secure, compliant solutions to customers worldwide.” Murray added that Australia remains an important market for the firm’s payment network. She said the license would strengthen Ripple’s ability to expand Ripple Payments across the region.

Ripple Payments to Manage Full Transaction Lifecycle

With the license in place, Ripple Payments will manage the entire transaction process. This includes onboarding, compliance checks, funding, foreign exchange, liquidity management, and final payout.

The platform integrates traditional banking rails with digital assets. This allows transactions to move across different financial systems while maintaining regulatory compliance. Ripple said this structure will allow it to oversee settlement and connect clients to local payout partners. It will also optimize payment routing to reduce delays and improve transparency.

Customers will use a single integration with Ripple’s infrastructure. This removes the need to manage multiple intermediaries or direct interaction with blockchain networks. The system is designed to provide faster settlement times and reduce counterparty risk during international payments.

APAC Expansion Supported by Growing Regional Demand

Ripple reported strong growth in the Asia Pacific region during the past year. The company said its regional payments volume nearly doubled year on year in 2025. Several Australian financial institutions already use Ripple’s services. These include Hai Ha Money Transfer, Novatti Group, Stables, Caleb & Brown, Flash Payments, and Independent Reserve.

The company continues to work with regulators and policymakers across the region. It also participates in initiatives such as Project Acacia, led by the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre. The blockchain payments firm currently holds more than 75 regulatory licenses worldwide. Last month, it also secured a full Electronic Money Institution license in Luxembourg.

In late 2025, the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency granted Ripple conditional approval for a national trust bank charter. Ripple provides blockchain-based solutions for payments, custody, liquidity, and treasury management. Its infrastructure is supported by the XRP digital asset and its dollar-pegged stablecoin RLUSD. RLUSD currently has a market capitalization of about $1.6 billion. This places it among the largest stablecoins used in digital asset markets.

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