Ripple partners with Wormhole to begin testing on various blockchains

Ripple, the payments-focused blockchain firm, has announced the expansion of its US dollar-backed stablecoin (RLUSD) into Ethereum layer-2 (L2) blockchains, including Optimism, Coinbase’s Base, Kraken’s Ink, and Uniswap’s Unichain.

In a press release, the crypto firm announced that it is taking a significant step toward a multi-chain future with the launch of its stablecoin on layer-2 networks, ahead of its official debut next year, pending regulatory approval. 

Ripple partners with Wormhole to begin testing on various blockchains

Ripple has partnered with Wormhole to begin testing on the various blockchains. According to the company, leveraging Wormhole’s Native Token Transfers (NTT) standard enables them to maintain native issuance and control the stablecoin, while providing the security and flexibility of on-chain liquidity movement across new ecosystems.

It will also enable a variety of decentralized finance (DeFi) applications on networks designed for faster speeds and lower costs.

This is an extension of its Wormhole integration with the XRP Ledger mid of this year. The expansion introduces wrapped XRP (wXRP) liquidity pairs, enabling seamless DeFi applications like swaps, checkout options, or apps that enhance buying, selling, or sending digital assets and lending across chains to enhance XRP’s utility beyond its native ecosystem. 

For instance, a retail crypto user could soon convert wXRP to RLUSD within a DeFi app on Optimism or Base without leaving the chain.

Jack McDonald, SVP of Stablecoin at Ripple, stated, “Stablecoins are the gateway to DeFi and institutional adoption, and RLUSD is designed from the ground up to be the trusted, liquid medium necessary for users to seamlessly enter, interact with, and exit the entire digital asset economy.”

He adds that, “By launching RLUSD—the first US Trust Regulated stablecoin on these L2 networks—we are not just expanding utility; we are setting the definitive standard where compliance and on-chain efficiency converge.”

Besides the US, its global footprint is revealed by over 75 licenses globally and is expanding. Most recently, RLUSD has been recognized by regulators in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Additionally, Singapore’s central bank recently expanded Ripple’s license to use XRP and RLUSD in payment services.

RLUSD ranks  third-largest among US-regulated stablecoins

RLUSD was originally available on Ethereum and the XRP Ledger networks. It is issued under a New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) Trust Charter. Ripple obtained initial approval for a federal trust bank charter from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) last week. This step would make RLUSD the first stablecoin under both state and federal regulatory oversight.

Ethereum hosts over $1.01 billion of RLUSD’s circulating supply compared to $225 million on XRPL. By launching on Ethereum, RLUSD plugged into lending protocols, decentralized exchanges, and yield farms. That attracted crypto investors looking for a compliant dollar token in DeFi.

The compliance-first approach attracted institutional partnerships. BlackRock and VanEck selected RLUSD as a redemption rail for tokenized Treasury funds. Prime brokerages approved RLUSD as eligible collateral.

As reported by Cryptopolitan, the USD-backed stablecoin then climbed from about $960 million at the start of November to $1.26 billion by early December. The 30% monthly jump pushed RLUSD into the top tier globally. That makes it the third-largest among US-regulated stablecoins positioned for GENIUS Act compliance when the federal framework takes effect in 2027.

It now sits behind only USDC and PayPal’s PYUSD among US-regulated dollar tokens. The climb was driven by exchange listings, institutional pilots with major financial players, and dual-chain architecture.

In November 2025, Ripple launched a pilot with Mastercard, WebBank, and Gemini to settle credit card transactions using RLUSD on the XRP Ledger. WebBank sends RLUSD over XRPL to instantly settle daily payment obligations with Mastercard. This replaced the traditional multi-day wait for bank ACH transfers.

Meanwhile, in a tweet, Ripple’s Senior Executive Officer and Managing Director, Middle East & Africa, Reece Merrick, has highlighted continued momentum. He also teased a big week ahead. 

If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter.