RLUSD Doubles to $1.5B in Under Six Months as Ripple Expands Global Deals
- RLUSD doubles to $1.5B as supply climbs across exchanges and settlement channels.
- Ripple expands UAE ties as Zand links RLUSD to its dirham stablecoin on XRPL.
- Tokenization push grows with Ripple and Aviva bringing fund structures on-chain.
Ripple’s dollar-pegged stablecoin, RLUSD, has crossed a new threshold as it now sits at roughly $1.52 billion in market value, a jump that has unfolded in less than six months and pushed the token into a higher tier of the stablecoin market. CoinMarketCap figures put that milestone into clearer focus: RLUSD was hovering near $750 million in September 2025, and its supply has grown steadily ever since.
The climb has landed at a moment when competition among dollar-backed tokens is intensifying, and regulatory conversations in Washington continue to drag. Yet RLUSD’s trajectory appears to be moving on its clock, shaped by demand from exchanges, institutions, and cross-border settlement corridors where Ripple has spent the last year widening its footprint.
Rapid Supply Growth Since September
Per reports, market supply began picking up pace in the fourth quarter of 2025. RLUSD, which operates across the XRP Ledger and Ethereum, found its way onto more exchanges and into more payment flows.
Traders tend to interpret this kind of expansion as a sign of rising settlement demand, though Ripple has framed the growth more narrowly around institutional uptake. The company has emphasized that RLUSD is backed by cash and short-term U.S. Treasuries, an approach that fits neatly with the current regulatory climate.
That structure, combined with the dual-chain design, has helped the token land in both DeFi markets and enterprise-facing payment rails. Consequently, liquidity has deepened as circulation widened, and by early 2026, the token had effectively doubled its market cap.
UAE Partnership Broadens Regional Reach
A sizeable part of RLUSD’s momentum has come from Ripple’s push into the Gulf. Earlier this month, the firm announced a broader tie-up with Zand Bank, a digital institution in the United Arab Emirates. Under the alliance, RLUSD will be linked with AEDZ, Zand’s dirham-pegged stablecoin, on the XRP Ledger.
Ripple says the pairing is meant to strengthen settlement corridors between the U.S. dollar and the UAE dirham in tokenized form. The UAE has shown steady interest in on-chain finance, and Zand has positioned itself as a bank built for that shift.
Reece Merrick, who oversees Ripple’s Middle East and Africa operations, said the teamwork reflects the region’s push for secure and transparent digital payment tools. Similarly, Zand CEO Michael Chan pointed to stablecoins and tokenization as forces reshaping financial infrastructure at a faster pace than many expected.
“Leveraging stablecoins, blockchain technology, and tokenization can unlock powerful new use cases as traditional finance moves on-chain,” he stated.
Tokenization Efforts Move in Parallel
Ripple has also leaned deeper into tokenization. A new partnership with Aviva Investors, announced this week, will bring traditional investment funds onto the XRP Ledger. The initiative adds another layer to the company’s pitch to institutions, which has increasingly shifted toward on-chain settlements and programmable finance.
The timing overlaps with a drawn-out policy debate in Washington. The CLARITY Act, meant to outline federal oversight for digital assets, remains stalled amid disagreements over how far stablecoin rules should reach. Per reports, lawmakers remain divided on yield programs, reserve requirements, and the division of authority between regulators.
Consequently, industry participants argue the uncertainty has slowed institutional onboarding in some segments, though others contend that issuers with transparent disclosures and conservative reserve structures are already preparing for whatever rules emerge.
Related: Citadel and ARK Invest Back LayerZero’s Zero Blockchain in Global Market Push
Regulatory Tension Shapes Market Positioning
That backdrop has added weight to RLUSD’s recent expansion. Yet, the stablecoin’s rise suggests that demand for regulated dollar-backed assets remains intact despite the policy gridlock.
With its market value now above $1.5 billion, RLUSD has edged further into a competitive field where compliance, transparency, and regional partnerships increasingly dictate momentum rather than sheer market hype.
