Ripple Makes Australia Its Next Big Regulated Payments Bet
- Ripple seeks an AFSL to deepen its regulated payments reach across Australia now.
- The license bid could help Ripple scale faster cross-border payment services in APAC.
- Australia stands as a key test for blockchain settlement inside regulated finance.
Ripple plans to obtain an Australian Financial Services License to expand its regulated payments infrastructure across the Asia-Pacific region. The company said the license would allow financial institutions and enterprises in Australia to access faster cross-border settlement through its Ripple Payments platform. Ripple intends to secure the license through the proposed acquisition of BC Payments Australia Pty Ltd. The acquisition remains subject to standard completion procedures.
The license would extend Ripple’s regulatory presence across Asia-Pacific and add to more than 75 regulatory licenses the company already holds globally. Ripple also reported that its payments volume in the Asia-Pacific region nearly doubled year-over-year in 2025.
The company already works with several Australian firms, including Hai Ha Money Transfer, Stables, Caleb & Brown, Flash Payments, and Independent Reserve.
Ripple Expands Regulatory Strategy in Australia
Ripple said licensing remains central to its global growth strategy. The company seeks regulatory approvals to deliver compliant blockchain payment infrastructure across financial markets.
“Licensing is fundamental to Ripple’s strategy, ensuring we can deliver secure, compliant solutions to customers worldwide,” said Fiona Murray, Managing Director of Asia Pacific at Ripple.
Murray described Australia as a key market for the company’s expansion plans. “Australia is a key market for Ripple, and an AFSL strengthens our ability to scale Ripple Payments across the region,” Murray said.
She added that blockchain technology and digital assets allow financial institutions to move value across borders with improved speed and transparency. Ripple said it continues to work closely with regulators across the region as digital asset infrastructure evolves.
Payments Platform Designed for End-to-End Transactions
Ripple said the Australian license would allow its platform to manage the full lifecycle of cross-border transactions. The system handles onboarding, compliance procedures, funding, foreign exchange, liquidity management, and final payout.
Ripple Payments connects traditional banking rails with digital assets to facilitate global settlements. If regulators approve the license, Ripple would oversee settlement directly and connect customers to local payout partners.
The company said this approach helps optimize transaction routing while improving transparency and settlement speed. Ripple added that customers can integrate directly into its infrastructure without managing blockchain systems themselves or coordinating multiple intermediaries.
Founded in 2012, Ripple develops enterprise blockchain solutions for payments, custody, liquidity management, and treasury operations. The company describes its platform as a unified system that supports the movement, storage, exchange, and management of value across financial networks.
Related: Ripple CEO Predicts 90% Odds of CLARITY Act Approval by April
Industry Observers Monitor Crypto Integration in Finance
The expansion raises a broader question for the financial sector. Will blockchain settlement appear directly inside regulated payment systems? Some observers say the license could increase adoption of crypto payment infrastructure in regulated financial markets.
Kartik Swaminathan, lead contributor at crypto fintech firm Demether, described the license as “a game changer” and “a possible template of how crypto could enter mainstream usage.” Swaminathan also noted that regulatory clarity remains important for the sector.
While the license may bring legitimacy to blockchain settlement, he said, government agencies could take time to define clear regulatory processes. “Consumers are agnostic to tech, so new products need to be faster or cheaper to win,” Swaminathan said.
He added that Ripple faces growing competition from several Australian stablecoin initiatives. Swaminathan said market distribution could determine which payment technologies gain the strongest adoption in the future.
Ripple currently participates in several digital finance initiatives across Australia. These include Project Acacia, which the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre lead.
