Mastercard, Ripple & Gemini Pilot RLUSD Settlements on XRPL
Mastercard, Ripple, WebBank and Gemini have partnered to pilot RLUSD stablecoin settlements on the XRP Ledger (XRPL). Pending regulatory approval, the trial will route Mastercard–WebBank payments through RLUSD, integrating Ripple’s regulated, dollar-backed stablecoin into everyday card transactions. Ripple highlights XRPL’s low costs and rapid finality and notes that daily transactions on XRPL rose 8.9% to 1.8 million in Q3 2025. Since launching in December on Ethereum and XRPL, RLUSD’s market cap has doubled to over $1 billion. As one of the first U.S. banking integrations with a public blockchain, this pilot may boost demand for XRP and pave the way for mainstream stablecoin settlements.
Bullish
The pilot signals stronger real-world use cases for RLUSD and the XRP Ledger. Integration with Mastercard and WebBank could increase transaction volume and market demand. Obtaining regulatory approval would validate RLUSD as a reliable settlement asset, boosting confidence in the XRP ecosystem. In the short term, trader interest may rise as the pilot progresses. In the long term, wider adoption of stablecoin settlements on XRPL could drive sustained bullish momentum for both XRP and RLUSD.