Ripple and SBI Group launch RLUSD stablecoin in Japan

Ripple and SBI Group have announced the launch of the RLUSD US dollar-backed stablecoin in Japan. The launch follows the memorandum of understanding signed by the two companies in August 2025.

RLUSD's launch follows approval from the Japan Financial Services Agency (JFSA), which classifies it as an electronic payment instrument under Japan's Payment Services Act for foreign-issued stablecoins. The stablecoin will be offered to institutional and retail users through SBI VC Trade's VCTRADE platform.

"Japan has long been a leader in digital asset adoption, underpinned by both regulatory clarity and financial innovation. This launch marks an important step in expanding access to transparent, regulated USD-backed stablecoins like RLUSD for financial institutions, consumers and businesses in Japan," said Jack McDonald, senior vice president of stablecoins at Ripple. "Through our collaboration with SBI Group, RLUSD will serve as a bridge for payments, tokenisation and collateral management, connecting Japanese businesses and individuals more efficiently to global liquidity. Together, we're helping advance regulated stablecoin adoption across Asia."

"We are truly pleased to announce the launch of support for RLUSD, a U.S. dollar-denominated stablecoin. Ripple and the SBI Group have worked closely together for many years with a shared vision of advancing the future of on-chain finance. The introduction of RLUSD represents a major milestone in our ongoing collaboration and our efforts to drive innovation in digital finance. Looking ahead, we remain fully committed to expanding the range of services built around RLUSD and fostering new use cases that deliver greater value to our customers and the broader market," said SBI VC Trade chief executive officer, Tomohiko Kondo.

RLUSD is an enterprise-grade, USD-backed stablecoin built with trust, liquidity and compliance at its core. Since its launch in late 2024, RLUSD has reached $1.7 billion in market capitalisation, driven by increasing demand for regulated, enterprise-ready digital assets. Already deployed across multiple markets to enable faster settlements, greater transparency and more efficient cross-border liquidity, RLUSD is also being actively explored for next-generation applications including programmable trade settlements and supply chain finance.

This builds on a decade-long relationship between Ripple and SBI Group, which have worked together since 2016 to advance digital asset and blockchain-based financial infrastructure across Japan and the broader Asia-Pacific region. Through a series of joint initiatives, the two companies have helped drive innovation in cross-border payments and digital asset adoption. With RLUSD now available through SBI VC Trade, the partnership enters its next phase, bringing a regulated, enterprise-grade stablecoin to one of the world's most sophisticated digital asset markets.

Re-disseminated by Wealth and Society