Ripple’s stablecoin RLUSD has surged to nearly $1.52 billion on the XRP Ledger as the US Senate advances a bill banning central bank digital currencies.
Demand for privately issued digital dollars is rising amid regulatory uncertainty. The growth follows record token issuances and increasing adoption in settlements and DeFi.
Lawmakers argue Americans should keep financial freedom, while Ripple expands infrastructure for institutional and retail users.
RLUSD growth accelerates with large token issuances
Ripple USD had a market value of $235 million on the XRP Ledger at the end of 2025. That figure has now surged to nearly $1.52 billion.
The increase follows multiple token issuances, including a record 69-million-token mint last week transferred to the Gemini exchange.
Ripple’s Treasury has also conducted smaller mints and burns on XRPL and Ethereum, such as a 20-million-token mint on February 27 and roughly 10 million tokens two days prior.
RLUSD is pegged 1:1 to the US dollar and backed by dollar deposits, US Treasuries, and cash equivalents. Ripple designed the stablecoin for cross-border payments and institutional use.
Panos Mekras, CEO of Anodos Finance, told X that billions of dollars in XRP remain idle, while RLUSD liquidity grows. He added that Ripple aims to integrate XRP and RLUSD into daily transactions via consumer payment products and a self-custodial financial app.
Ripple expands partnerships and blockchain reach
Ripple is enhancing its infrastructure through partnerships with Securosys and Figment, adding hardware security modules and staking services.
The company is also working with Aviva Investors to digitize traditional investment funds on the XRP Ledger.
Ripple Payments now supports holding, swapping, and distributing payments in fiat and stablecoins across more than 60 markets.
Looking ahead, Ripple confirmed that RLUSD will expand to Ethereum layer-2 solutions next year.
The stablecoin will use the Wormhole interoperability protocol on Optimism, Base, Ink, and Unichain.
Ripple SVP Jack McDonald stated that stablecoins help revive DeFi and institutional adoption while aligning with regulatory compliance.
The developments underscore growing adoption and the expanding role of private digital dollars in the global financial ecosystem.
Meanwhile, the US Senate’s housing reform package includes provisions restricting the Federal Reserve from issuing a digital dollar.
Representative Ralph Norman confirmed the push for a permanent CBDC ban, emphasizing that Americans deserve financial freedom.
Analysts note that Ripple’s moves position RLUSD to meet institutional demand while navigating regulatory obstacles.