The future of crypto is undeniably multichain, and to truly serve both institutional finance and the growing onchain economy, stablecoins must exist wherever demand and utility are. As chains continue to build for real-world use, the need for a highly regulated stablecoin is stronger than ever.
Today, Ripple is taking an important step toward that future, with the launch of RLUSD on its first Layer 2 (L2) networks ahead of its official debut next year (pending regulatory approval). Testing will begin on Optimism, Base, Ink, and Unichain, in partnership with Wormhole—one of the leading multichain interoperability protocols—and its NTT token standard.
A True Multichain Strategy
RLUSD was initially issued on both the XRP Ledger (XRPL) and Ethereum, with the clear goal of enabling cross-chain and DeFi opportunities. This latest step—expanding to L2s—is essential for a scalable, efficient, and interoperable future.
Leveraging Wormhole’s Native Token Transfers (NTT) standard allows Ripple to maintain native issuance and control of RLUSD while providing the security and flexibility of onchain liquidity movement across these new ecosystems. Optimism serves as a crucial entry point to an ecosystem of other L2s including Base, Ink and Unichain.
“Stablecoins are the gateway to DeFi and institutional adoption, and RLUSD is designed from the ground up to be the trusted, liquid medium necessary for users to seamlessly enter, interact with, and exit the entire digital asset economy," said Jack McDonald, SVP of Stablecoin at Ripple. “By launching RLUSD—the first US Trust Regulated stablecoin on these L2 networks—we are not just expanding utility; we are setting the definitive standard where compliance and on-chain efficiency converge.”
Setting the Standard for Trust and Compliance
Built from the ground up with financial use cases in mind, RLUSD is designed to meet the highest compliance standards required for enterprise adoption. On these new chains, RLUSD will be the first U.S.-based, trust-regulated stablecoin to launch, upholding the principles of transparency and regulation.
RLUSD is issued under a New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) Trust Company Charter. This charter ensures bank-level oversight and regulation, offering a level of confidence few stablecoins can match. Furthermore, Ripple has applied for an OCC charter, which would ultimately provide RLUSD with both state and Federal oversight—a dual regulatory structure that no stablecoin currently holds.
Beyond the U.S., Ripple's commitment to compliance is evident in its global footprint with over 75 licenses globally and expanding. Most recently, RLUSD has been recognized by regulators in key international hubs like Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Enhancing Utility for XRP and RLUSD
A truly successful digital asset ecosystem needs a reliable, stable currency. Ripple prioritizes issuing RLUSD wherever there is demand for XRP (wXRP), strengthening the utility of both assets.
Hex Trust announced the issuance of wXRP for cross-chain interoperability, a step that will make it significantly easier for XRP holders to use XRP alongside RLUSD as a premier trading and liquidity pair on supported chains.
This integration creates new opportunities across the ecosystem, allowing businesses to seamlessly support XRP and RLUSD in customer-facing services such as payments, swaps, checkout options, or apps that let users buy, sell, or send digital assets. Consequently, everyday XRP holders gain the ability to use wXRP across supported chains for swaps, lending, and, where available, yield.
Ripple expects to launch RLUSD on additional chains next year, subject to final regulatory approval. This expansion is a significant step toward diversifying the stablecoin ecosystem and delivering on its commitment to a truly multichain future.
*RLUSD launch on subsequent chains is subject to testing and approval by NYDFS.
