Ripple has introduced its USD-backed stablecoin (RLUSD) in Africa through new partnerships with Chipper Cash, VALR, and Yellow Card. The launch opens institutional access to the digital dollar across the continent.
Launched in late 2024, RLUSD has already topped $700 million in market value. It is issued by a New York trust company regulated by the NYDFS, giving it both compliance backing and institutional credibility.
“RLUSD has quickly become established in enterprise financial use cases, from payments to tokenization to collateral in both crypto and traditional trading markets. We’re seeing demand for RLUSD from our customers and other key institutional players globally and are excited to now begin distribution in Africa through our local partners,” said Jack McDonald, SVP of Stablecoins at Ripple.
“We also recently enabled RLUSD in Ripple Payments, extending the breadth of stablecoins available in our cross-border payments solution to better serve our customers in Africa and worldwide.”
Local Partners Speak
Ham Serunjogi, Co-Founder and CEO of Chipper Cash, noted that following the company’s partnership with Ripple earlier this year to enhance cross-border payments into Africa, they were eager to introduce RLUSD to their clients at the earliest opportunity.
Farzam Ehsani, Co-Founder and CEO of VALR, said the exchange’s goal is to give people access to safe and reliable digital assets. He explained that adding RLUSD fits into VALR’s bigger plan to offer trusted stablecoin options for both everyday users and institutions.
Chris Maurice, Yellow Card’s Co-Founder and CEO, said bringing RLUSD onboard fits the company’s push to make payments more reliable and compliant across Africa and other growing markets.
Use Cases and Humanitarian Pilots
RLUSD isn’t just a stablecoin. It helps move money across borders, lets businesses manage their money, supports DeFi, and can back real-world assets. In Kenya, Mercy Corps Ventures is using it to give farmers insurance for drought and rainfall, with payouts triggered by satellite data.
Global Rollout
RLUSD is also live on exchanges including Bitso, Bitstamp, Bullish, CoinMENA, Independent Reserve, Gemini, Kraken, LMAX, Mercado Bitcoin, and Uphold, giving institutions worldwide access.