Lucía Peña
Ripple’s U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin, RLUSD, has received official approval from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), clearing the way for its integration into the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) — a key milestone in Ripple’s expansion across the Middle East.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Ripple confirmed that RLUSD can now function as a regulated payment method on its DFSA-licensed platform, opening access to over 7,000 businesses operating within the DIFC. This approval follows Ripple’s earlier licensing success, allowing it to operate in the UAE’s $40 billion cross-border payments market.
RLUSD Set to Power Institutional Crypto Payments in the UAE
Jack McDonald, Ripple’s SVP of Stablecoins, said the regulatory green light reflects the company’s long-term commitment to shaping Dubai’s digital financial future. Meanwhile, Reece Merrick, Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa, noted that institutional demand for crypto payment and custody services is accelerating throughout the region.
To support that growth, Ripple is partnering with regional innovators such as digital banking leader Zand and fintech platform Mamo — both expected to integrate RLUSD into their payment infrastructure early on.
Real Estate and Tokenization on the XRP Ledger
Ripple is also making inroads in blockchain-based real estate applications. In collaboration with infrastructure provider Ctrl Alt and the Dubai Land Department, Ripple plans to tokenize property title deeds on the XRP Ledger, marking a pioneering step in merging real-world assets with decentralized technology.
What is RLUSD?
Launched in December 2024, RLUSD is a fully collateralized stablecoin backed 1:1 by U.S. dollar reserves. It is regulated by the New York Department of Financial Services and initially became available on platforms like Uphold, with wider adoption following on exchanges such as Kraken.
With a current market capitalization of $310 million, RLUSD joins the global $250 billion stablecoin market, competing alongside heavyweights like Tether’s USDT and Circle’s USDC.
