The company #Ripple has partnered with the Japanese financial conglomerate SBI Holdings to launch the RLUSD stablecoin in the Japanese market in the first quarter of 2026.
The American blockchain company announced that it plans to distribute RLUSD in Japan through SBI VC Trade — the cryptocurrency division of SBI Holdings. A rather ambitious plan, especially considering that the stablecoin itself only appeared in December 2024.
Ripple's Japanese ambitions
"SBI Group is leading the development of the cryptocurrency and blockchain sector in Japan," said SBI VC Trade CEO Tomohiko Kondo. According to him, the introduction of RLUSD will not only expand the choice of stablecoins in the Japanese market but also be a significant step forward in the reliability and convenience of using such assets in the country.
The RLUSD stablecoin is backed by reserves at a 1:1 ratio, including deposits in US dollars, short-term US government bonds, and other cash equivalents. At the time of publication, its market capitalization is $666 million with a daily trading volume of $71 million.
RLUSD expands its geography
Ripple's partnership with the Japanese comes against the backdrop of an overall rise in the stablecoin market. The total supply of dollar-pegged stablecoins reached $266 billion, up from $256 billion at the beginning of August.
RLUSD is already expanding its geographical presence: in June, the Dubai Financial Services Authority approved the use of the stablecoin as a payment instrument in the Dubai International Financial Centre.
Now Ripple is targeting the Japanese market, where stablecoins may gain additional momentum for development through a partnership with one of the leading financial groups in the country. It remains to be seen how Japanese regulators will respond to this initiative and whether RLUSD will establish itself in a region with quite strict cryptocurrency legislation.