Ripple's RLUSD Stablecoin Gains Regulatory Approval, Boosting XRP

According to CoinDesk, XRP, the native token of the XRP Ledger (XRPL) network, experienced a significant surge during the U.S. afternoon hours on Tuesday. This rise followed an announcement by Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, who revealed that the company's stablecoin, RLUSD, had received regulatory approval from the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS). Garlinghouse shared the news on social media, stating that exchange and partner listings for RLUSD would soon be available. Following this announcement, XRP rallied by 10%, recovering from earlier losses and outperforming both bitcoin (BTC) and the broader market, as indicated by the CoinDesk 20 Index. Ripple has been strategically positioning itself in the rapidly expanding stablecoin market. In April, the company outlined its plans to introduce a stablecoin backed by short-term U.S. government bonds. Stablecoins play a crucial role in the crypto economy, particularly in global payments, which aligns with Ripple's business focus. Currently, the stablecoin market is dominated by Tether (USDT) and Circle (USDC), with a market size nearing $200 billion. However, forecasts suggest that the sector could grow to trillions of dollars in the coming years, and Ripple aims to capture a share of this market. Ripple President Monica Long highlighted the company's intention to leverage its established position in payment services among institutions and serve as a key intermediary for real-world asset tokenization. Tokenization, which involves placing traditional financial instruments on blockchain platforms for more efficient transactions, is gaining traction in the crypto industry. RLUSD is currently in beta testing on both the XRP Ledger and Ethereum networks. Ripple's Monica Long previously stated that the token was operationally ready, pending regulatory approval for its public launch. As of now, there are $41.7 million worth of RLUSD tokens on Ethereum and $10.4 million on the XRPL, according to data compiled by analytics firm CryptoQuant. This development marks a significant step for Ripple as it seeks to expand its influence in the stablecoin market and further integrate blockchain technology into traditional financial systems.