RLUSD launched in Japan 26 Japan 2026Japan Reporter: Matthew Challis
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Ripple, a provider of blockchain-based enterprise solutions, alongside SBI Holdings, a Japanese financial services conglomerate, and SBI VC Trade, its cryptocurrency exchange subsidiary, have partnered to make Ripple USD (RLUSD) available in Japan.
The initiative was announced in the firms’ initial memorandum of understanding (MoU), agreed upon in August 2025.
The launch follows regulatory approval from the Japan Financial Services Agency (JFSA), with RLUSD categorised as a new type of electronic payment instrument under Japan’s Payment Services Act.
Institutions will be able to access RLUSD through SBI VC Trade’s VCTRADE platform.
Commenting on the regional launch, Tomohiko Kondo, CEO of SBI VC Trade, says: “The introduction of RLUSD represents a major milestone in our ongoing collaboration and our efforts to drive innovation in digital finance.
“Looking ahead, we remain fully committed to expanding the range of services built around RLUSD and fostering new use cases that deliver greater value to our customers and the broader market.”
RLUSD is Ripple’s US dollar-pegged, enterprise-grade stablecoin, intended to enable faster settlements, greater transparency, and more efficient cross-border liquidity.
Ripple and SBI Group have worked together since 2016 in a bid to advance digital asset and blockchain-based financial infrastructure across both Japan and the broader APAC region.
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