Web3-based payment platform AEON has signed a strategic partnership with Ripple in a move that will make a splash in the cryptocurrency sector. As part of this collaboration, Ripple's native token XRP and its new stablecoin RLUSD have been integrated into AEON's payment infrastructure. Thus, users will be able to easily make their daily purchases with crypto via Telegram Mini App and popular Web3 wallets such as Bitget and TokenPocket.
Ripple partners with AEON for RLUSD
According to AEON's official announcement, this integration covers more than 20 million physical merchants in Southeast Asia in the first phase. Payments can be made with XRP and RLUSD at world giant brands such as UNIQLO, McDonald's, Pizza Hut and Starbucks. This new system is designed to cover many daily expenses such as restaurants, retail stores, mobile balance loading. The company aims to spread this model to Africa, Latin America and other developing markets in the future.
This development is also an important step in the adoption of Ripple’s stablecoin, RLUSD. RLUSD is a stablecoin developed by Ripple that stands out with its high regulatory compliance and liquidity. Ripple offers this asset as a secure and scalable digital dollar alternative not only for institutional finance solutions but also for individual users, developers and businesses.
“Ripple USD (RLUSD) was designed with a trust, liquidity and regulation-focused approach. Ripple’s experience in global regulatory frameworks makes RLUSD a strong choice for institutional players,” AEON’s statement said.
AEON’s move with Ripple has had a wide repercussion, especially within the XRP community. WrathofKahneman, one of the community’s important figures, described the AEON-Ripple partnership as “a significant milestone” in a post he shared on the social media platform X.
On the other hand, Ripple's stablecoin vision has also been the subject of some criticism in recent months. BitGo CEO Mike Belshe argued that XRP could not fully fulfill its initially targeted role as a "global bridge currency" and suggested that RLUSD could fill this gap.
Ripple USD was previously integrated into Ripple's cross-border payment network Ripple Payments. In addition, it was listed on the Kraken exchange and was included in Alchemy Pay's fiat-crypto transition infrastructure in collaboration with Alchemy. Leading cryptocurrency exchanges such as Bitget are also among the platforms accepting RLUSD.
As of June 2025, RLUSD's market value reached $428.7 million, ranking it 14th in the stablecoin rankings. In comparison, Circle's USDC stablecoin has a market value of over $55 billion, while major e-commerce platforms such as Shopify have begun accepting USDC worldwide. This chart shows that there is huge competition in the stablecoin market.
