RLUSD, Ripple's enterprise-grade stablecoin, has received approval from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) and can now be legally used within the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC). This opens a new chapter for RLUSD in the Middle East market.
Ripple RLUSD will be available in DIFC
The DIFC is a special economic zone established in 2004, where more than 7,000 companies operate today. It is known as an attractive hub for financial and technology companies. Ripple became the first blockchain service provider in this area by obtaining a license from the DFSA last October. Now, the direct integration of RLUSD into the DIFC ecosystem means that the stablecoin can be actively used by companies in the region in areas such as corporate finance transactions, cross-border payments and liquidity management.
RLUSD was first launched in December 2024 and received approval from the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) ahead of the launch. Developed under the supervision of the NYDFS, considered one of the most stringent regulatory authorities in the US, RLUSD is backed one-to-one with US Treasuries, bank deposits and cash equivalents. RLUSD is issued natively on both the XRP Ledger and Ethereum networks. Ripple also emphasizes that RLUSD's reserve management is transparently audited, offering confidence to investors and regulators.
In a statement in December 2024, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse stated that the launch of the stablecoin under the roof of NYDFS was a conscious strategic choice and said, “In this period when the US is moving towards clearer regulations, we anticipate that the adoption of stablecoins with real use cases and years of trust in the industry, such as RLUSD, will accelerate.”
Important names on the advisory board
RLUSD's advisory board includes former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan and former Boston Fed Vice President Kenneth Montgomery. They are leading the project alongside other prominent figures in the financial world, such as former FDIC Chair Sheila Bair and Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen.
RLUSD is traded on many exchanges
Ripple's US dollar-backed stablecoin has already expanded its reach by being listed on various cryptocurrency exchanges since its launch in December 2024. RLUSD was initially traded on platforms such as Uphold, Bitso, MoonPay, Archax and CoinMENA, and has since been added to exchanges such as Bullish, Bitstamp, Mercado Bitcoin, Independent Reserve and Zero Hash. As of 2025, RLUSD is supported on exchanges such as Bitget, Gemini, Kraken, LMAX Digital, B2C2, Keyrock and JST Digital. Other platforms such as Revolut, Banxa, B2C2, Keyrock, Flowdesk also support RLUSD.
