Ripple’s RLUSD Stablecoin Targets Institutional DeFi with Multichain Rollout

Ripple has begun testing its regulated stablecoin RLUSD on four Ethereum Layer 2 networks, signaling a major step toward institutional adoption and a scalable multichain DeFi future.

Key Takeaways

• Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin is now live for testing on Optimism, Base, Ink, and Unichain, with plans to expand to more blockchains in 2025 pending regulatory approval.
• The rollout uses Wormhole’s Native Token Transfers (NTT) standard, allowing RLUSD to move natively across chains without wrapped or synthetic tokens.
• RLUSD is the first U.S. Trust-regulated stablecoin deployed natively on these L2s, offering high regulatory compliance for institutional finance.
• Ripple aims to make RLUSD the foundation for cross-chain liquidity, particularly when paired with wrapped XRP (wXRP) for DeFi applications like swaps, lending, and payments.

What Happened?

Ripple has officially launched a multichain test rollout of its RLUSD stablecoin on Ethereum-based Layer 2 networks. This move is powered by Wormhole’s NTT protocol and enables native issuance across Optimism, Base, Kraken’s Ink, and Uniswap’s Unichain. The expansion comes ahead of a broader launch expected in 2025, pending regulatory greenlights.

RLUSD is expanding to Layer 2s using @wormhole’s NTT standard for native, secure transfers and will become the first U.S.-based, trust-regulated stablecoin on @Optimism, @Base, @Inkonchain and @Unichain: https://t.co/ju9KyoOIBa

This will enhance utility for XRP and RLUSD by…

— Ripple (@Ripple) December 15, 2025

By using Wormhole’s NTT standard, RLUSD can operate natively across chains, maintaining liquidity and compliance without relying on traditional bridges or wrapped assets. This development is seen as a significant leap toward serving the growing institutional interest in decentralized finance.

RLUSD Expands Beyond Ethereum and XRP Ledger

RLUSD was originally issued on Ethereum and Ripple’s own XRP Ledger. Now, Ripple is building a truly multichain future by expanding the stablecoin to Layer 2 ecosystems optimized for faster and cheaper transactions.

Optimism acts as the primary entry point, with Ripple leveraging Wormhole’s infrastructure to connect RLUSD to additional L2s like Base, Ink, and Unichain. This means RLUSD can maintain native control across all supported networks while offering consistent performance and liquidity.

Ripple’s Senior Vice President of Stablecoin, Jack McDonald, said:

Regulatory Compliance at the Core

RLUSD is issued under a New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) Trust Company Charter, a highly stringent regulatory license that ensures bank-grade oversight. Ripple has received approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), which makes RLUSD the first stablecoin subject to both state and federal regulation in the United States.

If granted, this dual oversight would give RLUSD a regulatory advantage over current market leaders like USDC and USDT, neither of which operate under a similar framework.

Ripple also holds over 75 global licenses, with recent recognition in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, giving RLUSD a strong foundation for international expansion.

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Enhancing Utility for XRP and RLUSD

To strengthen interoperability, Hex Trust has issued a wrapped version of XRP (wXRP). This enables XRP holders to use their tokens on supported chains in tandem with RLUSD for various DeFi activities, such as:

• Swaps and payments across decentralized apps
• Lending and borrowing protocols
• Yield-generating opportunities

This integration also opens new opportunities for businesses to adopt RLUSD and wXRP in customer-facing use cases like payments, checkout apps, and digital asset management tools.

Ripple’s stablecoin strategy aligns closely with its mission to create a compliant, scalable, and interoperable digital economy that supports both individual users and institutional clients.

CoinLaw’s Takeaway

I’ve followed Ripple’s steady push into the stablecoin sector for a while, and this latest move is a big one. By launching RLUSD across multiple Ethereum L2s using native transfers instead of clunky bridges, Ripple is showing it knows what institutional players care about: speed, security, and regulation. I find it impressive that they’re not just talking about compliance. They’re actually building for it, with both NYDFS and OCC frameworks in play. In my experience, that kind of regulatory ambition is rare in crypto and gives RLUSD a real shot at standing out in a crowded market.