Ripple’s RLUSD is set to be offered by SBI Holdings controlled spinoff, SBI VC Trade, in the first quarter of 2026.
It is understood they will look to provide active liquidity support to enable the expansion of the stablecoin in the region, utilizing their existing licenses and partnerships with banks and financial institutions.
SBI VC Trade was established in 2017 to oversee the “global standard for digital asset exchange”, focusing on the prevalence of the JPY and USD currencies.
It is part of the JVCEA (Japan Virtual and Crypto Assets Exchange Association), holding 3 separate licenses from the KLFB (Kanto Local Finance Bureau) to ensure appropriate exchange, trading and payment services.
The RLUSD rollout targets regulated use cases: programmable payments, corporate treasury, FX hedging and settlement corridors.
CEO Tomohiko Kondo revealed:
The introduction of RLUSD will not just expand the option of stablecoins in the Japanese market, but is a major step forward in the reliability and convenience of stablecoins in the Japanese market, and an important step in further accelerating the convergence of finance and digital technology.
RLUSD sits in the top 15 stablecoins with a $600+ billion supply. The new distribution path bodes well for Ripple’s stablecoin global strategy, having officially launched the stablecoin back in Q4 of 2024.
This was later in the space behind Tether’s USDT and Circle’s USDC, projects that were initially launched in 2014 and 2018 respectively.
SVP of Stablecoins Jack McDonald expressed:
Our partnership with SBI has always been about more than just technology; it’s about building a trusted and compliant financial future. The distribution of RLUSD in Japan with SBI VC Trade is a culmination of that work.
The collaboration supports Japan’s domestic and cross‑border payments, improving on/off‑ramp efficiency, and providing liquidity for banks, corporates and payment providers.
