Ripple expands RLUSD stablecoin to Africa with three new partnerships

September 4, 2025 • FinTech News

Ripple is bringing its enterprise-grade stablecoin, Ripple USD (RLUSD), to Africa through new partnerships with three major fintech companies. The company announced on September 4 that it will collaborate with Chipper Cash, VALR, and Yellow Card. This move represents Ripple’s latest effort to position RLUSD as a trusted global digital dollar for institutional clients worldwide.

Since its launch in late 2024, RLUSD has grown significantly, reaching over $700 million in market value. The stablecoin benefits from Ripple’s compliance-first approach and its official approval as a New York limited-purpose trust company. Furthermore, institutions are already using RLUSD for cross-border payments, tokenization, and trading collateral. Additionally, Ripple recently added the stablecoin to Ripple Payments, the company’s global settlement network.

Meeting Institutional Demand in Emerging Markets

Ripple’s senior vice president of stablecoins, Jack McDonald, explained that institutional demand has been the main driver behind RLUSD’s rapid growth. He noted that the African expansion reflects increasing interest from both customers and partners across the continent.

The three African partners highlighted RLUSD’s potential to transform financial services in emerging markets. For example, Chipper Cash CEO Ham Serunjogi emphasized the stablecoin’s ability to enable faster and cheaper money transfers. Similarly, VALR CEO Farzam Ehsani stressed the importance of having access to compliant and high-quality digital assets. Finally, Yellow Card CEO Chris Maurice pointed to Africa’s strong need for reliable dollar-backed financial systems.

Humanitarian Applications and Global Expansion

Beyond business uses, organizations are also testing RLUSD in humanitarian projects. Specifically in Kenya, Mercy Corps Ventures is trying the stablecoin for climate-linked insurance programs. The project uses smart contracts connected to satellite weather information. When rainfall shortages or droughts occur, the system automatically sends payments to farmers. Consequently, this approach delivers money faster and with more openness than traditional aid methods.

This African expansion follows Ripple’s recent agreement with Japan’s SBI VC Trade to distribute RLUSD throughout Asia. With its growing presence across Latin America, Europe, Asia, and now Africa, Ripple is establishing RLUSD as a regulated, dollar-backed stablecoin. Ultimately, the company aims to connect traditional finance, decentralized finance (DeFi), and real-world applications through its expanding global network of partnerships and practical uses.