Ripple is accelerating its multi-chain strategy for its U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin, RLUSD, announcing plans on Monday to deploy the asset on several Layer 2 (L2) networks next year using cross-chain provider Wormhole, a report by The Block said.
The move is designed to make the trust-regulated stablecoin widely accessible to both institutional finance and the growing on-chain decentralized economy.
Ripple has tapped Wormhole’s Native Token Transfers (NTT) standard to pilot RLUSD on leading L2 platforms, including Optimism, Base, Ink, and Unichain. The official launch on these new blockchains is slated for 2026, contingent on final regulatory approvals.
“The future of crypto is undeniably multichain, and to truly serve both institutional finance and the growing onchain economy, stablecoins must exist wherever demand and utility are,” Ripple stated.
Setting a New Regulatory Bar
RLUSD, which initially launched on the XRP Ledger (XRPL) and Ethereum in December of last year and already boasts a total supply exceeding $1 billion, is being positioned as a compliance-first asset.
The company’s stablecoin division emphasized the significance of the expansion under a clear regulatory framework. “By launching RLUSD — the first U.S. trust-regulated stablecoin on these layer-2 networks — we’re expanding utility while setting a clear standard for how compliance and on-chain efficiency can work together,” said Jack McDonald, Ripple’s SVP of stablecoins. “Stablecoins are the gateway to DeFi and institutional adoption, and RLUSD is designed to be a trusted, liquid on-ramp into the broader digital-asset economy.”
The expansion follows a major regulatory step last week when the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) conditionally approved a national trust bank charter for Ripple National Trust Bank. Securing final OCC approval would give RLUSD a dual regulatory structure—state (New York Department of Financial Services) and federal (OCC)—a standard currently unmatched by any other stablecoin.
This L2 push, which leverages the same cross-chain interoperability provider that Ripple integrated into the XRPL in June, aligns with the company’s broader objective to cement the XRP Ledger’s role within institutional, on-chain finance.
Recent Momentum
Ripple’s ambitious growth plans are backed by significant financial strength. In November, the firm completed a major strategic investment round, raising $500 million at a $40 billion valuation. The round saw participation from major institutional investors, including affiliates of Fortress, Citadel Securities, Galaxy Digital, Pantera, Brevan Howard, and Marshall Wace.
