According to the company, recognition by ADGM significantly strengthens RLUSD’s position within the regional financial system. Ripple highlighted ADGM’s strong reputation as a jurisdiction with rigorous oversight and clear digital asset regulations. Moreover, several other regulators in the region have recently approved RLUSD as well, which the company views as a clear sign of growing institutional trust in the product.
Ripple’s Senior Vice President of Stablecoins, Jack McDonald, подчеркнул, that ADGM’s approval fully aligns with the company’s commitment to strict regulatory compliance. He noted that transparency and regulatory clarity are now critical factors for institutional markets. McDonald also confirmed that RLUSD has already surpassed a $1 billion market capitalization, with demand from major financial institutions continuing to rise. Increasingly, the token is being used for collateral and settlement purposes.
RLUSD was launched in late 2024 under a New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) license. Its current market capitalization exceeds $1.2 billion. Ripple emphasizes that the token is fully backed 1:1 with US dollars through high-quality liquid assets. Additional safeguards include reserve segregation, regular audits, independent attestations, and clearly defined redemption rights.
Middle East expansion strengthens Ripple’s strategy
Ripple believes the UAE continues to set the benchmark for digital asset regulation. Company representatives in the region pointed to ADGM’s leadership in shaping international regulatory standards. Reece Merrick, Ripple’s Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa, stated that this recognition confirms RLUSD’s compliance with ADGM’s strict requirements for transparency and reliability. According to him, interest in the token from regional partners continues to grow steadily.
The new regulatory approval expands Ripple’s ability to work with institutional clients seeking secure, regulated digital finance tools. Merrick also noted increasing demand for payment infrastructure across the Middle East and emphasized that the company continues to cooperate closely with regulators while introducing innovation within a secure legal framework. The rapid pace of digital asset adoption, he added, reinforces the Middle East’s status as one of the world’s key hubs for digital finance.
ADGM representatives also commented on the decision. Arvind Ramamurthy, Chief Market Development Officer at ADGM, called it an important milestone both for Ripple and the ADGM ecosystem. He noted that ADGM’s regulatory framework is designed to support innovative companies while maintaining strict governance and compliance standards. According to him, Abu Dhabi intends to further strengthen its position as a leading global fintech center.
Ripple added that the growing regulatory clarity around RLUSD unlocks significant opportunities for enterprise use cases. The company plans to integrate the stablecoin into its cross-border payments platform, making it easier to move funds between traditional and digital financial rails. RLUSD is also expected to be used in on-ramp and off-ramp services within Ripple’s ecosystem, as well as in future capital-market products through Ripple Prime.
The ADGM decision follows Ripple’s broader expansion across the Middle East and Africa. The company recently announced a partnership in Bahrain — its first move into the Kingdom — and added Absa as its first African custody client. Ripple says these developments reflect an ongoing regional shift toward regulated digital financial solutions.
In addition, Zand Bank and payments company Mamo became the first UAE-based firms to implement Ripple’s blockchain-powered payment solutions. Ripple considers them early indicators of growing enterprise interest and expects even more regional banks and payment providers to explore its technology over the coming year, analysts at FORECK.INFO concluded.