Ripple expands RLUSD use to Robinhood institutional settlement and treasury operations

Ripple and Robinhood’s partnership extends the reach of RLUSD beyond trading into institutional settlement and treasury operations, signaling a broader industry shift toward embedding stablecoins as core financial infrastructure. The deal positions both firms to compete with Circle and others in bundling stablecoin issuance with the payment and liquidity services that institutions increasingly demand.

• Ripple has partnered with Robinhood to use RLUSD for institutional trade settlement, treasury automation, and financing through Ripple Prime and Bitstamp.
• RLUSD’s market cap has surpassed $2.5 billion since its December 2024 debut, while total stablecoins exceed $300 billion globally.
• Stablecoins are evolving from trading tools into financial infrastructure for 24/7 operations, corporate payments, and capital markets settlement.

• $2.5B RLUSD market cap since launch compared with over $300B total stablecoin market
• December 2024 RLUSD launch date through integration with Ripple Payments network

CNBC reported that Ripple has formed a partnership with Robinhood to broaden the deployment of RLUSD, its digital dollar stablecoin. Under the deal, RLUSD will be used to settle institutional trades, automate Robinhood’s treasury operations, and provide access to digital asset trading and financing through Ripple Prime and Bitstamp, the global crypto exchange that Robinhood acquired last year. The stablecoin will also be listed on Robinhood’s trading platform and is already available on Bitstamp and Robinhood Chain, the company’s blockchain for tokenized stocks.

Stablecoins shift from trading tools to institutional infrastructure

Stablecoins have long served as a mechanism for traders to move funds between exchanges and temporarily hold value without converting to traditional currency. As the crypto industry matures and market participants pursue around-the-clock operations, stablecoins are now being deployed for near-instant settlement, corporate payments, and capital markets activity independent of traditional banking hours.

Stablecoins have evolved from a crypto trading tool into a critical piece of financial infrastructure. The clearest evidence of this is where they’re now being embedded — from corporate payments to capital markets. Our partnership with Robinhood reflects that evolution.

Monica Long, Ripple President

Ripple President Monica Long added that the partnership represents a fundamental shift in how institutions move and manage money, enabling 24/7/365 operations and more efficient capital deployment.

One-stop-shop models bundle issuance with payment infrastructure

Stablecoin issuers are increasingly bundling their tokens with the technology and services required to move money, settle transactions, and manage cash flows. Ripple’s Payments business, which operates across eight years, now accepts multiple assets including USDC, XRP, and RLUSD. Circle Internet Group, Ripple’s main competitor, has pursued a similar strategy by launching the Circle Payments Network to connect financial institutions using its USDC stablecoin and other digital assets for cross-border transfers.

Johann Kerbrat, Robinhood Crypto general manager, said in a statement that utility drives stablecoin adoption and that access to RLUSD for settlement, Ripple Treasury for operations, and Ripple Prime for financing create the infrastructure for a connected global financial system.

RLUSD gains institutional adoption ahead of Robinhood earnings

Since its debut in December 2024, RLUSD has grown to a market cap exceeding $2.5 billion. Tether’s USDT and Circle’s USDC remain the largest stablecoins, dominating a total market that now exceeds $300 billion. Robinhood’s integration of RLUSD into its institutional settlement workflows and treasury operations signals confidence in the token’s utility beyond retail trading.

Robinhood is scheduled to report third-quarter results for the three months ended September after the market closes on Tuesday, which may provide further detail on its digital asset strategy and the timing of full RLUSD deployment.

The BlockWest read. The Robinhood deal matters less for RLUSD’s trading volume than for validating Ripple’s infrastructure play. Ripple is not chasing stablecoin dominance by cap—Tether and Circle own that—but rather betting that institutions will reward the firm that connects token issuance to settlement, financing, and treasury services. If Robinhood’s retail customer base increasingly accesses these institutional tools, capital efficiency across the platform compounds.

Watch for Robinhood’s third-quarter earnings report after market close Tuesday to assess how much of the company’s growth strategy now depends on RLUSD integration and whether management provides guidance on broader adoption of the partnership across its institutional and retail divisions.

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