Ripple’s stablecoin is finding new life as Gemini shifts it beyond a single-chain existence. The exchange’s latest update quietly rewires how RLUSD works inside its platform, turning it from a token tied to isolated networks into an asset that moves natively across blockchains.
Instead of separate wallets and manual swaps — the pain points that usually plague stablecoin users — RLUSD now sits inside one balance that can exit into either Ethereum or the XRP Ledger.
Key Takeaways
Gemini has enabled RLUSD to move natively between XRPL and Ethereum using a single balance.
Ripple supporters view the integration as validation of XRPL’s speed-focused design.
RLUSD adoption is widening, helped by regulatory approval in Abu Dhabi and earlier Gemini partnerships.
The change, more than anything, recasts the stablecoin as a transport layer rather than a passive store of value.
Speed Becomes the Selling Point, Not Speculation
The upgrade arrives as demand for faster transaction settlement takes priority over hype cycles. Ripple supporters often point to the XRP Ledger’s micro-fee structure and near-instant processing, and Gemini appears to be leaning into that advantage. With RLUSD able to jump chains within the exchange system, settlement stops looking like an engineering problem and starts resembling a consumer feature.
Commentators tracking Ripple’s strategy — including legal analyst Bill Morgan — note that this forms part of a broad campaign: make RLUSD visible on multiple networks and let users gravitate to whichever is more efficient. It is a contrast to many stablecoin issuers that keep functionality tied to legacy ERC-20 structures.
Community Energy Adds Fuel to the Move
Ripple leadership embraced the update immediately. Jack McDonald, a senior executive at the company, publicly boosted the announcement, effectively signalling internal approval. Ripple-aligned commentators joined in, arguing that XRPL has long been architected for settlement-heavy use cases, and RLUSD’s new availability reinforces that thesis.
Gemini, meanwhile, frames the integration as reducing cognitive overhead — one balance, multiple settlement paths, fewer technical complications for newcomers. Experienced traders may appreciate the arbitrage flexibility, but the message is also aimed at users who just want stablecoins to function like money rather than software.
Still, not everywhere can access the feature yet. Gemini clarified that regional restrictions apply, tying availability to where the firm has regulatory clearance for RLUSD on XRPL.
The enhancement is only part of a broader adoption arc. RLUSD was recently given the green light inside Abu Dhabi’s licensed markets, adding institutional legitimacy to Ripple’s stablecoin aspirations. Earlier in the year, Ripple and Gemini collaborated on a settlement card tied to RLUSD, another step toward embedding the stablecoin in real-world transactions rather than confining it to trading pairs.
Ripple’s Ledger Finds New Purpose
Supporters inside the ecosystem argue that giving traders multiple routes for settlement can improve efficiency for payments, treasury flows, and merchant transactions. XRPL has frequently been pitched as a toolkit-style network for finance; RLUSD’s expansion gives the ledger a fresh case study to point to.
If adoption keeps creeping upward, the combined effect of institutional approvals, exchange integrations, and multi-chain capability could deepen RLUSD’s use case beyond speculation. The underlying idea is simple: if money can move more cheaply and more predictably, it might actually be used rather than just held.
Gemini’s move does not recreate the stablecoin world overnight, but it reinforces Ripple’s goal — take RLUSD out of siloed chain logic and slowly position it as a transferable unit across settlement rails.
