Ripple has significantly expanded its strategic partnership with UAE-based Zand Bank, focusing on integrating their respective stablecoins, RLUSD and AEDZ. The new phase, announced on February 10, 2026, by Ripple executive Reece Merrick, will connect Ripple's USD-pegged stablecoin with Zand's UAE dirham-backed stablecoin (AEDZ). The collaboration aims to develop custody services, create liquidity bridges, and explore new issuance on the XRP Ledger.
This expansion builds upon an existing payments partnership established in 2025, which focused on improving cross-border settlement speed and reducing costs. Zand Bank, a digital bank with a strong credit rating and an AI-powered platform, launched the regulated AEDZ stablecoin in late 2025. RLUSD has also gained regulatory approval in Abu Dhabi and Dubai for licensed activities, positioning it for institutional use in settlement and liquidity operations.
The enhanced partnership will focus on three key initiatives: enabling support for RLUSD within Zand's regulated digital asset custody services; exploring direct liquidity solutions between RLUSD and AEDZ to facilitate faster cross-currency transfers; and potentially issuing the AEDZ stablecoin directly on the XRP Ledger to deepen ecosystem integration.
Concurrently, a major regulatory development in the United States has created a favorable environment for compliant stablecoins like RLUSD. The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) issued a no-action letter on February 6, 2026, revising its guidelines. This change explicitly allows national trust banks to issue dollar-pegged payment stablecoins and permits these tokens to be used as margin collateral in regulated derivatives markets. This move aligns with the 2025 GENIUS Act, aiming to integrate U.S.-issued stablecoins into the regulated financial infrastructure and reduce regulatory fragmentation.
Ripple is strategically positioned to benefit from this shift, as it has applied to become a National Trust Bank. If approved, Ripple could issue RLUSD directly under federal supervision, enhancing its legitimacy and simplifying its issuance. The update also notes the role of XRP as a bridge asset on the XRP Ledger, which could see increased utility for liquidity routing as RLUSD transaction volume grows.
