Digital asset custodian Copper has integrated Ripple's U.S. dollar stablecoin, RLUSD, into its Stablecoin Rewards Program, giving institutional clients a regulated way to earn yield on the asset while keeping it inside Copper's custody environment. The move allows enterprises to access stablecoin returns without directly managing decentralized finance positions or moving funds across external protocols.
RLUSD, issued by Ripple and designed to maintain a one-to-one peg with the U.S. dollar, is backed by dollar deposits and cash equivalents including government bond-related reserves. It is natively issued on both the XRP Ledger and Ethereum, offering flexibility across two major blockchain networks.
Copper CEO Amar Kuchinad noted that regulated stablecoins with secure custody and efficient collateral management are set to play a key role in institutional adoption, and that RLUSD meets Copper's standards for security and transparency. Aditya Turakhia, Ripple's vice president of trading and markets, said the partnership brings regulated stablecoin liquidity into systems already used by businesses.
The integration also coincides with notable market activity for RLUSD. Its market capitalization has surged above $1.75 billion, up from roughly $132 million a year earlier, placing it among the newer regulated stablecoins drawing institutional attention.
Meanwhile, XRP exchange-traded product (ETP) holdings have surpassed $1.15 billion. On the same day as the Copper announcement, Whale Insider reported $8.88 million in fresh XRP ETF inflows, driven by multiple issuers including Franklin Templeton, Bitwise, and Canary Capital. An estimated 473.5 million XRP – about 0.5% of the circulating supply – is now locked in regulated ETP vaults, reducing float on spot exchanges. XRP spot price slipped -1.2% to $1.36 amid a broader market decline, with Bitcoin down -1% to $77,000 and Ethereum off -0.5% to $2,100.
The dual signals – RLUSD's entry into institutional custody and growing XRP ETF demand – suggest the infrastructure for large-scale participation in Ripple's payments ecosystem is being built in real time. As the XRP Ledger community notes, RLUSD as an issued stablecoin and XRP as a neutral bridge asset serve complementary roles, potentially growing together as on-chain finance expands.
