Could the Expansion of RLUSD Be a Catalyst for XRP? Exploring a $13 Trillion Opportunity

Ripple is once again expanding its ambitions beyond the crypto market by making RLUSD part of its corporate financial infrastructure. 

Its latest focus is corporate treasury, an area that covers cash management, liquidity, payments, and fund transfers between business entities.

The opportunity attracted attention after Jack McDonald, Senior Vice President of Stablecoins at Ripple, said Ripple Treasury customers handle approximately US$13 trillion in transactions annually. 

This figure is based on around 1,200 corporate treasurers and CFOs using the treasury platform.

The figure is indeed substantial, but it is important to understand that US$13 trillion is not the market value of RLUSD nor is it the amount of funds that will automatically flow into XRP. 

The catalyst is the possibility that some of this traditional financial activity could begin using blockchain infrastructure and stablecoins.

Key Takeaways

• Ripple sees its Ripple Treasury customer base, with transaction volume of around US$13 trillion per year, as a major opportunity to expand RLUSD adoption.
• RLUSD has expanded into international payments, capital markets, and corporate treasury, with circulating supply of around US$2.4 billion and rapidly increasing daily activity.
• RLUSD expansion could strengthen the XRP Ledger and XRP ecosystem, but it does not mean the entire US$13 trillion volume will immediately create demand for XRP.

RLUSD Targets Corporate Treasury

Ripple gained access to the corporate treasury market after acquiring GTreasury for US$1 billion in 2025. 

The platform then became Ripple Treasury, combining traditional cash management with digital assets. Ripple Treasury currently offers visibility into cash and digital assets within a single system.

This strategy gives Ripple a different distribution channel than simply relying on crypto exchanges. The company can introduce RLUSD to businesses that genuinely need payment and liquidity management solutions.

The potential is particularly evident among multinational companies that need to move funds across countries or between subsidiaries. 

In such a scenario, a stablecoin like RLUSD can be used as a settlement instrument with digital-dollar characteristics, while blockchain provides a faster transfer route.

Ripple itself positions RLUSD for payments, remittance, treasury flows, and various settlement activities. RLUSD is issued natively on XRP Ledger (XRPL) and Ethereum, and has since expanded to several other networks.

Read Also: BIS Reveals New Potential for XRP Ledger in the Digital Financial System

RLUSD Growth Begins to Show Traction

The corporate treasury expansion comes as RLUSD adoption is increasing. According to the latest reports, RLUSD circulating supply has reached around US$2.4 billion, up more than 50% in one month. Around US$1 billion is on the XRP Ledger and approximately US$1.4 billion is on Ethereum.

Ripple also highlights daily activity as a more important indicator than market cap alone. RLUSD daily activity volume is reported to have increased from around US$200 million to approximately US$750 million over the past few months.

This growth shows that Ripple's strategy is beginning to move beyond stablecoin issuance toward using RLUSD as part of financial infrastructure.

RLUSD adoption is also not limited to payments. Ripple identifies payments and capital markets as two major areas of adoption. The stablecoin can be used for settlement, collateral, and transactions involving tokenized financial assets.

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So, What Does This Have to Do with the XRP Price?

This is the most interesting part for XRP holders.

RLUSD and XRP are two different assets. XRP is the native asset of the XRP Ledger, while RLUSD is a stablecoin designed to track the value of the US dollar. 

Ripple itself explains that XRP can function as a bridge asset, while RLUSD focuses more on payments and settlement that require price stability.

Therefore, RLUSD growth does not automatically mean that the XRP price will rise.

However, there is an indirect pathway that could strengthen XRP's fundamentals. The more institutional activity takes place on the XRPL, the greater the potential need for the network's infrastructure. 

XRP can play a role in liquidity, settlement, swaps, payments, and other activities within the XRPL ecosystem.

XRPL documentation also positions RLUSD as a stablecoin that can be used for cross-border payments, B2B payment rails, remittance, and settlement. Transactions on XRPL are designed to settle within seconds at relatively low cost.

Ripple even says that multichain RLUSD expansion could create closer utility between XRP and RLUSD, including for liquidity, settlement, swaps, collateral, and payments.

Therefore, the XRP catalyst makes more sense when viewed through ecosystem activity growth rather than assuming US$13 trillion represents potential XRP purchases.

Read Also: XRP Mentioned 101 Times in BIS Research, What Was Actually Tested?

Could US$13 Trillion Become a Major XRP Catalyst?

The potential is there, but the pathway will be gradual.

If some corporate treasury activity begins using RLUSD, demand for the stablecoin could increase. If this usage takes place on the XRP Ledger, transaction activity and XRPL liquidity could also grow.

The impact on XRP then depends on how XRP is used in those activities. The greater XRP's role as a liquidity, settlement, or bridge asset, the stronger the relationship between growing RLUSD adoption and XRP utility.

However, several factors still need to be considered. RLUSD is multichain, so RLUSD growth will not all take place on the XRPL. 

In addition, companies can use RLUSD as a settlement asset without having to purchase and hold large amounts of XRP.

This means RLUSD adoption is a potential catalyst for XRP, not a guarantee of an XRP price increase.

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Other Factors XRP Investors Should Monitor

RLUSD expansion should be viewed alongside other XRP catalysts. In September 2026, market attention is also focused on developments in the XRP Ledger, US digital asset regulations, Federal Reserve policy, and XRP ETF fund flows.

The combination of these factors is important because XRP's price is not determined solely by Ripple's fundamentals. Global liquidity conditions, crypto market sentiment, institutional capital flows, and regulatory expectations can also influence price movements.

In other words, RLUSD growth can strengthen XRP's fundamental narrative, but the market still needs evidence that increased activity is actually generating greater XRP usage.

Read Also:Gold Tokenization on the XRP Ledger, Could It Become a New Catalyst for XRP?

Conclusion

The US$13 trillion opportunity targeted by Ripple through corporate treasury represents an important shift in the company's strategy. 

RLUSD is no longer simply positioned as a stablecoin for the crypto market, but is increasingly being positioned as part of corporate payment and liquidity management infrastructure.

For XRP, this development is positive from an ecosystem perspective because more financial activity could potentially move onto the XRPL. 

However, investors need to distinguish between Ripple Treasury transaction volume, RLUSD growth, XRP Ledger activity, and direct demand for XRP.

If all four begin moving together, RLUSD expansion could become a stronger fundamental catalyst for XRP.

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FAQ

What Is RLUSD?

RLUSD is a stablecoin issued by Ripple and designed to maintain a value of around US$1. RLUSD is backed by liquid asset reserves and issued on the XRP Ledger, Ethereum, and several other networks.

What Is the Relationship Between RLUSD and XRP?

RLUSD and XRP are different assets. RLUSD functions as a stablecoin for payments and settlement, while XRP is the native asset of the XRP Ledger that can be used for liquidity, settlement, and various network activities.

Does RLUSD Expansion Automatically Make the XRP Price Rise?

No. RLUSD growth can strengthen the XRP Ledger ecosystem, but not all RLUSD transactions require XRP. The impact on the XRP price depends on how much the increased activity creates demand for XRP.

What Is Ripple's US$13 Trillion Opportunity?

US$13 trillion refers to the annual transaction volume handled by Ripple Treasury's customer base, not funds that will automatically flow into RLUSD or XRP. This figure shows the scale of corporate financial activity that could potentially be targeted for digital infrastructure adoption.

Why Is Corporate Treasury Important for RLUSD?

Corporate treasury manages corporate cash, liquidity, payments, and fund transfers. If stablecoins begin to be used in these activities, RLUSD could gain broader adoption beyond crypto trading.