Ripple’s RLUSD Stablecoin Set for Major Ethereum Layer 2 Expansion
4.8 Stablecoins Ripple is expanding its RLUSD stablecoin to Ethereum Layer 2 networks using Wormhole’s NTT standard, aiming for seamless cross-chain DeFi utility. The rollout is pending regulatory approval, with a public launch expected next year.
Ripple is expanding its U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin, RLUSD, to Ethereum Layer 2 networks such as Optimism, Base, Ink, and Unichain, leveraging Wormhole’s Native Token Transfers (NTT) standard for seamless, native cross-chain movement without wrapped or synthetic tokens. The initiative aims to embed RLUSD deeper into the multichain decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem, enhancing liquidity, compliance, and utility for swaps, lending, and payments. The rollout begins with a test phase and is pending regulatory approval from the New York Department of Financial Services, with a public launch expected next year. RLUSD, originally issued on Ethereum and the XRP Ledger, is positioned as the first U.S. trust-regulated stablecoin on these Layer 2 networks, with Ripple seeking additional federal oversight. The expansion also includes a wrapped version of XRP (wXRP) to facilitate trading pairs and collateral options within DeFi applications, reinforcing Ripple’s commitment to compliance and interoperability across blockchain ecosystems.
