Where is RLUSD available, and who uses it?

The full answer

Ripple’s product page says “availability of RLUSD is dependent on jurisdiction.”[5] Neither that page nor Ripple’s availability directory, both checked on September 29, 2026, shows a country-by-country list.[4] Ripple has published launch announcements and a partner directory instead. This page goes through both, with dates, and marks what is live and what is planned.

Is RLUSD available in Japan, and when did it launch?

Yes. On June 24, 2026, Ripple and SBI Group announced “the official launch and availability of Ripple USD (RLUSD) in Japan.” Ripple said RLUSD “will be offered to both institutional and retail users through SBI VC Trade’s VCTRADE platform.”[1]

The launch followed approval from Japan’s Financial Services Agency (JFSA). Ripple says RLUSD is categorised there “as a new type of electronic payment instrument under Japan’s Payment Services Act.”[1] crypto.news reported the launch the next day and described the same approval.[2] SBI’s longer history with XRP payments is covered in what SBI’s Japan distribution has done for XRP remittances.

Where else has RLUSD launched?

On June 2, 2026, Ripple said RLUSD was “now available to institutions in Türkiye through three new partnerships with BiLira, Bitexen and Bitlo.”[3] That launch is for institutions. The release does not describe retail access.

A third arrangement is still a plan. In May 2026 Ripple said the Ripple Prime and EDX partnership “lays the groundwork for the future integration” of RLUSD “as a settlement and collateral asset on EDX.”[10] We found no announcement that this had gone live by September 29, 2026. The details are on the page about the Ripple Prime and EDX integration.

Can individuals in Canada or the US buy and hold RLUSD directly, or is access mainly institutional?

Direct dealing with Ripple is limited to customers. Ripple’s user terms say that “to purchase RLUSD from or redeem RLUSD with Ripple, you must be a Customer subject to the RLUSD Customer Agreement.”[6] Ripple’s developer documentation says “retail businesses can access Ripple USD through exchanges and preferred on-ramps.”[7] Analysis. This follows from those two passages: since buying from or redeeming with Ripple requires being a Customer, and Ripple’s documentation points retail businesses to exchanges and on-ramps, most individuals would deal with a third-party platform rather than Ripple. This site does not name or recommend one.

In Canada, according to a 2023 notice from the Canadian Securities Administrators, a trading platform may offer a fiat-backed stablecoin to clients only if the issuer keeps a reserve with a qualified custodian, held for the holders, and publishes information about its governance and reserve.[9] The Canadian Securities Administrators publish a list of the issuers that have given them that undertaking. When checked on September 29, 2026, the list named Circle for USDC and QCAD Digital Trust for QCAD, and did not include Ripple, Standard Custody or RLUSD.[8] The CSA marks that list as last refreshed on November 24, 2025.

For the US, which partners in Ripple’s partner directory serve which countries is not established in the sources checked.

Does being listed in Ripple’s RLUSD directory mean a firm actively uses RLUSD?

Not necessarily. A listing shows that a firm supports RLUSD in some way. On September 29, 2026, Ripple’s availability page showed 59 partners, sorted into exchanges, payments, market makers, DeFi applications, infrastructure providers, and banks and fintechs.[4] It gives no figures for how much RLUSD any partner holds or moves. It also says: “The list above is for educational purposes; Ripple does not endorse or recommend any of the above companies and applications.”[4]

How much RLUSD has actually circulated in Japan and Türkiye since launch, and is it disclosed?

We found no disclosure. Ripple’s June 2, 2026 Türkiye release gives a global figure, RLUSD “reaching $1.7 billion in market capitalization.”[3] Neither the Türkiye release nor the June 24 Japan release gives RLUSD volume or supply for either country.[1][3] Ripple’s dashboard showed $2,395.6 million RLUSD in circulation worldwide on September 3, 2026, with no split by country.[11] How the total compares with USDC and USDT, and how it has grown, is on the page about how much RLUSD exists.

Does wider RLUSD distribution help XRP?

This follows from the releases above and Ripple’s payments page: RLUSD launches in new markets extend Ripple’s stablecoin business, and they do not by themselves create demand for XRP. Ripple’s own payments page tells businesses they can “pay in, pay out, and settle in RLUSD, USDC, USDT, or fiat,” a list that does not include XRP.[12] The broader question of whether Ripple’s commercial progress reaches XRP holders is argued on whether Ripple’s success lifts XRP. How institutions mint and redeem RLUSD is on the page about Ripple Mint.