Ripple’s Stablecoin Is Moving Into Stock Trading. What Does XRP Get Out of It?

DriveWealth, the company behind the trading and settlement systems for many brokerage apps, reportedly plans to use Ripple’s RLUSD (CRYPTO:RLUSD) stablecoin to settle trades and execute cross-border payments. This plan was reported on October 14, 2026. A stablecoin designed to maintain a consistent value of $1 is what RLUSD represents for Ripple.

However, the deal primarily involves RLUSD transactions, and participants are not required to purchase XRP (CRYPTO:XRP). As of October 15, XRP is trading at $1.31, marking a 5.6% drop over the past 30 days and remaining significantly lower than its all-time high. Given these factors, what advantages does XRP gain from this arrangement, operating on its blockchain while settling in a different currency?

DriveWealth Plans to Use RLUSD for Brokerage Settlement

DriveWealth functions behind the scenes of trading applications. When a user invests in a fraction of a U.S. stock, it is often DriveWealth that facilitates the transaction, holds the shares, and manages the flow of money. Because one decision at this level can affect many applications built on it, it matters more than adding a crypto button to a single app.

Currently, when a brokerage transfers client funds internationally, it must adhere to banking hours and rely on intermediary banks to complete the payments. This leads to delays, and client collateral—funds deposited to secure trades—can remain unused during this time. Integrating a stablecoin that can convert to cash almost instantly could eliminate these wait times and keep funds operational around the clock.

In the proposed framework, RLUSD would operate on the XRP Ledger, the public blockchain Ripple builds on, to manage and fund client collateral accounts. This integration is expected to cover cross-border payments and digital asset custody to securely store client cryptocurrencies, starting in Europe and gradually expanding to the United States. However, neither company has officially confirmed these details.

The two companies are also reportedly exploring equity financing options, including loans against stock or lending stock via Ripple’s prime brokerage division. Prime brokerage services combine lending, trade clearing, and custody for larger trading clients. Ripple expects to discuss this collaboration at its Swell conference on October 28.

Ripple Earns From RLUSD While XRP Gets Only Ledger Fees

For Ripple, the advantages of this partnership manifest in its stablecoin operations. Stablecoin issuers typically hold cash and short-term government securities to back each token, allowing them to earn interest on these reserves. Consequently, increased RLUSD circulation translates into higher reserve income for Ripple. Indeed, on October 14, Ripple announced the issuance of $59.5 million in new RLUSD, although the reports do not tie this issuance to DriveWealth.

In contrast, XRP’s involvement in this deal is relatively minor. Transactions involving DriveWealth’s clients will use dollar tokens, which are later redeemed for dollars; therefore, the terms do not require purchasing XRP. Furthermore, XRP does not serve as a bridge currency in this arrangement, a role it previously played in Ripple’s cross-border services, where it facilitated currency conversions.

That said, XRP still gains some utility. Each transaction on the ledger deducts a small fee in XRP and destroys it, and every account must maintain a minimal reserve of XRP, which can increase slightly if the account holds tokens like RLUSD. However, these quantities are minimal—averaging only fractions of one XRP per transaction and about one XRP per account—insignificant when considering XRP’s market capitalization of approximately $82.6 billion.

DriveWealth’s Deal Ties It to the XRP Ledger, Not to XRP

By integrating with the XRP Ledger, DriveWealth supports the ledger’s practical use, but this does not increase the number of individuals holding XRP as a speculative asset. Increased transactions involving RLUSD will enhance ledger activity, but they will not change XRP’s user base or ownership dynamics.

Nonetheless, a regulated brokerage firm using client collateral on the XRP Ledger strengthens the ledger and makes it harder to replace. Each company developing treasury and custody systems around the ledger increases its own costs of switching away from it, potentially strengthening the network if Ripple later channels token-based liquidity through the same infrastructure.

However, RLUSD is currently valued at approximately $2.4 billion, which pales in comparison to much larger dollar stablecoins like Tether’s USDT, worth about $184 billion, and Circle’s USDC, valued at around $72.6 billion. A company seeking stablecoin solutions has multiple alternatives and blockchains to choose from, suggesting DriveWealth’s decision favors Ripple’s product rather than a strong endorsement of XRP itself.

Does the RLUSD Deal Give XRP a Reason to Rise?

In conclusion, the DriveWealth partnership does not offer XRP a clear catalyst for price appreciation. Because the arrangement primarily settles in RLUSD and requires no XRP purchases, the gains go to Ripple, which wins a new client, strengthens its presence in Europe, and gains potential access to its prime brokerage services.

In contrast, XRP sees only a minor increase in ledger activity, and because Ripple is privately held, XRP holders receive no benefits from its reserve earnings or brokerage fees.

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