Ripple has unveiled one of its most significant milestones yet. During the Ripple Swell 2026 conference in New York, the company revealed a formal partnership with Coinbase to introduce RLUSD to the top cryptocurrency exchange in the United States.
Prominent crypto commentator Digital Asset Investor analyzed the news in a recent video, describing the frequency and magnitude of announcements coming out of the Swell event as “ridiculous.”
The Coinbase Partnership
RLUSD is available immediately for retail and institutional clients across the Coinbase retail app, Coinbase Exchange, and Coinbase Prime. Users can swap U.S. dollars and other supported dollar-pegged stablecoins for RLUSD at a 1:1 conversion rate. Transactions, deposits, and withdrawals operate natively via the XRP Ledger, Ethereum, and Coinbase’s Base network.
Integration for Coinbase Global Exchange users is up next, including the ability to use RLUSD as collateral. Rather than conducting a limited rollout, Ripple is embedding RLUSD across every layer of the Coinbase platform simultaneously.
Jack McDonald, Ripple’s SVP of Stablecoins, noted that the alliance delivers RLUSD directly to the premier institutional client network in the U.S., fulfilling institutional demand through trusted existing platforms.
HUGE RLUSD XRP Announcement pic.twitter.com/zUSMytfWRa
— Digital Asset Investor (@digitalassetbuy) October 28, 2026
A Major Victory for XRP
The XRP Ledger remains central to this expansion. Because RLUSD functions natively on the XRPL, every platform adopting the stablecoin funnels activity back to the ledger. Increased transaction volume on the XRPL strengthens the network overall and drives greater demand for XRP.
Addressing rumors at Swell 2026 that Ripple was pivoting away from XRP, CEO Brad Garlinghouse clarified that XRP and RLUSD fulfill complementary functions within Ripple’s growing blockchain payment ecosystem. The stablecoin is not intended to replace XRP; instead, it expands the utility and capabilities of the XRP Ledger.
Additionally, Moody’s granted RLUSD an A2 long-term rating alongside a P-1 short-term deposit rating, highlighting the market value and credit quality backing its reserve assets. Securing a Moody’s-rated stablecoin on the XRP Ledger brings institutional-grade credibility to the entire ecosystem.
Momentum Building at Swell
The agreement with Coinbase is only one highlight among several major updates emerging from Swell 2026. Ripple additionally expanded its collaboration with Robinhood, outlining plans to utilize RLUSD for institutional settlement on the XRP Ledger. Furthermore, Ripple secured final OCC approval for Ripple National Trust Bank, which will take charge of managing specific RLUSD reserve functions.
Since its introduction in December 2024, RLUSD has climbed to a market capitalization exceeding $2.6 billion. Ripple anticipates reaching nearly $900 million in annualized product revenue before the close of 2026.
With the Coinbase integration secured, RLUSD gains its most prominent U.S. stage yet, paving the way for expanded institutional exposure and heightened on-chain activity.