Ripple announces a partnership with DriveWealth, to introduce RLUSD settlement and cross-border payment services into its brokerage network that already has over 100 global partners. The integration of European settlement will be carried out first, with plans to expand to the United States subsequently.

• DriveWealth will use RLUSD on XRP Ledger for settlement, starting with Europe first.
• Ripple Payments will support inbound cross-border transfers from international partners of this brokerage platform.
• The agreement includes European digital asset custody, as well as exploratory equity financing work conducted through Ripple Prime.
• After the integration in Europe is completed, DriveWealth plans to expand stablecoin settlement to the United States.

Ripple announced this agreement on October 14th, calling it a package of settlement, payment, and custody services provided by DriveWealth for infrastructure investment. According to the arrangement, this brokerage technology provider will use Ripple's dollar-pegged stablecoin RLUSD, and conduct settlements on XRP Ledger, while also using tools for minting and destroying this token.

For customers who provide funds for margin accounts, the announcement states that stablecoin deposits can be converted into cash in near-real-time, thereby reducing the need to wait for international bank wire transfers. Through Ripple Payments and DriveWealth, DriveWealth also plans to accept cross-border funds from its partners, linking incoming transfers with the infrastructure that supports investment accounts.

RLUSD Settlement will first be launched in Europe, followed by expansion to the United States.

According to statements released by both companies, the European business will serve as a starting point for stablecoin settlement, with plans to expand to the United States thereafter. The announcement lists RLUSD on XRPL as a settlement asset and includes functions for minting and burning in the integration.

In the existing business of DriveWealth, it is stated that fintech companies, digital wallets, and financial institutions use its brokerage infrastructure to provide users with access to the US market. The platform serves over 100 partners globally, enabling the proposed stablecoin services to be integrated into a mature investment service network.

The two companies stated that U.S. stocks are settled one working day after trading, while cross-border dollar transfers may take longer. In their view, this difference incurs capital costs and increases the funding requirements for financial institutions that handle international investment flows.

For international customers, it is stated that funds can be transferred outside of bank transfer hours and deadlines. DriveWealth CEO Naureen Hassan indicated that the company already provides 24/5 trading services and hopes that the arrangement of account funds can also operate at a pace that supports customers using this service.

Hassan stated that through this integration, customers' capital can continue to be utilized, "rather than remaining idle at night or on weekends." The announcement also described plans to connect fund management and custody functions, enabling customers to view their balances in US dollars, stablecoins, and cryptocurrencies in real-time, as well as transfer between them.

Ripple Mint provides tools for the operations of institution RLUSD.

This settlement agreement includes features previously developed by Ripple for managing RLUSD. In July, crypto.news reported that the company launched Ripple Mint, which allows approved customers to issue, redeem, transfer, and monitor this stablecoin on supported networks.

According to reports on July 24th, the platform includes a web console, software interfaces, and transaction alerts. Existing institutional clients can view their balances and track the transfers at each stage from receiving fiat currency to blockchain settlement, with each stage connected by a shared reference number.

For exchanges, market makers, and fintech providers, Ripple indicates that the service can be integrated with their existing systems to automate repetitive stablecoin operations. Reports in July also mentioned that Ripple made an undisclosed investment in Notabene and plans to add RLUSD to its commercial payment platform.

According to the description of its services provided by Notabene, identity verification and counterparty information checks are conducted before the funds are transferred for payment authorization. The company states that its network connects more than 2,300 institutions across over 100 judicial jurisdictions.

European custody adds another institutional role for RLUSD

In addition to settlement and payment, DriveWealth will also collaborate with Ripple to carry out digital asset custody in Europe, as stated in the cooperation announcement. The two companies plan to expand the scope of custody support to more markets over time.

Ripple, the Senior Vice President of Stablecoins, explained how the collaboration would develop, saying: Jack McDonald

“DriveWealth came to Ripple with a specific challenge regarding cross-border settlements, but it quickly became clear that we had the opportunity to do more together.”

In another development on October 12th, Standard Chartered Bank launched RLUSD custody on XRP Ledger through its branch at the Dubai International Financial Centre. According to a statement from the bank, eligible institutional clients can hold this stablecoin through this service, which is regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority.

Under another separately proposed arrangement, the bank is collaborating with Ripple and LMAX Group to allow customers to use RLUSD as transaction collateral, while keeping the tokens in custody. Standard Chartered Bank stated that implementation still depends on testing, final legal documents, internal approval, and applicable regulatory requirements.

Reports on October 12 also mentioned that Ripple agreed in January to provide $150 million in financing to LMAX. A announcement from LMAX stated that it plans to use RLUSD as collateral, margin funds, and settlement tools in its institutional trading products.

The equity financing of Ripple Prime is still in the exploratory stage.

In addition to account funds and custody, DriveWealth stated that the two companies are also exploring equity financing through Delta One of Ripple Prime. The announcement described this effort as an exploratory arrangement, while referring to the settlement and payment aspects as integration.

On August 27th, Ripple Prime launched equity derivatives for institutional clients, including total return swaps linked to U.S. stocks, indices, and digital assets. According to the release, hedge funds and asset management companies can gain exposure to these assets without directly holding them.

Through this service, Ripple Prime indicates that clients can use a single counterparty and maintain positions across different asset categories with cross-margin support. Ripple states that the regulatory net capital of this brokerage business exceeds $1 billion, and it also provides clearing and financing services.

On October 13th, Privy announced the XRPL wallet tool through another collaboration with Ripple. According to this digital wallet provider, which is owned by Stripe, developers will be able to create wallets, manage them through software, and sign transactions involving XRP, RLUSD, as well as other assets on the ledger.

For consumer-facing applications, Privy indicates that their embedded wallets can support stablecoin payments without the need for users to manage encryption keys themselves. The announcement also mentioned server-side wallets, which are intended for enterprises that develop AI proxies and use payments through systems such as x402.