RLUSD is now available in Japan. SBI VC Trade has begun handling it as Japan’s first USD-denominated Type 4 electronic payment instrument, while the yen-denominated trust-backed stablecoin JPYSC also launched on the same day.
Ripple’s RLUSD has entered the Japanese market, becoming available through SBI VC Trade, part of the SBI Group, as Japan’s first dollar-linked stablecoin. Issued in December 2024, RLUSD is classified as a Type 4 electronic payment instrument under the amended Payment Services Act. Deposits and withdrawals are free, and the stablecoin can be purchased directly with Japanese yen. On the same day, SBI VC Trade also began handling JPYSC, a yen-denominated trust-backed stablecoin for the Japanese market.
CoinPost conducted an exclusive interview with Fiona Murray (フィオナ・マレー), Ripple’s Managing Director for Asia Pacific, to mark RLUSD’s launch in Japan. She described RLUSD as part of a multi-chain ecosystem and said the company plans to improve convenience for institutional users by developing on- and off-ramps in cooperation with regulated financial institutions. She also discussed plans to promote RLUSD adoption and generate real-world demand.
As differentiators for RLUSD, the company cites a flexible ecosystem based on multi-chain functionality and regulatory compliance that does not require users to prioritize any particular asset. Banks can serve as gateways linking digital assets and cash while managing conversion, liquidity provision and custody services through on- and off-ramps as a bundled offering. The strategy is intended to expand opportunities to use assets such as bonds and tokenized money market funds.