Ripple Acquires Stablecoin Payments Platform Rail for $200 Million

Ripple announced Thursday that it has agreed to acquire Rail, a stablecoin-powered payments platform, for $200 million. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025.

The acquisition aims to bolster Ripple’s enterprise-grade digital asset infrastructure and position it as a leading provider of stablecoin payment solutions.

Ripple expects Rail’s technology to enable its customers to manage stablecoin on- and off-ramps without holding cryptocurrencies, simplify treasury workflows, and support payments across various digital assets, including Ripple USD (RLUSD) and XRP.

The platform integration will offer streamlined third-party and treasury payments, virtual accounts, continuous connectivity via a unified API, enterprise compliance, and access to a multi-bank partner network.

Rail CEO Bhanu Kohli highlighted Rail’s significant market position, stating it is projected by Artemis Analytics to process over 10% of global stablecoin payments in 2025 within a market valued at approximately $36 billion.

Increasingly focused on stablecoins, Ripple has acquired Rail to build on its commitment to enterprise-grade blockchain solutions.

Expanding the Stablecoin Offering

Ripple introduced its enterprise-focused stablecoin, RLUSD, in late 2024, following CEO Brad Garlinghouse’s emphasis on institutional needs.

Recent developments show growing interest, with reports indicating RLUSD is appearing in self-custodial wallets and achieving platform integrations.

To fuel its stablecoin strategy further, Ripple announced in October 2024 a distribution partnership with major exchanges and platforms including Uphold, Bitstamp, Bitso, MoonPay, Independent Reserve, CoinMENA, and Bullish.

Ripple’s Regulatory Strategy

Ripple continues its strategic expansion, announcing its intention in July 2024 to pursue the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) license to operate within the European Union.

Ripple aims to achieve “MiCA compliance,” recognizing the significant potential in Europe, while also leveraging positive regulatory developments like its RLUSD approval from the Dubai Financial Services Authority, complementing its broader market access through the DIFC regulations.