Ripple said RLUSD, its U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin, became available in Türkiye on June 2, 2026 through BiLira Kripto, Bitexen, and Bitlo. The company framed the rollout around institutional access to regulated digital dollar products, with use cases including payments, tokenization, and collateral management.
Local exchange partners open access for institutions
According to Ripple, institutions in Türkiye can now access RLUSD through the three local exchange partners. Jack McDonald, SVP of Stablecoins at Ripple, said the asset is designed to support payments, tokenization, and collateral workflows. He also described Türkiye as an important expansion market because of its high level of crypto adoption and financial activity.
BiLira Kripto, Bitexen, and Bitlo each confirmed that RLUSD has been integrated on their platforms. Sinan Koç of BiLira said the partnership centers on regulatory integrity and access to stable digital assets. Bitexen CEO Alphan Göğüş said RLUSD will support USD-denominated instruments across regulated multi-jurisdiction infrastructure. Bitlo CEO Mustafa Alpay said the stablecoin gives users a secure digital dollar option for wealth management and hedging volatility.
Türkiye handles nearly $200 billion in annual crypto volume
Ripple cited 2025 data from Chainalysis showing that Türkiye processes nearly $200 billion in annual crypto transaction volume, placing it among the leading digital asset markets in the MENA region. The company also pointed to the licensing framework introduced by the Capital Markets Board in 2024 for digital asset operations, saying that structure supports institutional participation and links with global liquidity networks.
Ripple added that RLUSD is also available on global platforms including Binance, Bitstamp, Kraken, and OKX, extending access across regulated exchanges and institutional trading venues. Since its 2024 launch, the stablecoin has reached a market capitalization of $1.7 billion in less than a year, based on the company’s statement.
University partnership adds research funding and XRPL validator plans
Ripple also named Istanbul Technical University as a new partner under its blockchain research initiative. Program funding will use RLUSD and will support graduate research and academic development. The partnership includes plans to establish an XRP Ledger validator on the university campus, connecting academic work with blockchain infrastructure development in Türkiye.