Ripple is moving ahead with plans to acquire BC Payments Australia in a deal designed to secure an Australian Financial Services License, or AFSL. Instead of filing for a new license from scratch, the company is aiming to buy an entity that already holds the authorization, a route that could speed up its ability to operate under Australia’s regulatory regime.
Fiona Murray, Ripple’s Managing Director for Asia Pacific, said licensing sits at the center of the company’s strategy because it supports the delivery of secure and compliant services to customers worldwide. She described Australia as a key market for Ripple and said an AFSL would strengthen the company’s capacity to scale Ripple Payments across the region while helping customers move value globally with greater speed, transparency, and reliability.
The license would back Ripple Payments in Australia
If the transaction closes, the AFSL would support the rollout of Ripple’s payments platform in Australia. The platform combines digital assets with traditional financial rails to manage cross-border payments within one infrastructure, covering compliance processes, foreign exchange, liquidity sourcing, and settlement.
Ripple said this setup allows it to oversee settlement directly, optimize transaction routing, and reduce counterparty risk. For customers, the model also offers a single integration point rather than requiring them to manage multiple intermediaries or deal with the complexity of blockchain systems on their own.
Asia-Pacific volume nearly doubled in 2025
The proposed acquisition fits into Ripple’s broader push across the Asia-Pacific market, where demand for blockchain-based payment infrastructure has increased in recent years. The company said its payments activity in the region posted strong growth in 2025, with transaction volumes nearly doubling year over year.
Australia is seen by Ripple as an important expansion market because of its established financial sector and a growing fintech ecosystem. By obtaining an AFSL through the acquisition, the company intends to serve banks, payment providers, and enterprises looking for faster and more efficient systems for cross-border transactions.
Deal still needs approvals and could close in April 2026
The transaction remains subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. If those requirements are met, the acquisition could be completed in early April 2026.
Ripple has continued to build out regulated operations in several jurisdictions and has secured licenses or regulatory registrations in the United Kingdom, Singapore, Luxembourg, and Abu Dhabi. The planned BC Payments Australia deal adds to that effort and would extend the company’s regulated payments network into another major Asia-Pacific market.