SBI VC Trade has listed RLUSD, a move described by BankXRP as the launch of Japan’s first regulated US dollar stablecoin under the Fourth Electronic Payment Method framework. The listing gives RLUSD a defined regulatory footing inside one of Asia’s most closely supervised financial markets.
RLUSD gains a regulated route into Japan
Developed in collaboration with Ripple Labs, RLUSD is being positioned for more than exchange trading. The source says the approval opens the door to regulation-compliant use cases across Japan’s financial system, including cross-border payments, money transfers, treasury operations, trade settlement, and transactions tied to tokenized assets.
The Fourth Electronic Payment Method is described as a legal classification in Japan that governs the issuance and circulation of certain digital payment instruments. Under that structure, stablecoin-like products can be offered through licensed and supervised institutions. SBI VC Trade operates as the crypto platform of SBI Holdings.
Ripple-SBI ties move back into focus
The decision also adds weight to the long-running relationship between Ripple and SBI Holdings. SBI is a major financial group in Japan and has long served as a key partner for Ripple’s presence in Asia. With RLUSD now holding regulated status in Japan, the visibility of the broader Ripple ecosystem in the country may increase.
The report also points to possible indirect implications for XRP. RLUSD is framed as a stable settlement instrument, while XRP is described as a bridge currency. If institutional usage, transaction volume, and network activity rise inside the same ecosystem, XRP’s liquidity and adoption could also benefit, according to analysts cited in the source.
Claim of large Japanese institutional XRP holdings
Market analyst Diana said Japanese institutions collectively hold about $59 billion worth of XRP. The article contrasts that figure with the often-cited pension fund exposure of $131 million, putting the institutional total at more than 450 times larger. The report also states that the $59 billion figure has not been independently verified.
Even with that caveat, the claim is presented as a sign of Japan’s weight in the Ripple and XRP market. The source describes Japan as one of the largest markets for Ripple and XRP, at a time when activity across the country’s digital asset sector is picking up.
Japan continues building regulated digital asset rails
Beyond RLUSD, the report says SBI Group is preparing to launch JPYSC, a regulated yen-backed stablecoin. At the same time, Japanese lawmakers are pursuing reforms that would place crypto assets under a framework similar to traditional securities. If adopted, assets such as XRP could be viewed and treated more like financial instruments in Japan.
From RLUSD’s regulated entry to plans for JPYSC and broader legal reform, the direction is clear: Japan is expanding its regulated digital asset infrastructure. In the source report, Ripple, RLUSD, and XRP are identified as central names in that shift.