- The pilot program includes Optimism, Base, Ink and Unichain as part of a multi-chain expansion strategy.
- Additional chain launches are planned for next year, subject to regulatory approval in the United States.
- RLUSD has a market capitalization of $1.3 billion and has seen growing retail adoption since its launch.
Ripple Labs is expanding the reach of its US dollar-backed stablecoin RLUSD by testing it across multiple Ethereum layer-2 blockchains as part of a new pilot program.
The expansion comes while the company awaits regulatory approval needed for a broader rollout planned for next year.
By extending RLUSD beyond its initial launch environments, Ripple is positioning the stablecoin for deeper integration into decentralized finance and institutional blockchain use cases.
The pilot also reflects a broader industry shift toward multichain infrastructure, where stablecoins are expected to operate seamlessly across multiple networks rather than being confined to a single ecosystem.
Pilot targets Ethereum layer-2 ecosystems
The pilot is being conducted in partnership with Wormhole, a cross-chain interoperability protocol that facilitates the movement of assets between blockchains.
Under the agreement, RLUSD will be tested on Optimism, Base and Ink, the latter being an Ethereum layer-2 solution developed in cooperation with Kraken and Unichain.
RLUSD was originally issued on the XRP Ledger and Ethereum. Ripple says expanding to layer-2 networks is a necessary step to support scalability, efficiency and interoperability as blockchain activity increasingly migrates to lower-cost environments built on Ethereum.
The pilot phase aims to evaluate how RLUSD performs across these networks ahead of a wider launch, which remains contingent on regulatory approval.
Wormhole technology avoids wrapped assets
A key technical element of the expansion is the use of Wormhole’s Native Token Transfers standard.
According to Wormhole, this approach allows RLUSD to move between blockchains as the same native asset rather than relying on wrapped or synthetic versions.
In many multichain models, tokens are locked on one chain while a wrapped representation is minted on another, a process that can fragment liquidity.
Wormhole’s system is designed to maintain a single canonical version of RLUSD on each supported blockchain, while Ripple retains control over the token contracts.
This structure aims to preserve liquidity and simplify cross-chain use, which is especially important for stablecoins meant to support payments, decentralized finance and institutional settlement.
RLUSD growth and market position
RLUSD launched in December 2024 and, according to market data, currently has a market capitalization of approximately $1.3 billion.
While still much smaller than established stablecoins, it has begun gaining traction among retail users.
For context, major competitors include Tether’s USDT, Circle’s USDC and other large stablecoins, which retain significantly larger market caps.
RLUSD’s adoption has been supported by integrations with platforms such as Transak and increasing usage across self-custodial wallets, including Xaman.
Ripple views stablecoins as a key bridge between decentralized finance and institutional adoption, positioning RLUSD as a compliance-focused option built for a growing multichain environment.