Ripple Gains Abu Dhabi FSRA Greenlisting In Latest Middle East Push
Ripple has secured a key regulatory win within the Gulf as Abu Dhabi’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) has acknowledged Ripple USD (RLUSD) as an “Accepted Fiat-Referenced Token,” successfully greenlisting the USD-backed stablecoin to be used inside Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM).
Ripple Adds Another Middle East Win
The designation means RLUSD can now be utilized by FSRA-licensed “Authorised Persons” for relevant regulated actions inside ADGM, together with its use as lending collateral. Reece Merrick, Ripple’s Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa, highlighted the importance in a post on X, calling the approval “one other milestone for Ripple right here within the Middle East” and noting that “RLUSD is now accepted to be used as lending collateral inside @ADGlobalMarket.” He added that 2025 had introduced “superior momentum for Ripple within the Middle East” and mentioned he “can’t wait to maintain constructing on these stable foundations as we head into 2026.”
The transfer slots RLUSD into ADGM’s devoted framework for fiat-referenced tokens (FRTs), beneath which solely belongings granted “Accepted” standing could also be utilized by regulated corporations for key actions resembling custody, dealing and working venues. For RLUSD, this shifts it from being merely technically usable to being explicitly permitted beneath one of the structured digital asset regimes within the area.
Jack McDonald, Senior Vice President of Stablecoins, framed the approval as a validation of the product’s institutional positioning. “The FSRA’s recognition of RLUSD as a Fiat-Referenced Token reinforces our dedication to regulatory compliance and belief – two non-negotiables in relation to institutional finance,” he mentioned. With “a market capitalization of over $1 billion and rising adoption in core monetary makes use of like collateral and funds,” McDonald argued, RLUSD is “shortly changing into a go-to USD stablecoin for main establishments.”
RLUSD is issued beneath a New York Department of Financial Services Limited Purpose Trust Company Charter and, in response to the corporate, has grown to greater than $1.2 billion in market capitalization since launching in late 2024. The firm emphasises 1:1 USD backing in high-quality liquid belongings, strict reserve segregation, third-party attestations and clear redemption rights, aiming squarely at regulatory and institutional expectations slightly than retail hypothesis.
From ADGM’s facet, the transfer can be being offered as a proof level for Abu Dhabi’s regulatory structure. “We congratulate Ripple on reaching this necessary milestone,” mentioned Arvind Ramamurthy, Chief Market Development Officer at ADGM. He pointed to ADGM’s “strong regulatory framework, designed to help the sustainable progress of modern corporations and make sure the highest worldwide requirements of governance and compliance,” and argued that Abu Dhabi’s concentrate on “innovation, transparency, and belief positions Abu Dhabi as a number one hub for the subsequent era of monetary companies and digital finance.”
The RLUSD recognition provides to Ripple’s quickly increasing Middle East footprint. In the UAE, the stablecoin has additionally been cleared in Dubai’s DIFC by the DFSA’s recognised token regime, whereas within the broader area Ripple has introduced a brand new strategic partnership in Bahrain and onboarded Absa Bank as its first custody consumer in Africa. RLUSD is being built-in throughout Ripple’s personal stack – together with Ripple Payments, Ripple Custody and Ripple Prime – to operate as a settlement and collateral asset for cross-border funds, institutional buying and selling and capital markets.
At press time, XRP traded at $2.20.