RLUSD expands as Zand–Ripple deal aligns with ADGM rules

Zand–Ripple partnership enables regulated AED and USD stablecoin payments in UAE

As reported by The Fintech Times, Zand Bank and Ripple have partnered to integrate an AED-backed stablecoin (AEDZ) alongside Ripple USD (RLUSD), positioning both assets for regulated payments and tokenization in the United Arab Emirates. The collaboration is framed to support compliant, enterprise-grade settlement in both dirham and U.S. dollar denominations, aligning with the UAE’s focus on real-world blockchain utility.

The integration is designed to address day-one use cases where fiat-referenced tokens can streamline treasury operations and commerce. Bringing AEDZ and RLUSD under regulated workflows aims to reduce frictions in domestic and cross-border transfers while preparing rails for tokenized deposits, invoices, and cash management.

Why AEDZ and RLUSD matter for the UAE digital economy

AEDZ is intended to provide dirham-denominated stability for everyday settlement, payroll, and B2B payments, while RLUSD serves dollar liquidity needs often tied to global trade and remittances. In combination, these stablecoins could support two-currency corridors common to UAE businesses, improving reconciliation and interoperability between dirham and dollar cash cycles.

Zand has framed the initiative around institutional-grade infrastructure and payments modernization before broad commercialization. “Our collaboration with Ripple highlights our commitment to empowering global payment solutions through blockchain technology. Moreover, we are excited to soon launch an AED-backed stablecoin, designed to further enhance seamless and efficient transactions in the rapidly evolving digital economy,” said Chirag Sampat, Head of Treasury and Markets at Zand Bank.

From a regulatory and operational standpoint, the appeal is risk-managed programmability: fiat settlement finality paired with on-chain controls. If executed within licensed environments, AEDZ and RLUSD could enable auditable flows, standardized KYC/AML, and automated corporate workflows for receivables, payables, and working-capital finance.

Immediate impact: payments, tokenization, and enterprise integrations

In payments, regulated stablecoins seek to compress settlement times and reduce costs versus legacy correspondent paths. For tokenization, fiat-referenced tokens can function as cash legs for on-chain assets, enabling atomic delivery-versus-payment and streamlined corporate actions.

Binance has fully integrated RLUSD on the XRP Ledger, broadening access via deposits and expanding features across Earn, Convert, Margin, and VIP Loan, as reported by Bitcoin.com News. This type of exchange coverage can improve liquidity formation and operational optionality for treasurers who need to move between on-chain and off-chain venues.

RLUSD is being developed with a chain-agnostic strategy across multiple networks, including Ethereum Layer-2s such as Base and Optimism, according to U.Today. Multi-chain availability can reduce vendor lock-in and support enterprise continuity planning by allowing assets to operate where compliance, liquidity, and counterparties align.

Regulatory map: DFSA license context and ADGM FSRA recognition

The UAE features distinct regulatory jurisdictions, including the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) in the DIFC and the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). Approvals are jurisdiction-specific, so permissions in one free zone do not imply blanket approval across the country’s other financial centers.

According to Ripple, its DFSA license supports addressing known inefficiencies in traditional cross-border payments, including fees, settlement times, and transparency, within one of the world’s largest payments hubs. In practice, this context helps explain why regulated stablecoins are being positioned as complementary to licensed payment services rather than as substitutes.

RLUSD has been recognized as an Accepted Fiat-Referenced Token by the FSRA in ADGM, allowing ADGM-licensed entities to use it in regulated financial activity, as reported by CoinDesk. That recognition places RLUSD within a limited set of institution-ready stablecoins in the UAE, enabling banks, fintechs, and capital-markets participants in ADGM to evaluate compliant integration paths.

At the time of this writing, XRP traded around $1.59 with an RSI near 45 and volatility of roughly 14%, based on data from Nasdaq. This market snapshot is contextual only and does not alter the regulatory analysis above; stablecoin utilization depends on licensing, controls, and integration readiness rather than short-term price movements.