Ripple Partners with Wormhole to Expand RLUSD Across Ethereum L2 Networks in 2026

Ripple plans to expand its RLUSD stablecoin to multiple Ethereum ETH $2 943 24h volatility: 4.8% Market cap: $354.11 B Vol. 24h: $30.43 B Layer-2 networks in 2026, using Wormhole’s cross-chain messaging protocol and Native Token Transfers (NTT) standard, the company said on Monday. The planned rollout will see RLUSD bridged to Optimism, Base, Ink Chain, and Unichain, marking Ripple’s first concerted push into Ethereum’s fast-growing L2 ecosystem.

Ripple Taps Wormhole to Bring RLUSD to Ethereum Layer-2 Networks

The Wormhole integration will allow RLUSD to move across supported networks without relying on wrapped assets or fragmented liquidity pools. Wormhole’s NTT framework enables native issuance and redemption across chains, while maintaining a unified supply model. For Ripple, the approach reduces bridge risk and improves capital efficiency, two persistent challenges in multi-chain stablecoin deployments.

The planned RLUSD expansion would make it one of the first in its category to natively integrate with multiple Ethereum scaling networks. These Layer-2 chains are designed to lower transaction costs and improve throughput, while settling finality on Ethereum mainnet. By targeting Optimism and Base first, Ripple gains exposure to two of the most active L2 ecosystems for decentralized finance, payments, and enterprise experimentation.

According to a CoinDesk report, Ripple hints that the expansion reflects rising institutional demand for stablecoins that can operate seamlessly across chains without compromising regulatory standards. The inclusion of Ink Chain and Unichain signals an effort to future-proof RLUSD’s distribution across both established and emerging Ethereum environments.

The announcement comes as stablecoins gain traction in traditional finance. Visa recently launched a Stablecoins Advisory Practice under Visa Consulting & Analytics to help banks and fintechs assess, design, and deploy stablecoin-based payment strategies. In a press release on Monday, Visa reported more than 130 stablecoin-linked card programs globally and an annualized stablecoin settlement volume exceeding $3.5 billion as of late November.

With the global stablecoin market now surpassing $250 billion in capitalization, Ripple’s move positions RLUSD to compete more directly in cross-chain settlement, enterprise payments, and on-chain liquidity provisioning. The 2026 timeline suggests a phased rollout focused on infrastructure, compliance, and corporate partnerships.

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