Ripple Wins Luxembourg EMI Approval to Expand European Payments

Ripple has secured preliminary approval for an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license from Luxembourg’s financial regulator, marking another regulatory milestone as the firm expands its payments business across Europe.

Key Takeaways:

• Ripple secured preliminary EMI approval in Luxembourg to expand regulated EU payments.
• Back-to-back approvals in Luxembourg and the UK deepen Ripple’s European footprint.
• The licenses support Ripple’s push to deliver payment infrastructure for banks and institutions.

The approval was granted by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier and came in the form of a “green light letter,” Ripple said in a recent blog post.

While the authorization remains subject to final conditions, it positions the company to broaden its cross-border payments platform across the European Union, allowing financial institutions to move funds using stablecoins and other digital assets within a regulated framework.

Ripple Secures UK and Luxembourg Approvals to Deepen EU Presence

The Luxembourg decision follows closely on Ripple’s recent regulatory progress in the United Kingdom, where it received both an EMI license and cryptoasset registration from the Financial Conduct Authority.

Together, the approvals strengthen Ripple’s footprint in two key European markets as regional rules for digital assets continue to take shape.

Ripple President Monica Long said Europe’s regulatory approach has given financial institutions the confidence to move blockchain technology beyond pilot programs.

She added that expanding Ripple’s licensing portfolio allows the company to offer an end-to-end payments solution that combines stablecoins with onchain liquidity, helping institutions modernize legacy systems and operate around the clock.

Ripple Payments operates as a licensed, end-to-end cross-border payments platform, managing the flow of funds on behalf of clients while connecting them to a global network of payout partners.

By handling blockchain infrastructure and operational complexity internally, Ripple enables banks and payment providers to launch digital services without building or maintaining their own systems.

According to the company, Ripple Payments has processed more than $95 billion in transaction volume to date and now reaches over 90% of daily foreign exchange markets.

The firm holds more than 75 licenses and registrations worldwide, placing it among the most heavily regulated companies in the digital asset sector.

Cassie Craddock, Ripple’s managing director for the UK and Europe, said Luxembourg’s supervisory framework offers the legal certainty needed for financial innovation.

She described the preliminary approval as a pivotal step toward delivering compliant blockchain infrastructure across the EU, noting Ripple’s focus on aligning its operations with Europe’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regime.

Ripple’s RLUSD Wins Regulatory Green Light in Abu Dhabi

As reported, Ripple’s dollar-backed stablecoin RLUSD was cleared for institutional use in Abu Dhabi after receiving recognition as an Accepted Fiat-Referenced Token from the local regulator.

The approval allows licensed firms within Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) to use RLUSD for regulated financial activities inside the free-zone financial center.

The decision strengthens Ripple’s expansion across the UAE. In recent months, the company secured approvals in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and onboarded partners including Zand Bank and Mamo.

As reported, Ripple is also weighing whether to bring staking to the XRP Ledger (XRPL), a move that would push the decade-old blockchain deeper into the rapidly expanding world of decentralized finance.