Ripple to acquire Australian financial services license as APAC payments volume doubles

Markets Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Ripple to acquire Australian financial services license as APAC payments volume doubles The company plans to obtain the license through the acquisition of BC Payments Australia, expanding its regulated footprint to over 75 licenses worldwide. By Shaurya Malwa Mar 11, 2026, 5:23 a.m. Make us preferred on Google What to know : Ripple plans to acquire BC Payments Australia to secure an Australian Financial Services License, enabling it to offer its full payments stack in the country through a single integration. The company says payments volume in the Asia-Pacific region nearly doubled year-over-year in 2025, contributing to a reported $100 billion in total processed volume across 60 markets. Ripple is also joining Project Acacia, a digital-asset infrastructure initiative led by Australia's central bank, as XRP trades around $1.38 with modest gains for the day and week. Ripple announced plans on Wednesday to secure an Australian Financial Services License through the proposed acquisition of BC Payments Australia Pty Ltd, per a release shared with CoinDesk. The acquisition, which is still subject to completion, would allow Ripple to offer its full payments stack in Australia, covering onboarding, compliance, funding, foreign exchange, liquidity management, and payout through a single integration. Australian customers currently using Ripple Payments include Hai Ha Money Transfer, Stables, Caleb & Brown, Flash Payments, and Independent Reserve. "Australia is a key market for Ripple, and an AFSL strengthens our ability to scale Ripple Payments across the region," said Fiona Murray, managing director for Asia Pacific, in a statement. The regional numbers back up the push. Ripple said its APAC payments volume nearly doubled year-on-year in 2025, though it didn't disclose specific figures. That growth sits alongside the $100 billion in total processed volume the company reported last week when it announced managed custody, virtual account collections, and stablecoin settlement capabilities across 60 markets. Ripple also said it is participating in Project Acacia, an initiative led by the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre focused on digital asset infrastructure. The licensing approach is notable. Rather than applying for an AFSL directly, Ripple is acquiring a company that already holds one. That's a faster path to market but means the license is contingent on the deal closing, which hasn't happened yet. XRP was trading at $1.38, up 0.3% on the day and 1.7% on the week. More For You Pudgy Penguins: Challenging the Pokemon and Disney Legacy in the Global IP Race By CoinDesk Research Feb 27, 2026 Commissioned by Pudgy Penguins CoinDesk Research looks into how Pudgy Penguins disrupts traditional toys market via a phygital model. 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