Ripple looks to expand crypto and payment services in Brazil

Finance Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Ripple looks to expand crypto and payment services in Brazil The blockchain firm is adding custody, payments and brokerage tools for digital asset management and tokenization as it plans to apply for regulatory approval from the central bank. By Krisztian Sandor | Edited by Stephen Alpher Mar 17, 2026, 1:06 p.m. Make us preferred on Google Brad Garlinghouse at DC Fintech Week (Jesse Hamilton/CoinDesk) What to know : Ripple said it is expanding digital asset services in Brazil and plans to apply for a Virtual Asset Service Provider license with the country’s central bank. The company is rolling out an integrated platform for banks and fintechs that combines cross-border payments, crypto custody, brokerage and treasury tools. Ripple’s Brazil push comes amid rapid expansion through billion-dollar acquisitions and launching a U.S.dollar stablecoin Ripple USD (RLUSD). In this article BTC BTC $ 73,724.13 ◢ 0.48 % Ripple, the payments-focused blockchain company closely associated with the XRP Ledger (XRP) network, is expanding its digital asset services in Brazil while preparing to apply for a license with the country’s central bank, a move that would place it under the nation’s new crypto framework. The company said Tuesday it is rolling out a broader set of services that bundle cross-border payments, digital asset custody, brokerage and treasury tools. It said the combined offering targets banks and fintechs that want to move money across borders, hold crypto and manage liquidity in one system. It said it also plans to apply for a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license with the Central Bank of Brazil (BCB), in line with the country's crypto regulation. "Latin America has always been a priority market for Ripple — not just because of the scale of the opportunity, but because Brazil has built one of the most advanced and forward-thinking financial ecosystems in the world," Monica Long, president at Ripple, said in a statement." The firm said that several Brazilian firms already use Ripple’s payments network and crypto services. Banco Genial, for example, handles same-day U.S. dollar transfers, while Braza Bank uses the system for foreign exchange flows and issued a real-backed stablecoin on the XRP Ledger. Fintech Nomad and others use the network to shift funds between Brazil and the U.S. and settling in stablecoins. Ripple is also pushing its custody product in the country, aimed at institutions that need secure storage tied to trading and tokenization. The firm said partners such as CRX and Justoken are using the setup to issue tokenized assets, including real-world assets like commodities. The Brazil push comes as Ripple has been quickly expanding through acquisitions, building services around trading and digital asset infrastructure. That included the $1.25 billion purchase of prime brokerage Hidden Road and buying corporate treasury business GTreasury for $1 billion. The firm also issues a U.S. dollar stablecoin, the $1.5 billion RLUSD $ 0.9998 , via its custody arm. The firm said it has processed over 100 billion in transactions across its payments ecosystem. Recently, Ripple started a share buyback program that valued the the firm at $50 billion. Ripple Brazil payments More For You Mastercard agrees to buy stablecoin platform BVNK for up to $1.8 billion By Olivier Acuna | Edited by Sheldon Reback 45 minutes ago Payments giant Mastercard moves to bridge fiat and crypto with $1.8 billion acquisition of the U.K. based stablecoin startup. What to know : Mastercard agreed to buy U.K.-based stablecoin infrastructure firm BVNK for as much as $1.8 billion. The deal is intended to link onchain stablecoin payments with Mastercard’s global network for cross-border transfers, remittances and business-to-business transactions. The acquisition, which follows failed talks between BVNK and Coinbase, underscores Mastercard’s broader push into digital assets amid rising stablecoin payment volumes and is expected to close by year-end pending regulatory approvals. 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