Rakuten to allow XRP to be used as payment method by its 44 million customers

Finance Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Rakuten to allow XRP to be used as payment method by its 44 million customers Rakuten Pay users will also be able to spot trade XRP via the Rakuten Pay app and exchange the Japanese e-commerce giant’s points to purchase Ripple’s token By Olivier Acuna | Edited by Stephen Alpher Apr 14, 2026, 6:46 p.m. Make preferred on Rakuten is set to allow its 44 million users to spot trade XRP and us it as a payment method via its Rakuten Pay app. (Akonnchiroll/Wikimedia Commons) What to know : Rakuten is adding XRP to its Rakuten Pay app, letting 44 million users spend Ripple’s cryptocurrency at more than 5 million merchant locations across Japan. Starting April 15, users will be able to buy XRP with Rakuten Points, spot trade it in the app and hold it in their Rakuten Wallet, integrating the token into one of Japan’s largest loyalty systems. The move follows Rakuten’s earlier support for bitcoin, ether and bitcoin cash and is being hailed by a Ripple executive as a major milestone for broader digital asset adoption. Japan’s e-commerce giant Rakuten is adding XRP to its Rakuten Pay app, allowing its 44 million users to use Ripple’s cryptocurrency as a payment method with more than 5 million merchant locations across the country. In an announcement via X on Tuesday , Tatsuya Kohrogi, Ripple’s senior ecosystem growth manager, said Rakuten is also enabling its users to spot trade XRP via the app. He said they will also be able to purchase XRP with Rakuten points and hold it in their Rakuten Wallet. The move ties XRP into one of Japan’s largest loyalty systems, where more than 3 trillion points—worth roughly $23 billion—are in circulation and can now be converted into XRP, Kohrogi said. “Starting April 15, Rakuten Wallet will launch XRP as both a listed asset and a payment method, meaning users can buy XRP directly with Rakuten Points and charge their Rakuten Cash with XRP to spend it at over 5 million merchant locations across Japan,” Kohrogi said, calling the development “one of the most significant XRP milestones.” The Ripple executive also said Rakuten is one of Japan's most trusted consumer brands. “The fact that XRP is now embedded into its loyalty and payments infrastructure is a powerful signal of where digital asset adoption is heading,” he added. Rakuten began allowing users to spend bitcoin, ether and bitcoin cash in 2023. In 2021, the Japanese e-commerce giant announced the launch of its own Rakuten Coin , a token it said would be used as part of its points-based loyalty rewards system. More For You Goldman Sachs files for bitcoin income ETF in crypto push By Helene Braun , AI Boost | Edited by Nikhilesh De 3 hours ago The bank is moving deeper into crypto with a bitcoin ETF that generates income by selling options on bitcoin-linked funds, following BlackRock’s push into similar yield-focused products. What to know : Goldman Sachs has filed to launch a Bitcoin Premium Income ETF, one of its first direct forays into cryptocurrency investing. The proposed fund would give investors bitcoin exposure while using options-based premium strategies to generate income, targeting those seeking yield rather than pure price appreciation. The move follows BlackRock's plans... Read full story Latest Crypto News Popular DeFi platform warns users to stay away from its site after security breach 21 minutes ago Ethereum Foundation unveils $1M audit subsidy program to boost crypto security and cut costs for builders 45 minutes ago Goldman Sachs files for bitcoin income ETF in crypto push 3 hours ago High Roller stock more than doubles on prediction markets partnership with Crypto.com 3 hours ago Bitcoin climbs to highest level since Feb. 5 crash that sent price plunging to $60,000 4 hours ago Why Cantor Fitzgerald thinks Robinhood and Coinbase are the best ways to play the prediction market boom 4 hours ago Top Stories JPMorgan CFO warns stablecoins risk becoming ‘regulatory arbitrage’ play 4 hours ago Visa and Zodia Custody join Stripe’s new blockchain for machine payments 6 hours ago Bitcoin rises to one-month high above $75,000 as analysts eye major breakout 6 hours ago XRP Ledger adds zero-knowledge proofs targeting institutional privacy gap 5 hours ago Tether introduces crypto wallet to bring stablecoin and bitcoin payments directly to users 6 hours ago Bitcoin passes halfway point in halving cycle as price gains trail prior cycles 6 hours ago