Key Developments:
A new institutional pilot has been announced by Mastercard, Ripple Labs, WebBank and Gemini Trust Company, using the regulated stablecoin RLUSD on the XRP Ledger (XRPL) to settle credit-card transactions.
#CoinDesk RLUSD is a USD-backed stablecoin launched in December 2024 under U.S. regulatory oversight; it has already surpassed US$1 billion in circulation.
#CoinMarketCap The pilot aims to bring blockchain-based settlement into the back-end of familiar card-payments — consumers still pay in fiat, but behind the scenes the value transfer between banks may occur on XRPL using RLUSD.
#Ccn The market has responded: XRP’s price jumped by about 3.4% amid the announcement.
#KuCoin
Why This Matters for XRP:
If mainstream settlement rails migrate onto XRPL, the network effect for XRP strengthens (more usage, deeper liquidity).
The narrative is evolving from “crypto hype” to “regulated infrastructure”. The participation of Mastercard + a U.S. bank + a regulated stablecoin raises the credibility.
Some analysts are pointing to aggressive long-term price targets for XRP — e.g., the $750 figure — under ideal adoption scenarios.
But — Important Risks & Caveats:
This is still a pilot, not a full production rollout. Regulatory approvals, integration complexity and global scale are all open questions.
Even if settlement moves to XRPL, that doesn’t automatically guarantee a major spike in XRP price — timing, market sentiment, and speculative dynamics all matter.
The broader crypto market remains volatile; macro factors (regulation, global yields, risk sentiment) still dominate many price moves.
The Bottom Line:
The infrastructure backdrop for XRP looks stronger than before: a real-world pilot with heavyweight participants is underway, signalling that blockchain settlement is increasingly seen as more than experimental. Whether this translates into a move toward the $750 target remains highly speculative, but from an adoption narrative perspective the story is undeniably shifting.
Note: This is not financial advice. Always assess your own risk tolerance, do your analysis, and consider that crypto assets remain highly volatile.