Ripple Shocks Market with Mastercard Partnership and Massive $500M Funding Boost
During his address at the American Business Forum, President Donald Trump praised U.S. innovation in digital finance just as Ripple revealed a landmark partnership with Mastercard, WebBank, and Gemini.
Key Takeaways:
- Ripple partners with Mastercard, WebBank, and Gemini to launch RLUSD-based card payment settlement.
- Ripple secures $500 million in new funding, valuing the company at $40 billion.
- RLUSD’s market cap surpasses $1 billion amid strong institutional adoption.
- Ripple Payments volumes exceed $95 billion globally.
- Company now holds 75 regulatory licenses and reports 3x growth in Ripple Prime business.
The collaboration aims to introduce blockchain-based settlement to traditional fiat card payments—potentially marking a pivotal step in merging crypto and mainstream finance.
RLUSD Powers Institutional-Grade Payment Innovation
Announced during Ripple Swell 2025, the initiative will use Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin, issued on the XRP Ledger, to settle transactions for Mastercard and WebBank, the issuer of the Gemini Credit Card. Ripple said the pilot seeks to demonstrate how stablecoins can accelerate payment settlement while maintaining compliance and consumer protection standards.
Swell 2025: We have closed a $500 million strategic investment at a $40 billion valuation, led by Fortress Investment Group and Citadel Securities: https://t.co/orsBjdkWbE
→ $95B+ in total Ripple Payments payment volume
→ $1B+ $RLUSD stablecoin market cap
→ 6 strategic…— Ripple (@Ripple) November 5, 2025
Mastercard described the collaboration as a practical step toward regulated digital asset integration, noting that its open-loop testing environment will preserve the same safety mechanisms used across its global payment network. The companies are currently focused on onboarding RLUSD into Mastercard and WebBank systems, pending regulatory clearance.
WebBank stated that stablecoin-based settlement could bridge the gap between blockchain and traditional banking, enhancing efficiency without compromising reliability.
Ripple’s Expanding Global Reach
The pilot comes as Ripple experiences a period of rapid institutional growth. The firm recently announced a $500 million strategic investment round at a $40 billion valuation, led by major financial backers such as Fortress Investment Group, Citadel Securities affiliates, Pantera Capital, Galaxy Digital, Brevan Howard, and Marshall Wace.
Ripple highlighted these milestones during Swell 2025: over $95 billion in total Ripple Payments volume, a $1 billion+ market cap for its RLUSD stablecoin, completion of six strategic acquisitions in just over two years, repurchase of 25% of company shares, a threefold expansion in Ripple Prime, and 75 regulatory licenses secured globally. The company described this progress as the momentum behind its vision of building the “Internet of Value.”
CEO Brad Garlinghouse said the investment underscores “Ripple’s incredible momentum” and validates the broader market opportunity for regulated blockchain solutions. Ripple has repurchased over a quarter of its shares in recent years, providing liquidity to employees and investors, while institutional demand for equity has surged.
Building the Future of Digital Settlement
Over the past two years, Ripple has completed six acquisitions, two valued above $1 billion, expanding its footprint into custody, stablecoins, prime brokerage, and treasury management. Earlier in 2025, the company acquired Rail to strengthen its Ripple Payments division, which now processes over $95 billion in transaction volume using RLUSD and XRP.
In October, Ripple also acquired GTreasury – used by Fortune 500 firms to manage trillions in capital – to enable 24/7 stablecoin payments and collateral management. RLUSD has since surpassed $1 billion in market capitalization, reflecting growing institutional confidence.
Ripple’s prime brokerage arm, Ripple Prime (formerly Hidden Road), has also seen surging adoption. Client collateral has doubled, daily transactions now exceed 60 million, and new lending products backed by XRP are on the horizon.
A Turning Point for Regulated Blockchain Finance
The Mastercard-Gemini-WebBank pilot signals a broader shift toward compliant, institutional-grade blockchain infrastructure. With more than 75 regulatory licenses and an expanding product suite, Ripple is positioning itself as a key bridge between digital assets and global financial networks.
Garlinghouse emphasized that Ripple’s mission remains focused on scaling real-world utility: “We started with payments, but we’re building the rails for the next generation of finance—fast, transparent, and compliant.”
The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or trading advice. Coindoo.com does not endorse or recommend any specific investment strategy or cryptocurrency. Always conduct your own research and consult with a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions.
Alex is Editor-in-Chief of Coindoo and co-founder of Millennial Media Group, with nearly a decade of experience covering financial markets - crypto first, then everything else. It started in 2016 with Bitcoin. Like most people at the time, he didn't fully understand it - so he kept digging. Blockchain, tokenomics, the projects, the cycles. That curiosity never stopped, and eventually pulled him into traditional markets too: equities, commodities, macro. Not because he left crypto behind, but because you can't properly understand one without the other. What drives him is straightforward: he wants to know why something is happening, not just that it's happening. Most market coverage stops at the headline - price up, price down, here's a chart. Alex finds that kind of reporting actively unhelpful. If you walk away from an article without understanding the mechanism behind the move, what did you actually learn? He holds a degree in Tourism from New Bulgarian University - not the most obvious path into financial markets, but markets have a way of pulling in people who are simply too curious to stay out. He has authored over 200 in-depth analyses and more than 10,000 articles across crypto and traditional finance. He still thinks every day in markets teaches him something new. That's probably why he hasn't stopped.
