Ripple Latest News and Milestones: A Look at the Key Updates in 2026

Ripple Labs entered 2026 with increased regulatory coverage, new institutional products, and continued focus on enterprise blockchain use cases. As of February 10, 2026, the company reports more than $95 billion in cumulative transaction volume, over 75 regulatory licenses worldwide, and a private valuation of about $50 billion. That valuation places Ripple among the ten most valuable private companies globally and makes it the only blockchain-focused firm in that group.

Recent activity shows a consistent pattern. Ripple is concentrating on regulated financial infrastructure, stablecoin settlement, and tokenized assets rather than consumer-facing crypto speculation. Developments from January and early February 2026 reinforce this direction across payments, treasury management, and institutional decentralized finance.

Company valuation and market position

Ripple’s reported $50 billion valuation reflects its growing role in regulated blockchain payments and financial services. The company now ranks alongside large private technology firms such as SpaceX and Stripe in valuation rankings, based on secondary-market estimates and private funding data.

This valuation coincides with rising institutional interest in Ripple’s products, especially Ripple Payments and the XRP Ledger (XRPL). The company remains privately held, with revenue primarily driven by enterprise software, cross-border payment flows, and liquidity services, rather than consumer token trading.

XRP performance and ETF flows

XRP traded near $1.40 in early February 2026, holding above its 2024 price range despite a broader digital asset downturn that erased many 2025 gains across the market. XRP previously reached highs near $3 in late 2024 before retracing.

Institutional demand remains visible through exchange-traded products. XRP-focused ETFs recorded roughly $45 million in weekly inflows during periods when other crypto-linked funds saw net outflows. This divergence suggests that some investors continue to view XRP as a payments-focused asset rather than a high-volatility proxy for the wider crypto market.

Community and education initiatives

Ripple continues to invest in developer and institutional education, with a focus on practical deployment rather than promotional messaging.

XRP Community Day 2026

XRP Community Day will be held on February 11–12 as a virtual event. The agenda centers on adoption and infrastructure rather than price discussion. Chief executive Brad Garlinghouse is scheduled to open the event with a session titled “The Era of XRP in Capital Markets,” outlining Ripple’s view of XRP’s role in regulated settlement systems.

Technical updates from RippleX cover developments on XRPL, including smart contract tooling, zero-knowledge proofs for privacy, compliance-focused decentralized exchange features, and permissioned finance models. Sessions also address wrapped assets, cross-chain liquidity, and how RLUSD is designed to complement XRP rather than replace it.

Other speakers include Ripple president Monica Long, chief technology officer David Schwartz, and chief legal officer Stuart Alderoty, as well as representatives from asset managers and exchanges, including Grayscale, Bitwise, Gemini, and Messari.

University Digital Asset Xcelerator

Ripple also continues its University Digital Asset Xcelerator (UDAX) program in partnership with the University of California, Berkeley. The initiative connects founders building XRP-based enterprise solutions with Ripple engineers and venture capital firms. The focus is on payments, liquidity management, and regulated tokenization rather than consumer apps or memecoins.

Partnerships and integrations

Ripple expanded its network through several integrations aimed at institutional finance and regulated markets.

Zand stablecoin collaboration

Ripple partnered with UAE-based Zand to support stablecoin and tokenization use cases. The collaboration links Zand’s AEDZ stablecoin with Ripple’s RLUSD, targeting settlement and asset issuance within regulated financial frameworks. The partnership aligns with regional efforts in the Middle East to use tokenized money for wholesale and cross-border transactions.

Hyperliquid access via Ripple Prime

Through Ripple Prime, institutional clients gained access to onchain derivatives liquidity from Hyperliquid. The integration allows cross-margining between centralized and onchain venues, addressing liquidity fragmentation while maintaining institutional risk controls.

LMAX Group and BNY Mellon

LMAX Group integrated RLUSD as collateral within its trading infrastructure, improving capital efficiency for institutional clients. Separately, BNY Mellon named Ripple Prime as an early adopter of its tokenized deposit services. Both moves signal growing acceptance of tokenized money within established financial market plumbing.

Bitso and cross-border payments

Latin American exchange Bitso expanded its use of Ripple Payments, including RLUSD and XRP, to support U.S.–LATAM settlement corridors. The setup enables near-instant transfers without pre-funding, reducing liquidity costs for payment providers operating across multiple currencies.

Regulatory approvals and compliance

Ripple added new regulatory approvals in Europe during early 2026, reinforcing its strategy of operating within established financial rules.

The company received a preliminary electronic money institution (EMI) license from Luxembourg’s Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF), supporting expansion of Ripple Payments across the European Union. In the United Kingdom, Ripple secured both an EMI license and cryptoasset registration from the Financial Conduct Authority.

With more than 75 licenses worldwide, Ripple now operates payment and digital asset services across major financial regions, including Europe, the UK, the Middle East, and parts of Asia-Pacific. This licensing footprint remains a key factor in attracting banks and payment firms that require regulatory clarity.

Product development and XRPL roadmap

RLUSD issuance and listings

Ripple Treasury minted $30 million worth of RLUSD during the reporting period. The stablecoin is listed on Binance via Ethereum, with XRPL-native support expected. Ripple positions RLUSD as a settlement and collateral asset designed for regulated institutions rather than retail trading.

Ripple Treasury platform

Ripple subsidiary GTreasury launched the Ripple Treasury platform, aimed at global cash and liquidity management for enterprises. The platform connects traditional treasury tools with digital asset settlement, allowing firms to manage fiat, stablecoins, and blockchain-based liquidity within a single framework.

Institutional DeFi roadmap

Ripple published an Institutional DeFi roadmap that frames XRPL as an operating system for real-world finance. The roadmap places XRP at the center of payments, liquidity, and credit flows, with stablecoins and tokenized assets layered on top.

XRPL currently ranks among the top ten public blockchains by real-world asset issuance and processes more than $1 billion in monthly stablecoin volume. The network’s design prioritizes deterministic settlement, low fees, and compliance-friendly features rather than permissionless experimentation.

Stablecoins and financial infrastructure

Ripple executives have increased public commentary on the role of stablecoins in payment efficiency and financial stability. The company argues that regulated stablecoins, when paired with compliant blockchain networks, can reduce settlement risk, shorten payment cycles, and improve transparency in cross-border finance.

RLUSD’s design reflects this view, with reserves, issuance controls, and integration targets aligned with institutional requirements rather than decentralized finance speculation.

What to watch next

XRP Community Day may provide further technical details on XRPL upgrades and enterprise adoption timelines. Regulatory developments in the United States and European Union remain a key variable for XRP-linked products and ETF flows.

Ripple’s recent activity shows consistent execution across licensing, partnerships, and infrastructure. The company’s strategy in early 2026 remains focused on payments, treasury operations, and regulated digital asset settlement rather than consumer crypto trends.

Conclusion

Ripple’s early 2026 milestones indicate the company is focusing on regulated blockchain infrastructure at scale. A $50 billion valuation, expanding licensing coverage, and deeper integration with banks and trading firms support its position in institutional finance. XRP’s relative price stability and ETF inflows suggest continued interest tied to payments use cases rather than market cycles. 

The XRPL roadmap, RLUSD issuance, and treasury tools indicate that Ripple is building practical systems for settlement, liquidity, and tokenized assets within existing financial structures.

Sources:

• Ripple X Account: Official announcements and news coverage
• Ripple Blog: Press Release coverage of key updates 
• LMAX Press Release: Partnership with Ripple