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Ripple Extends UAE Partnership to Enable RLUSD and AEDZ Stablecoin Liquidity

Leah Fraser
April 7, 2026
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  • Ripple expands its UAE partnership with Zand to add RLUSD support into the digital bank’s regulated digital asset custody.
  • The firms will work on direct liquidity links between RLUSD and Zand’s AED-backed stablecoin AEDZ to simplify USD–AED stablecoin conversion and settlement.

Ripple and UAE-based digital bank Zand have expanded their partnership to explore stablecoin custody, cross-stablecoin liquidity, and potential issuance on the XRP Ledger. Ripple’s Middle East and Africa Managing Director Reece Merrick shared the update, saying the work will extend an earlier payments collaboration and focus on initiatives involving Ripple’s USD-pegged stablecoin, RLUSD, and Zand’s AED-backed stablecoin AEDZ.

Zand, which earlier integrated the XDC Network, said the companies will evaluate enabling RLUSD support within its regulated digital asset custody service. The bank also said it will work with Ripple on possible direct liquidity solutions between RLUSD and AEDZ, aimed at smoother conversion between the U.S. dollar and the UAE dirham. In addition, Zand said it is considering issuing AEDZ on the XRP Ledger, with compliance, monitoring, and risk controls referenced as part of the approach.

The expanded scope builds on a payments partnership agreed last year. That earlier relationship was positioned around blockchain-based settlement for businesses. The new phase centers on stablecoin infrastructure that could be used for treasury activity, cross-border payments, and tokenized finance, using regulated custody as a foundation for institutional handling of onchain assets.

Custody Support and XRPL Issuance Under Review

Zand described AEDZ as the UAE’s first regulated multi-chain AED-backed stablecoin on public blockchains. The bank said the token is backed one-to-one by AED reserves held in segregated, regulated accounts, with audited smart contracts and reserve attestations. Ripple described RLUSD as fully backed by high-quality reserves such as U.S. dollar deposits, short-term U.S. government bonds, and cash equivalents, with monthly third-party attestations.

Zand CEO Michael Chan said the partnership is intended to support the UAE’s digital economy through stablecoins, blockchain technology, and tokenization. 

Merrick said the expanded collaboration is tied to Ripple’s work in the UAE and a focus on secure and efficient blockchain-based financial tools, while also pointing to stablecoins and tokenized assets as areas of interest for the region’s financial services development.

On X, some community responses welcomed the partnership and hailed it as a big win for the entire XRP ecosystem. Robert W., posting under “XRP Facts & Figures,” said the rollout was expanding step by step, referring to custody support, stablecoin usage, and liquidity connections. XRP Healthcare, an AI-based healthcare company based in Dubai, said that regulated stablecoins, local-currency liquidity, and XRPL-native issuance being discussed in a banking context signal progress for on-chain financial services.

The update comes as RLUSD continues to gain formal recognition in the region. As previously reported, Abu Dhabi’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority recognized RLUSD as an “Accepted Fiat-Referenced Token,” allowing its use in certain regulated activities under relevant licensing conditions. 

However, neither Ripple nor Zand has provided a timeline for when custody support, liquidity links, or XRPL issuance decisions may move from evaluation into deployment. Still, the partnership has revived XRP interest, with the price rising over 2% to trade at $1.41.





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