XRP and RLUSD Fuel Real-World Payments for 20 Million Merchants

XRP and RLUSD just unlocked massive real-world utility as AEON integrates the cryptocurrencies into 20 million merchant payment systems, targeting global expansion across emerging digital economies.

Ripple Partners With AEON to Launch XRP and RLUSD Payments

XRP and Ripple USD are making inroads into real-world retail as AEON introduces them into its evolving digital payments ecosystem. AEON, a digital asset infrastructure provider, revealed on June 24 that it is working with Ripple to facilitate transactions using XRP and Ripple USD (RLUSD) on its Web3 mobile platform, AEON Pay.

“Initially, this will empower offline payments across 20 million merchants in Southeast Asia at 10,000+ consumer brands like UNIQLO, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, and Starbucks, with rollout plans targeting Africa, Latin America, and other emerging markets soon after,” the announcement details. AEON stated:

With this partnership, AEON Pay, AEON’s Web3 mobile payment platform, now supports XRP and RLUSD across online and offline payment environments.

Transactions are available via AEON Pay’s Telegram Mini App and decentralized wallet interfaces such as Bitget Wallet and Tokenpocket, with expansion plans into Africa, Latin America, and other high-growth markets.

XRP, known for its speed and cost-efficiency, enhances AEON’s Web3 payment framework by offering a liquid and scalable option for real-time transactions. RLUSD, issued by Standard Custody & Trust Company, LLC—a Ripple Labs subsidiary—is fully backed by U.S. dollars and designed for compliance and enterprise-grade reliability. AEON’s integration of both assets marks one of the broadest implementations of XRP in consumer-facing retail and introduces RLUSD into large-scale payment environments.

This partnership blends Ripple’s enterprise blockchain tools with AEON’s AI-enabled omni-chain payment system, designed to manage automated, intelligent crypto transactions. While stablecoin critics highlight centralization concerns, supporters argue that XRP’s decentralized infrastructure and RLUSD’s regulatory foundation offer complementary benefits for advancing global crypto adoption through practical, everyday use.

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