DriveWealth brings RLUSD settlement to brokerage funding

DriveWealth plans to integrate Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin into brokerage settlement in Europe, with a U.S. expansion planned, adding a near-real-time funding route alongside bank wires. The companies’ partnership announcement says clients will be able to fund and manage collateral accounts with stablecoins that convert to cash near real time. The change targets a timing gap: U.S. equities settle on a T+1 basis, while cross-border dollar transfers can take longer.

The initial settlement integration will use RLUSD on the XRP Ledger, with Ripple’s mint and burn capabilities. DriveWealth also plans to integrate Ripple Payments for cross-border acceptance from global partners and is working with Ripple on digital-asset custody in Europe. Those are distinct parts of the agreement: the RLUSD settlement plan concerns collateral funding, while Ripple Payments is intended to move incoming funds across borders.

What changes for DriveWealth’s funding timetable?

DriveWealth CEO Naureen Hassan said the firm already supports 24/5 trading and wants funding to keep pace, rather than leave capital waiting overnight or over a weekend. The company says stablecoins could let clients fund collateral accounts without waiting for a bank wire and move money outside cross-border transfer windows and cutoffs.

That is a proposed improvement in access and capital use, not a claim that stock settlement itself will move to a new cycle. U.S. equities still settle on T+1, according to the companies’ announcement; the new rail is intended to make funds available to the brokerage more quickly. DriveWealth serves more than 100 partners globally, but the announcement does not identify which partners or clients will use the integration first.

How does RLUSD compare with bank wires and other rails?

Bank wires remain the existing alternative described by the companies. They offer a familiar way to move dollars, while RLUSD on XRPL is intended to support funding beyond bank transfer windows and convert back to cash near real time. The trade-off is that the new route adds a stablecoin, a blockchain network and conversion into the brokerage’s cash system. The firms have not described the conversion process, fees, transaction limits or how the service will work across specific markets.

The agreement also combines Ripple Payments with stablecoin settlement rather than relying on a single mechanism for every step. Payments supports cross-border acceptance from DriveWealth’s partners; RLUSD is named for settlement. Separately, the companies are exploring equity financing through Ripple Prime’s Delta One business. That work is exploratory, and the announcement gives no financing product or timeline.

The Block reported the agreement alongside other institutional RLUSD activity, including Standard Chartered’s launch of RLUSD custody on XRPL earlier that week. The comparison shows Ripple extending the stablecoin into more institutional workflows, though custody and brokerage funding are different uses and do not establish adoption or transaction volume.

What should readers watch for next?

The firms have not disclosed a launch date, initial transaction volumes, participating clients or financial terms. Those details will show whether the integration moves from announced plans into routine brokerage funding. The next concrete signals are when settlement begins in Europe, whether the planned U.S. expansion follows, and how clients convert RLUSD to cash across markets. Ripple and DriveWealth said they would discuss the partnership at Ripple Swell on October 28.

Sources and documents

• partnership announcement — ripple.com
• reported the agreement alongside other institutional RLUSD activity — theblock.co