Cross River Bank links $2.4B RLUSD to core banking system
The bank says fintechs can access dollar and RLUSD payments through one API, with availability limited to some US states. Read the full story on CryptoSlateUnderstand the crypto stories that matter and what to watch next. Get The Catalyst in your inbox
Cross River Bank is adding Ripple’s US dollar-backed RLUSD stablecoin to its core banking platform with XRP Ledger support, giving fintechs a route to stablecoin payments through the same connection they use for conventional banking services.
The New Jersey bank announced the partnership on Oct. 15 and says customers can now access RLUSD through one API without deploying blockchain infrastructure. Services are available only in a limited number of US states, which the release did not identify.
The arrangement opens a distribution channel for Ripple through a bank that supplies payments infrastructure to other financial businesses. Cross River is extending its existing stablecoin platform, positioning RLUSD as an additional payment rail for fintech customers and payment networks.
Cross River says fintechs can use its proprietary Core Operating System (COS) to move between US dollars and RLUSD, settle cross-border payments and treasury transfers around the clock, and access ACH, wires and real-time payments.
The API is the software connection between a fintech and the bank’s services. Cross River handles the integration with the blockchain payment network, allowing customers to access RLUSD alongside conventional payment options through that connection.
Adam Goller, Cross River’s head of fintech banking, said:
“Businesses shouldn’t have to rely on several different providers to move money across the globe.”
He added that the RLUSD integration expands capabilities the bank was already developing, bringing stablecoin transfers and traditional rails into its existing platform.
The companies also pitch the integration as another settlement option for payment networks. Issuers and acquirers, the institutions that issue payment cards and handle merchants’ card transactions, could gain more flexibility to settle within the day and reduce settlement delays.
Cross River cites XRP Ledger settlement times of three to five seconds. ACH, wires and other conventional rails remain separate options reached through COS.
RLUSD is distinct from XRP, the XRP Ledger’s native asset. The announcement identifies RLUSD as the dollar-backed payment asset and XRPL as the blockchain supporting it. Any role for XRP as the principal transferred between customers remains unspecified.