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Japan's mega banks conclude successful yen stablecoin trial. Japan's leading megabanks - MUFG, Mizuho, and SMBC - have announced the successful completion of the first collaborative phase of their yen stablecoin trials, conducted in partnership with Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and TISI. The pilot aimed at exploring the efficacy of stablecoins in cross-border settlements was a success, signaling a significant step in the integration of digital currency solutions within Japan's banking infrastructure. Pilot project tests cross-border payments. Discover more Trade Forex Trade Crypto Now Ethereum Network Tools Under the watchful eye of the Financial Services Agency of Japan, the trial included cross-border settlement processes for Mitsubishi Corporation, employing stablecoins structured under the status of trust beneficiary rights. This structure ensured a seamless and uninterrupted payout process from issuance to final conversion into fiat currency. MUFG, Mizuho, SMBC, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust, and TISI confirmed that the yen stablecoin trials were completed successfully, from issuance to redemption in fiat currency. Set to be commercially available before the current fiscal year ends, the stablecoin mechanism signals a noteworthy advancement in the melding of digital currencies with the banking standards in Japan. Speculations surround Ripple connection. While the consortium documents do not explicitly mention Ripple, financial circles in Japan are speculating a connection to the XRP Ledger ecosystem, primarily due to the longstanding relationship between Japan's top banks and Ripple technology. Known as the XRP Ledger or XRPL, this open-source blockchain network plays a significant role in the Ripple ecosystem. Discover more Financial News Platform Ethereum Investment Guide ETH Security Audits Glossary: XRPL is an open-source blockchain network intended for cross-border payments and asset transfers. RWA tokenization refers to converting traditional assets like stocks or bonds into digital tokens on the blockchain. In 2017, MUFG, Mizuho, and SMBC joined a large-scale banking consortium under the umbrella of SBI Ripple Asia, aimed at utilizing RippleNet technologies for instant domestic and cross-border payments. The influence of this institutional connection is still apparent today. Market may split along two lines. Recently, Mizuho Bank and SMBC's investment arm have engaged directly with Ripple Labs to set up tokenization of real-world assets and enterprise DeFi solutions on the XRP Ledger. This yen stablecoin initiative could be interpreted as an attempt by the Japanese banking system to reduce dependency on external liquidity bridges. Particularly through MUFG's Progmat platform, developed on the Avalanche blockchain, there are ambitions to maintain compliance and processing fees within traditional banking frameworks. As one of Japan's largest financial groups, MUFG continues to be a prominent player in establishing digital asset infrastructure in the country. Discover more Crypto market analysis Blockchain Courses Crypto Market Updates The emerging framework suggests that the mega banks' closed institutional payment architecture could coexist with a more open digital asset ecosystem centered around Ripple. This scenario indicates the potential division of the market along two axes. On one side, mega banks and the Progmat platform are expected to dominate closed B2B transfers. On the other, the regulated dollar stablecoin RLUSD backed by SBI Holdings and the existing liquidity of XRP could retain their influence in cross-border retail payments and open financial technology services.

Ripple Prime has launched perpetual swaps covering more than 100 traditional markets, including equities, exchange-traded funds, metals, energy, and foreign exchange. Announced on October 15, the contracts trade around the clock, including weekends, and institutions can post Ripple's RLUSD stablecoin as collateral. The swaps track perpetual futures listed on Hyperliquid, a decentralised derivatives platform, by Trade.xyz. Ripple Prime acts as the principal counterparty, so clients do not trade directly with Hyperliquid. US market maker Virtu is among the first users. The service runs under Ripple Prime's British Virgin Islands licence, so US investors may face restrictions. It builds on Ripple's $1.25 billion acquisition of Hidden Road. The announcement does not require clients to buy XRP, which traded near $1.34 on October 15.

Cross River has added Ripple's RLUSD stablecoin, which runs on the XRP Ledger (XRPL), to its core banking platform. The bank announced the move on October 15. Fintech customers can access RLUSD, ACH, and real-time payments through a single API connection. The service supports round-the-clock transfers between dollars and RLUSD, including cross-border payments and treasury transfers. It is available only in certain states. "Businesses shouldn't have to rely on several different providers to move money across the globe," said Adam Goller, Cross River's head of fintech banking. The deal does not guarantee demand for XRP. RLUSD handles payments, while XRP covers transaction fees and account reserves, so larger stablecoin payments do not require equivalent XRP purchases.