Ripple Labs announced that Singapore’s central bank, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), has approved an expanded scope of payment activities for Ripple Markets APAC Pte. Ltd. (RMA), its locally licensed subsidiary. The approval allows Ripple to broaden the range of regulated financial services it can offer under its Major Payment Institution (MPI) license and to deepen engagement with institutional clients in the Asia-Pacific region.
Huge news from Singapore: https://t.co/KVxTs7IEKc
— Ripple (@Ripple) December 1, 2025
The @MAS_sg has approved an expanded scope of payment activities for our Major Payment Institution license – enabling us to deliver end-to-end, fully licensed payment services to our customers in the region. 🇸🇬
Ripple stated that this approval reinforces its strategy to operate within regulated environments. As one of the few blockchain-enabled institutions globally holding an MPI license, Ripple intends to build further on its existing compliance and infrastructure investments in Singapore.
“MAS has set a leading standard for regulatory clarity in digital assets, and we deeply value Singapore’s forward-thinking approach,” said Monica Long, Ripple President. “Ripple has always taken a regulation-first approach and Singapore is proof that innovation thrives when rules are clear. This expanded license strengthens our ability to continue investing in Singapore and to build the infrastructure financial institutions need to move money efficiently, quickly, and safely.”
Ripple’s payment network expands with regulated offerings
Under its strengthened license, Ripple will provide expanded regulated payment services through Ripple Payments, its end-to-end settlement platform for digital payment tokens (DPTs). The system enables fast cross-border payments using tokens such as XRP and RLUSD, Ripple’s U.S. dollar stablecoin, while streamlining operational processes for businesses without requiring extensive blockchain infrastructure.
Ripple said that the key benefits of Ripple Payments include an all-in-one onboarding structure that supports the entire payment flow, collection, holding, swapping, and payouts, through a single integration. Ripple also allows clients to connect to DPTs seamlessly, giving institutions the option to avoid direct digital asset custody while maintaining efficient transaction access.
“The Asia Pacific region leads the world in real digital asset usage, with on-chain activity up roughly 70% year-over-year. Singapore sits at the center of that growth,” said Fiona Murray, Ripple Vice President & Managing Director, Asia Pacific. “With this expanded scope of payment activities, we can better support the institutions driving that growth by offering a broad suite of regulated payment services, bringing faster, more efficient payments to our customers.”
Ripple has operated in Singapore since 2017, establishing its Asia Pacific headquarters there. The country remains one of the first internationally to craft a forward-looking regulatory environment for digital assets and blockchain-based financial services.
Ripple expands its institutional reach through acquisitions and partnerships
The latest approval in Singapore comes as Ripple moves to expand its institutional and infrastructure offerings across global markets. The company has recently pursued several acquisitions to strengthen its service stack, including its November 4, 2025 acquisition of Palisade, a digital asset custody and wallet firm.
Earlier this week, Ripple announced a partnership with London-based fintech OpenPayd to develop a stablecoin and payments platform focused on improving global corporate transactions. The collaboration will support RLUSD, Ripple’s stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar, enabling direct minting and burning functionality through OpenPayd’s systems.
According to Jack McDonald, Ripple’s Senior Vice President of Stablecoins,
“The future of global finance depends on seamless interoperability between traditional infrastructure and digital assets. This partnership gives enterprises reliable access to RLUSD, combining the stability and compliance they expect with the connectivity they need.”
Ripple strengthens its U.S. operations and global compliance presence
Ripple also confirmed it has applied for a national banking license with the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to expand operations under a unified federal regulatory framework. The move signals Ripple’s goal to bridge traditional finance with blockchain-powered payment infrastructure while maintaining strict compliance standards across jurisdictions.
Ripple Payments processes more than $70 billion in annual payment volume and supports over 90 payout markets globally. The system forms part of Ripple’s suite of products, which include Ripple Custody for digital asset storage and Ripple Prime, a global crypto prime brokerage service for institutions.
The recent regulatory advancement in Singapore adds to Ripple’s track record of engagement with governments and financial regulators worldwide. The company said it views compliance and licensing as essential components for scaling blockchain adoption in traditional finance.
With the MAS approval now in place, Ripple is positioned to offer an expanded range of regulated payment services to banks, fintech firms, and corporate partners across Asia, further solidifying Singapore’s role as a central hub for digital finance innovation.
Anastasiia G
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