Key Takeaways:
Binance has officially opened spot trading for Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin, effective January 22, 2026, at 08:00 UTC.
The exchange is offering a zero-fee promotion for RLUSD/USDT and RLUSD/USDC pairs to aggressively boost initial liquidity.
The listing positions RLUSD as a regulatory-grade alternative to USDT, capitalizing on current market volatility and institutional demand.
Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, has officially integrated Ripple’s RLUSD, launching spot trading support for the USD-pegged stablecoin. The move, effective January 22, 2026, at 08:00 UTC, represents a major vote of confidence in Ripple’s institutional-focused asset, instantly providing it with access to the deepest liquidity pool in the crypto market.
Launch Details and Multi-Chain Strategy
Deposits for RLUSD are already open, allowing users to prepare for the start of trading, with withdrawals scheduled to open on January 23. Initially, Binance is supporting the Ethereum (ERC-20) version of the token. Support for the native XRP Ledger (XRPL) version is listed as “coming soon,” a phased rollout designed to tap into Ethereum’s vast DeFi liquidity first before enabling the high-speed, low-cost payment rails of the XRPL.
The trading pairs available at launch include RLUSD/USDT, RLUSD/USDC, and XRP/RLUSD, creating a direct bridge between Ripple’s native token and its new stablecoin. This pairing is expected to streamline arbitrage and liquidity flow within the Ripple ecosystem, which currently boasts a market capitalization of over $1.3 billion for RLUSD alone.
Binance has officially opened spot trading for Ripple’s RLUSD
Positioning for the “Tariff Shock” Recovery
The timing of the listing is particularly strategic. It arrives amidst a broader market correction described by analysts as a “tariff shock,” which saw Bitcoin dump approximately 8% in recent days. During periods of such volatility, demand for stablecoins typically spikes as institutions seek safe havens to park capital without exiting the digital asset ecosystem entirely.
By listing RLUSD now, Binance is offering a “regulatory-grade” alternative to traders wary of the scrutiny surrounding USDT. Unlike its retail-heavy competitors, RLUSD is regulated by the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) and is fully backed by US dollars and short-term US Treasury bills. Ripple provides monthly third-party attestations of these reserves, a level of transparency that appeals specifically to the corporate and institutional clients that Binance is increasingly courting.
A Challenge to the Stablecoin Status Quo
This listing significantly alters the stablecoin landscape. While Tether (USDT) continues to dominate retail volume – processing over $21 billion daily on the TRON network alone – Ripple is carving out a niche for high-value, compliant payments. Binance’s zero-fee kickstart is designed to disrupt the existing duopoly of USDT and USDC by making RLUSD the most cost-effective medium of exchange on the platform for the duration of the promo.
By bridging the gap between Ethereum’s DeFi composability and the eventual speed of the XRPL, RLUSD provides a “hybrid utility” that few other stablecoins can match. For Binance, adding a regulated, transparent stablecoin helps diversify its base pairs and mitigates regulatory risk, while for Ripple, the listing serves as the ultimate validation of its pivot toward stablecoin infrastructure.
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