Ripple pursues Australian license to expand XRP

TLDR

Ripple is moving to secure an Australian Financial Services License (AFSL) by acquiring payments firm BC Payments to expand its regulated XRP-powered payments business in Australia.

1. Ripple plans to obtain an AFSL via acquiring BC Payments Australia, giving it a fully regulated local platform for Ripple Payments under ASIC oversight.
2. The license could deepen real-world use of XRP, the XRPL and Ripples RLUSD stablecoin in Asia-Pacific cross-border payments, but any XRP price impact is indirect and uncertain.
3. The key milestones are closing the acquisition, Australias 2026 AFSL deadline for crypto firms, and whether banks and institutions actually route more payment flow through Ripple.

Deep Dive

1. What Ripple Is Doing In Australia

Ripple (XRP) has announced a deal to acquire BC Payments Australia Pty Ltd, a Banking Circle-linked payments firm, to secure an Australian Financial Services License, rather than applying from scratch. Reports say the acquisition is expected to close on 1 April, after standard completion checks, and the AFSL would then allow Ripple Payments to operate end-to-end under Australian financial rules, covering onboarding, compliance, FX, liquidity and payouts through a single integration. Multiple outlets note that Australian regulators are moving to require certain crypto businesses to hold an AFSL by mid 2026, and that this move positions Ripple inside that regime while other firms are still applying. Cointelegraph, Decrypt and others describe the AFSL as a gateway to Australias regulated payments market for Ripples blockchain infrastructure.

2. Why This Matters For XRP And APAC

Ripples payments stack is designed to connect traditional banking rails with digital assets such as XRP, the XRP Ledger and its RLUSD stablecoin, so more licensed corridors can expand fundamental transaction demand rather than pure speculation. Coverage from Crypto.news and CoinDesk highlights that Ripples Asia-Pacific payments volume nearly doubled in 2025 and that Australian clients like Hai Ha Money Transfer, Stables, Caleb & Brown, Flash Payments and Independent Reserve already use Ripple Payments, suggesting this is an upgrade from tech vendor to fully regulated payment institution in that market. Coingape reports that Ripple frames the AFSL as strengthening the utility of XRP, XRPL and RLUSD for cross-border payments, though price moves around the news have been modest compared with longer term volatility.

3. What To Watch Next

First, watch whether the BC Payments acquisition actually closes on schedule and ASIC confirms the AFSL under the new crypto-focused guidance; until then, Ripple is still in pending status. Second, Australias Digital Assets Framework legislation and the June 2026 AFSL deadline for crypto platforms will determine how many competitors end up similarly licensed, which affects Ripples edge. Third, useful on-chain and off-chain signals will be whether more Australian financial institutions adopt Ripple Payments, whether APAC payment volumes keep growing, and whether XRP and RLUSD are explicitly used in those flows rather than just fiat.

Conclusion

Ripples push for an Australian AFSL via acquiring BC Payments is a strategic bet on regulated, institutional cross-border payments, with XRP and RLUSD positioned as underlying settlement assets rather than speculative tokens. If the license is approved and meaningful Australian and regional payment volume runs through Ripples rails, it would strengthen the projects real-world utility story, but the translation from licensing wins to sustained XRP price performance remains an open, market-driven question.