sandmark.com
Digital technology firm Ripple said it's eyeing an Australian licence that would allow it to operate an end-to-end payments system, paving the way for expansion across the Asia-Pac region.
To help obtain the Australian Financial Services License (AFSL), Ripple plans to acquire BC Payments Australia Pty Ltd, the local unit of Luxembourg-based Banking Circle, the company said in a statement. Terms of the deal, which is expected to close on 1 Apr, weren't disclosed.
Asia-Pacific scaling plan
Ripple already has a presence in Australia, providing cross-border remittance and liquidity services.
Once the licence is granted, Ripple Payments could manage the full lifecycle of a transaction "from onboarding and compliance through funding, FX, liquidity management and final payout, while integrating both traditional banking rails and digital assets," the company said. Through the AFSL, Ripple could give businesses a single integration into its infrastructure, allowing customers to avoid having to manage multiple intermediaries for the local and overseas segments of a transaction.
Payments volume growth
Ripple, which was founded in 2012, said its Asia-Pacific payments volume nearly doubled year-on-year in 2025. Its Australian customers include Hai Ha Money Transfer, Novatti Group, Stables, Caleb & Brown, Flash Payments and Independent Reserve. Its stablecoin, RLUSD and digital token XRP are used to underpin the solutions.