# What is Ripple USD (RLUSD)? Ripple USD, or RLUSD, is a privately issued stablecoin designed to track one US dollar. Ripple describes backing in dollar deposits, Treasuries and cash equivalents, with reserve reporting. Holding the token differs from being an eligible redemption customer, and a one-dollar reference does not guarantee every secondary-market trade occurs at one dollar. Evidence: [Ripple USD overview](https://ripple.com/products/stablecoin/); [RLUSD Stablecoin User Terms](https://ripple.com/legal/stablecoin/) Canonical: https://degreesofsatoshi.com/encyclopedia/what-is-rlusd/ Published: 2026-10-02 Substantively modified: 2026-10-02 Independently verified by an automated reviewer: 2026-10-02T19:26:58.461Z Data current through: 2026-10-02 AI-assisted research and drafting with a separate automated source-verification pass; no external expert or named human review is implied. ## Key facts - **Reference:** RLUSD targets one US dollar. ([Ripple USD overview](https://ripple.com/products/stablecoin/)) - **Redemption:** Direct redemption is subject to customer eligibility and applicable agreements. ([RLUSD Stablecoin User Terms](https://ripple.com/legal/stablecoin/)) - **XRPL:** Holding RLUSD on the XRP Ledger requires the relevant trust line. ([RLUSD on the XRP Ledger](https://docs.ripple.com/products/stablecoin/developer-resources/rlusd-on-the-xrpl)) ## A token claim, not a share in Ripple RLUSD is intended as a payment token with a dollar reference. It is different from XRP and from equity in Ripple. The issuer’s terms explicitly distinguish users who hold or use tokens from customers with access to additional issuer services. The product and terms described here were checked on 2 October 2026. Consult the current customer agreement before assuming a particular person can obtain a bank-dollar redemption. Evidence: [Ripple USD overview](https://ripple.com/products/stablecoin/); [RLUSD Stablecoin User Terms](https://ripple.com/legal/stablecoin/) ## The receiving setup depends on the ledger On the XRP Ledger, RLUSD uses issued-token functionality and requires a trust line to the issuer. On Ethereum it uses a token contract. These are different account and transaction systems. Use Ripple’s current deployment records and the recipient’s supported network. A destination accepting XRP alone does not thereby establish support for an issued RLUSD balance. Evidence: [RLUSD on the XRP Ledger](https://docs.ripple.com/products/stablecoin/developer-resources/rlusd-on-the-xrpl); [RLUSD Stablecoin User Terms](https://ripple.com/legal/stablecoin/) ## Read backing claims and assurance at their own scope Ripple publishes reserve information and third-party reports. A useful reading identifies the report date, assets covered and the assurance conclusion. The issuer’s description of full backing is a claim to inspect, not an independent review performed by this article. Market liquidity, custody, chain operation and access to redemption remain separate dependencies. An illustrative exchange sale at $0.998 yields $998 for 1,000 tokens before fees, even though the intended reference is $1. Evidence: [Ripple USD overview](https://ripple.com/products/stablecoin/); [RLUSD Stablecoin User Terms](https://ripple.com/legal/stablecoin/) ## Questions ### Is RLUSD the same asset as XRP? No. RLUSD is a dollar-referenced issued token. Its presence on the XRP Ledger does not make it XRP, and a wallet or service must support the particular issued token. Evidence: [RLUSD on the XRP Ledger](https://docs.ripple.com/products/stablecoin/developer-resources/rlusd-on-the-xrpl); [Ripple USD overview](https://ripple.com/products/stablecoin/) ## Claims and scope ### what-is-rlusd-quick-answer Ripple USD, or RLUSD, is a privately issued stablecoin designed to track one US dollar. Ripple describes backing in dollar deposits, Treasuries and cash equivalents, with reserve reporting. Holding the token differs from being an eligible redemption customer, and a one-dollar reference does not guarantee every secondary-market trade occurs at one dollar. Scope: {"collection":"stablecoins","dataAsOf":"2026-10-02","blockHeight":null} ### what-is-rlusd-fact-reference Reference: RLUSD targets one US dollar. Scope: {"collection":"stablecoins","dataAsOf":"2026-10-02","blockHeight":null} ### what-is-rlusd-fact-redemption Redemption: Direct redemption is subject to customer eligibility and applicable agreements. Scope: {"collection":"stablecoins","dataAsOf":"2026-10-02","blockHeight":null} ### what-is-rlusd-fact-xrpl XRPL: Holding RLUSD on the XRP Ledger requires the relevant trust line. Scope: {"collection":"stablecoins","dataAsOf":"2026-10-02","blockHeight":null} ## Sources - [Ripple USD overview](https://ripple.com/products/stablecoin/) — Ripple. Issuer description of RLUSD backing, native networks and transparency reports. Locator: Stablecoin overview; backing; transparency. Retrieved: 2026-10-02T18:51:08.113Z. - [RLUSD Stablecoin User Terms](https://ripple.com/legal/stablecoin/) — Ripple. Redemption subject to customer conditions and market price risk; no promise every holder has direct access. Locator: 2. About RLUSD; Customer versus User; Reserve. Retrieved: 2026-10-02T18:51:08.082Z. - [RLUSD on the XRP Ledger](https://docs.ripple.com/products/stablecoin/developer-resources/rlusd-on-the-xrpl) — Ripple documentation. XRPL trust-line requirement; network reserve constants are not reproduced. Locator: Issued tokens; trust line setup. Retrieved: 2026-10-02T18:51:08.255Z. ## Revision history - 2026-10-02: First publication after primary-source research and separate automated verification. ## Cite this entry Degrees of Satoshi editorial project. “What is Ripple USD (RLUSD)?.” Published 2026-10-02; updated 2026-10-02. https://degreesofsatoshi.com/encyclopedia/what-is-rlusd/