Ripple is increasingly relying on RLUSD: Will its own stablecoin become a problem for XRP?

Ripple is increasingly betting on its own stablecoin RLUSD, a strategic shift that has raised fresh questions about the long-term role of XRP. CEO Brad Garlinghouse addressed the tension publicly as RLUSD gains traction within Ripple's payments ecosystem. The article frames the core concern bluntly: if Ripple's enterprise products lean more heavily on a dollar-pegged token, demand for XRP as a bridge asset could weaken. The piece does not disclose specific figures for RLUSD's market cap, trading volumes, or total value locked, leaving the stablecoin's actual scale unquantified. What matters is the signal: Ripple is diversifying its settlement stack beyond XRP, and how that balance is managed will shape the investment case for the XRP token. Watch for future disclosures on RLUSD supply and usage, and for any shift in how Ripple positions XRP alongside its stablecoin in cross-border payment flows.