Earlier today, Judge Analisa Torres denied Ripple and the SEC’s joint request to amend the final judgment, blocking a fast-tracked $50 million settlement. While the legal drama grabbed headlines, something much bigger may have quietly unfolded behind the scenes.
According to a detailed thread by Stellar Rippler, Ripple has partnered with AEON, a major Web3 payments company, to bring XRP and RLUSD into everyday use. As part of this partnership, users can now pay with XRP and RLUSD at over 20 million merchants around the world, including household names like McDonald’s, Starbucks, Pizza Hut, and UNIQLO.
The rollout has already started in Southeast Asia. Ripple has spent years working with central banks in the region, especially on digital currency projects. It makes sense they’d begin there, a market that’s already open to innovation in cashless payments and blockchain trials.
(1/🧵) Ripple Just Quietly Made a Chess Move While Judge Torres Distracted Everyone.
— Stellar Rippler🚀 (@StellarNews007) June 26, 2025
XRP can now be used at 20 million merchants including McDonald’s, Starbucks & Pizza Hut.
Thanks to AEON. Thanks to RLUSD.
Thanks to Ripple’s endgame.
🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/CChsVKt4RQ
At the center of this move is RLUSD, Ripple’s new USD-backed stablecoin built on the XRP Ledger. It’s designed for compliance, fast transactions, and easy real-world use. While users pay in RLUSD and merchants receive their local currency, XRP does the settlement work in the background. This setup mimics how traditional finance systems operate but brings the speed and efficiency of blockchain.
The key difference here is that users don’t need to understand crypto tech to use it. Ripple’s strategy is to keep things simple on the surface while XRP quietly powers the engine underneath.
This integration with AEON may bring daily utility to XRP on a scale we haven’t seen before. Every transaction with RLUSD could create demand for XRP liquidity, volume, and backend settlement, all without users even realizing it.
As the court case continues to drag on, Ripple appears to be shifting focus from defense to offense. It’s building out infrastructure and pushing for global adoption, quietly and strategically. The legal headlines might be loud, but the real game may already be in motion.
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