Swiss-Based Amina Bank Supports Ripple’s RLUSD Stablecoin

Swiss-based AMINA Bank has become the first bank globally to support Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin, offering custody and trading services for institutional clients and professional investors. Launched on July 3, 2025, this initiative marks a significant step in integrating regulated stablecoins into traditional banking. RLUSD, pegged 1:1 to the US dollar and backed by U.S. Treasuries, is regulated by the New York Department of Financial Services and has a circulating supply of approximately $430-$469 million.

AMINA, regulated by Switzerland’s FINMA, aims to bridge traditional banking and crypto infrastructure, with plans to expand RLUSD services in the coming months. This move reflects growing institutional demand for compliant digital assets. The adoption of Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin by AMINA Bank carries significant implications for the financial sector, particularly in bridging traditional banking and cryptocurrency ecosystems.

AMINA Bank’s move signals growing institutional acceptance of stablecoins as legitimate financial instruments. By offering custody and trading of RLUSD, a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar and backed by U.S. Treasuries, AMINA positions itself as a pioneer in integrating crypto assets into regulated banking services. This could encourage other banks to follow suit, accelerating the mainstreaming of stablecoins for payments, remittances, and asset management.

Stablecoins like RLUSD, with regulatory oversight from the New York Department of Financial Services, provide a safer, more transparent option for institutions wary of crypto’s volatility and regulatory uncertainty. Ripple’s RLUSD is designed for efficient, low-cost cross-border payments. AMINA’s adoption could streamline international transactions for its institutional clients, reducing reliance on traditional systems like SWIFT, which are often slower and more expensive.

The move could attract businesses seeking faster settlement times and lower fees, potentially reshaping how global trade and remittances are conducted. Switzerland, already a leader in crypto-friendly regulation through FINMA, benefits from AMINA’s first-mover advantage. This positions the country as a hub for innovative financial services, attracting more crypto-focused firms and investment.

AMINA’s regulated status enhances trust in RLUSD’s integration, setting a precedent for other jurisdictions to develop similar frameworks. By supporting RLUSD on both Ethereum and XRP Ledger, AMINA demonstrates confidence in blockchain technology’s scalability and reliability. This could spur further institutional investment in blockchain infrastructure, driving innovation in decentralized finance (DeFi) and tokenized assets.

The collaboration between a FINMA-regulated bank and a NYDFS-regulated stablecoin sets a benchmark for compliance in the crypto space. It shows that regulated entities can integrate digital assets while adhering to strict financial standards, potentially influencing global regulatory approaches to stablecoins. Traditional banks adopting stablecoins may compete with crypto-native platforms (e.g., exchanges like Coinbase or Binance) that already offer stablecoin services.

Crypto-native firms may lose market share to banks unless they enhance their regulatory compliance or offer unique value propositions. Meanwhile, banks may struggle to match the speed and innovation of decentralized platforms. The adoption of RLUSD by a Swiss bank primarily benefits institutional clients and professional investors in developed markets with robust regulatory frameworks. Developing economies, where stablecoins are often used for financial inclusion (e.g., remittances or escaping currency volatility), may see slower adoption due to limited access to regulated banking infrastructure.

This could widen the gap between regions with advanced financial systems and those reliant on informal crypto solutions, potentially excluding underserved populations from the benefits of institutional-grade stablecoin services. RLUSD’s regulatory backing (NYDFS) gives it an edge over less-regulated stablecoins like Tether (USDT), which has faced scrutiny over reserve transparency. Banks like AMINA may prioritize regulated stablecoins, marginalizing others.

This could consolidate market share among a few compliant stablecoins, reducing diversity in the stablecoin market and potentially stifling innovation from smaller, less-regulated issuers. AMINA’s RLUSD services target institutional and professional investors, potentially leaving retail users with limited access to similar offerings. Retail investors may rely on unregulated or less secure platforms, creating a tiered access structure.

This could exacerbate wealth inequality in crypto adoption, as institutions benefit from secure, regulated services while retail users face higher risks on less-regulated platforms. RLUSD’s integration on Ethereum and XRP Ledger strengthens Ripple’s ecosystem but may sideline competing blockchain networks (e.g., Solana, Binance Smart Chain) that support other stablecoins. This could intensify competition among blockchain protocols for institutional partnerships.

Ripple’s dominance in institutional stablecoin adoption could centralize influence in the blockchain space, potentially limiting the growth of alternative networks. AMINA Bank’s adoption of RLUSD is a landmark step toward integrating stablecoins into traditional finance, promising faster, cheaper cross-border transactions and reinforcing Switzerland’s role as a crypto hub. However, it also highlights divides between traditional and crypto-native systems, developed and developing economies, regulated and unregulated stablecoins, institutional and retail investors, and competing blockchain networks.