Ripple Secures Australian Financial Services License, Deepening APAC Reach

Ripple announced plans on March 11, 2026, to secure an Australian Financial Services License. The company will obtain the AFSL through the proposed acquisition of BC Payments Australia Pty Ltd. That transaction remains subject to standard completion processes.

The move extends Ripple's regulated footprint across Asia Pacific. Financial institutions, fintechs, and enterprises in Australia gain access to a fully licensed platform for cross-border value movement. Ripple confirmed the development in an official press release.

As @Ripple on X, the AFSL marks an "exciting milestone" for the company in Australia, reaffirming that regulatory compliance is the foundation of everything it builds.

Why Australia's Licence Changes Everything for Ripple Payments

With the AFSL secured, Ripple Payments takes on a broader operational role. It manages the full transaction lifecycle. That covers onboarding, compliance, FX, liquidity management, and final payout. All of it runs through both traditional banking rails and digital assets.

The arrangement cuts out multiple intermediaries. Customers connect through a single integration into Ripple's infrastructure. They don't need to manage the underlying blockchain themselves, the company said.

Fiona Murray, Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Ripple, said the AFSL strengthens the company's capacity to scale Ripple Payments across the region. She pointed to blockchain and digital assets as tools that move value globally with greater speed and transparency. Regulatory partnerships, she indicated, remain central to the company's growth in digital asset infrastructure.

Ripple's APAC payments volume nearly doubled year-on-year in 2025. Australian clients already on the platform include Hai Ha Money Transfer, Novatti Group, Stables, Caleb & Brown, Flash Payments, and Independent Reserve.

Must read: RLUSD Enters Morpho Lending Markets With Institutional Yield

Ripple's 75-Plus Licence Count Sets the Pace

Ripple now holds more than 75 regulatory licences worldwide. Few digital asset companies operate at that level of regulatory oversight. The AFSL adds another layer to what Ripple describes as a compliance-first expansion model, one that puts it ahead of most competitors trying to enter regulated financial markets.

The company actively participates in Project Acacia, an initiative led by the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre. That involvement keeps Ripple close to Australian policymakers as the country shapes its digital asset rules.

Settlement speed, transaction transparency, and counterparty risk reduction are the outcomes Ripple positions for its Australian enterprise clients. The AFSL lets the company directly oversee settlement and connect customers to local payout partners. It also gives Ripple control over transaction routing.

You might also like: Ripple Payments Just Unlocked $100B Global Money Movement

The XRP and RLUSD stablecoin underpin much of Ripple's cross-border infrastructure. Both assets support the payment flows its enterprise clients rely on. Institutions shifting from legacy systems to digital asset rails are the primary target as Ripple widens its APAC network.

Also worth your time: Glassnode Data Shows 60% of XRP Supply Underwater as $50.8B in Investor Losses Mount