Ripple launches Mint to expand RLUSD access for institutions as the stablecoin’s market cap approaches $1.6 billion. Ripple, a blockchain-focused fintech company, has launched Ripple Mint, a platform that gives institutions new ways to access, mint, redeem and manage its US dollar-pegged stablecoin, Ripple USD (RLUSD). The company announced Ripple Mint on Thursday, describing it as a unified platform that lets institutions manage RLUSD through a web interface or direct application programming interface (API) integrations. “Ripple Mint is built to give institutions flexible access to digital dollars through the workflows that fit their needs,” Ripple said, adding that the platform is designed to support both manual operations and automated integrations as institutions adopt stablecoins for payments, trading and treasury activities. Read more
The Luxembourg approval completes the company's MiCA licensing process, enabling it to provide regulated crypto-asset services across the European Economic Area. Ripple said it has received full authorization under the European Union's MiCA crypto framework after Luxembourg's financial regulator granted the company a Crypto Asset Service Provider (CASP) license. The authorization follows Ripple's preliminary approval in June and, together with the company's existing Electronic Money Institution license, allows the blockchain payments company to offer regulated crypto-asset services across the European Economic Area (EEA). Ripple said the approval makes it one of a small number of digital asset companies with full authorization under MiCA. The company now holds more than 75 regulatory licenses worldwide, including authorization from the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority secured in January. Read more
While engaged in negotiations over ethics in a crypto market structure bill in Congress, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said she had “no involvement” in her son’s derivatives exchange, backed by at least one industry figure. Chris Larsen, co-founder and executive chair of Ripple Labs, was reportedly among those backing the financial venture of US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s son as negotiations over a significant piece of crypto-related legislation continue in the Senate. According to a Thursday Politico report, Larsen was one of a handful of investors backing the American Perpetuals Exchange Corp. (APEC), founded by Theodore Gillibrand. Although Larsen’s exact contribution was not included in the report, the majority of investors contributed between $5,000 to $10,000 each into the derivatives platform, which reportedly raised $30 million. The investment comes as the New York lawmaker is involved in negotiations over ethics provisions in the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act, legislation expected to have...
Colorado’s Democratic and Republican primaries finished on Tuesday, with at least one candidate supported by $1 million from a crypto-aligned PAC going to the November general election. Manny Rutinel, a Democratic candidate running to represent Colorado’s 8th congressional district, has won his party’s primary and will head to the November election after being supported by a crypto-aligned political action committee (PAC). Early on Wednesday, Rutinel reported that he would be the Democratic nominee for Colorado’s 8th district, having won with 61.7% of the vote against Shannon Bird’s 33.6%. Before the primary, the You Can Push Back Super PAC, backed by $3.5 million from Ripple Labs co-founder Chris Larsen, reportedly spent $1 million on media to support Rutinel’s run. The Colorado Democrat has a “strongly supports crypto” rating from the Coinbase-affiliated Stand With Crypto organization, based on his answers to questions about stablecoins, market structure and regulatory clarity. Coinbase is also a major con...