Ripple's highly regulated RLUSD stablecoin, which competes directly with the likes of Circle's USDC, has grown to a market capitalization of over $1.7 billion.
The token is already available on such major platforms as Binance, Bitstamp, Kraken, and OKX.
The decision to expand into Turkey is not surprising, considering that it is a high-volume digital asset corridor.
According to the Chainalysis 2025 Geography of Crypto Report, Turkey remains the dominant cryptocurrency market in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It processed a whopping $200 billion in annual transaction volume.
Because of the introduction of a comprehensive licensing framework by the Capital Markets Board (CMB) in 2024, there has been a notable maturation of the industry, which has now moved beyond mere retail speculation. Through 2025 and into 2026, the CMB conducted strict audits on Crypto Asset Service Providers (CASPs). The final deadline for securing a full operating license is set for June 29. Those who operate without authorization after this date face severe criminal sanctions.
Global infrastructure providers can now integrate with domestic entities.
BiLira, Bitexen, and Bitlo will use RLUSD as a dollar-denominated settlement asset for their corporate and institutional clients.
Turkish residents are permitted to hold and trade stablecoins via licensed providers.
An educational effort
Ripple has also added Istanbul Technical University (ITU) to its global University Blockchain Research Initiative (UBRI).
The educational partnership is funded via RLUSD and will provide financial support for graduate fellowships and blockchain research projects.
ITU will also host and operate an XRP Ledger (XRPL) validator node on its campus.
Dan Burgin
