In a significant endorsement, representatives from Mastercard highlighted the potential of Ripple‘s RLUSD stablecoin during the XRP Ledger Hackathon held in New York. At this event, the RLUSD was lauded by Mastercard for meeting partner presentation criteria, according to remarks shared by prominent XRPL community member, Lost Art.
Ripple’s RLUSD Garners Attention
Lost Art revealed in a social media post on October 24 that Mastercard specifically praised RLUSD during a live demonstration at the XRPL Commons Hackathon, a gathering that spanned from October 24 to 25. Mastercard’s involvement was part of its official partnership with the event, aimed at promoting developments in blockchain technology.
Lost Art mentioned, “Mastercard representatives appreciated Ripple’s RLUSD during their criteria explanation at the XRPL Commons Hackathon.”
The AI & Fintech XRPL Hackathon, orchestrated by the non-profit XRPL Commons, strives to bring developers, entrepreneurs, designers, and financial experts together to innovate applications on the XRP Ledger. The event offers a competitive 36-hour format, with over $40,000 in total rewards, and features guidance from industry titans like Mastercard, Ripple, and Amazon Web Services.
Strategic Tracks and Technological Framework
The hackathon unfolds under four core themes: Agentic Finance, Lending & Borrowing, Protocol Innovation, and a category intriguingly titled “Why Not.” A focal point has been autonomous payment applications utilizing AI agents, where XRP or RLUSD could facilitate transactions with minimal human intervention.
Timing the hackathon just before the Ripple Swell conference scheduled from October 27 to 29 in New York underscores its importance. The Ripple Swell serves as a flagship event where Ripple connects with its enterprise partners and key financial sector representatives.
Expanding Ripple and Mastercard Collaboration
The collaboration between Mastercard and Ripple extends beyond developer networks. In November 2025, Ripple announced a partnership with Mastercard, WebBank, and cryptocurrency exchange Gemini to explore RLUSD-based settlement models for traditional credit card transactions.
Ripple noted that it is examining RLUSD-based settlement processes for credit card transactions with Mastercard, WebBank, and Gemini.
In this initiative, RLUSD is expected to serve as a blockchain-based settlement layer between Mastercard and WebBank, the card issuer. Ripple’s August 2023 enrollment in Mastercard’s Central Bank Digital Currency Partner Program further enhances this strategic alliance alongside notable entrants like Consensys and Fireblocks.
Broader Stablecoin Strategy Unfolds
Mastercard is broadening its stablecoin product and service portfolio. The company declared plans to introduce new settlement options incorporating regulated stablecoins in June 2026. Beyond Ripple’s RLUSD, supported assets will include Circle’s USDC, PayPal’s PYUSD, and tokens from Paxos and SoFiUSD, reflecting a commitment to diversify stablecoin integration.
