Ripple is widening its role in digital finance through new work with a UAE bank, fresh custody services for institutions, and recent data showing stress across XRP Ledger-linked markets.
The XRP news showed that the updates cover payments, stablecoins, staking, and on-chain activity. It would provide a clear view of where the company is building and where traders are feeling pressure.
The partnership between Ripple and Zand began with a focus on cross-border payments, but it is now moving into deeper areas of digital asset use.
Zand, a regulated digital bank in the United Arab Emirates, is working with Ripple to explore how both sides can use stablecoins inside real banking systems rather than test environments.
The XRP news showed that one part of the plan involves adding support for Ripple USD, known as RLUSD, within Zand digital asset custody services.
This would allow the dollar-backed token to be stored and managed under rules that banks already follow.
For institutions, custody is often the first requirement before any digital asset can be used.
Another area under discussion is direct liquidity between RLUSD and Zand’s own dirham-based stablecoin, AEDZ.
By linking a dollar stablecoin with one tied to the UAE currency, the partners aim to reduce delays and extra steps in currency exchange.
XRP News: Ripple and Zand Partnership | Source: Reece Merrick
This could make payments between the two currencies faster and easier for businesses operating across borders.
Zand is also considering issuing AEDZ directly on the XRP Ledger. Using the XRPL would place the stablecoin on a network built for fast settlement and low transaction costs.
For Ripple, this adds another regulated asset to the ledger, while for Zand, it provides access to existing payment rails already used by financial institutions.
Ripple has also announced a separate partnership with Figment that focuses on staking for regulated institutions.
The linkup connects Ripple Custody with Figment staking infrastructure, allowing banks and large firms to offer staking services without building their own systems.
Notably, through this setup, institutions can integrate staking into their existing custody workflows while meeting compliance and reporting standards.
Figment and Ripple Custody Alignment | Source: Figment
As per the XRP news, the networks supported include major proof-of-stake blockchains such as Ethereum and Solana.
Likewise, figment was selected due to its experience working with more than one thousand institutional clients and its non custodial design.
The company operates validators across several networks and provides detailed reporting tools.
For Ripple, the partnership strengthens its custody offering and positions it as a service provider for institutions entering staking for the first time.
While Ripple business activity continues to grow, on chain data shows XRP holders under pressure.
Analysis from Glassnode shows that XRP has fallen below its aggregate holder cost basis, meaning many holders are now sitting on losses.
The Spent Output Profit Ratio using a seven day average has dropped below one, a level often linked to selling at a loss.
XRP SOPR Analysis | Source: Glassnode
As per the XRP news, this shift suggests that some holders are exiting positions during weakness rather than waiting for recovery.
Glassnode compares the current setup to the period between late 2021 and mid 2022, when XRP spent months moving sideways after heavy selling.
During that time, the market only stabilized once selling pressure slowed. As of this development, XRP was trading at $1.41, up by 3.03% in the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the data does not point to an immediate rebound, but it does show how market cycles can differ from business development.
While price action remains under strain, Ripple, beyond RLUSD, continues to focus on payments, custody, and infrastructure aimed at long-term use.
This contrast highlights how enterprise plans often move forward even when markets struggle, and sentiment weakens among retail holders during volatile trading periods worldwide today.
The post XRP News: Ripple Expands Zand Partnership With Stablecoins And XRPL appeared first on The Coin Republic.

