Ripple Australia AFSL Deal Supercharges Regulated XRP Payments in APAC

Ripple is expanding its regulatory footprint in the Asia-Pacific region after moving to bag an Australian Financial Services License (AFSL). If this comes through, the firm could majorly expand regulated blockchain payments across the continent.

The blockchain firm plans to garner the licence through the proposed acquisition of BC Payments Australia Pty Ltd, a payments entity linked to the European Banking Circle Group. Once completed, the deal would allow Ripple to operate under Australia’s financial regulatory framework while expanding its payment services locally. According to the company, the acquisition is expected to close around April 2026, following standard regulatory approvals.

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How Ripple’s Australia AFSL Expands Regulated XRP Payments

For Ripple, its entry into Australia needs to be aided by the AFSL. A local license allows the company to run its payment operations within the country’s financial rules while offering services directly to banks, fintechs, and enterprises. Fiona Murray, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Ripple, said,

“Australia is a key market for Ripple, and an AFSL strengthens our ability to scale Ripple Payments across the region. By leveraging blockchain technology and digital assets, we enable customers to move value globally with greater speed, transparency, and reliability. We remain focused on working closely with regulators to support the next phase of growth for digital asset infrastructure.”

Ripple’s acquisition of BC Payments will allow the firm’s payments platform to carry out the full transaction process. That includes onboarding customers, running compliance checks, managing liquidity and foreign exchange, and settling transactions with local payout partners.

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Demand for APAC-regulated payments has grown quickly. This is because regional financial institutions look for faster ways to move money internationally. Ripple said its payments volume across Asia-Pacific nearly doubled in 2025. This rising adoption could be the reason behind Ripple’s inclination towards Australia. Several in the community lauded the Ripple for its latest venture.

Ripple stepping into Australia with an AFSL also adds to the company’s broader regulatory push. The firm now holds more than 75 approvals and authorizations globally. This is described as a strategy built around Ripple’s regulatory licenses. However, it is worth noting that Ripple already has a presence in Australia. The firm has been working with companies like Novatti Group, Independent Reserve, and Flash Payments that rely on Ripple’s payments infrastructure for a wide range of services.

Amidst this, Ripple’s XRP saw a notable drop over the past 24 hours. At press time, the asset was trading at $1.39 after rising to a high of $1.43 just earlier today. Despite recording a slight correction, the altcoin seems to be recovering.

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