Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten is adding XRP to its Rakuten Pay app, allowing its 44 million users to use Ripple’s cryptocurrency as a payment method with more than 5 million merchant locations nationwide.
In an announcement via He said they will also be able to purchase XRP with Rakuten points and store it in their Rakuten Wallet.
The move links XRP to one of Japan’s largest loyalty systems, where more than 3 trillion points, worth about $23 billion, are in circulation and can now be converted into XRP, Kohrogi said.
“Starting April 15, Rakuten Wallet will launch XRP as a listed asset and payment method, meaning users can purchase XRP directly with Rakuten Points and load their Rakuten Cash with
The Ripple executive also said that Rakuten is one of the most trusted consumer brands in Japan. “The fact that XRP is now integrated into its payments and loyalty infrastructure is a powerful signal of where digital asset adoption is headed,” he added.
Rakuten began allowing users to spend bitcoin, ether, and bitcoin cash in 2023. In 2021, the Japanese e-commerce giant announced the launch of its own Rakuten Coin, a token it said would be used as part of its points-based loyalty rewards system.
