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 at more than 5 million merchants across the country.
In an announcement via He said they will also be able to purchase XRP with Rakuten points and hold it in their Rakuten wallet.
The move connects XRP to one of Japan’s largest loyalty systems, where more than 3 trillion points, worth around $23 billion, are in circulation and can now be converted to XRP, Kohrogi said.
“Starting April 15, Rakuten Wallet will launch XRP as both a listed asset and a payment method, meaning users will be able to purchase XRP directly with Rakuten Points and charge their Rakuten Cash with XRP for spending at over 5 million merchants across Japan,” Kohrogi said, calling the development “one of the most important milestones for XRP.”
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 loyalty and payments infrastructure is a powerful signal of where digital asset adoption is heading,” 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.
