Ripple has announced a major partnership with Bahrain Fintech Bay (BFB) to advance Bahrain’s digital assets ecosystem. The collaboration focuses on supporting the development of blockchain technology, cross-border payments, digital assets, stablecoins, and tokenization.
Ripple’s New Partnership with Bahrain’s Fintech Bay
As part of the partnership, Ripple will work with Bahrain Fintech Bay to develop proof-of-concept, pilot projects, and educational initiatives in blockchain technology and digital assets. Ripple’s Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa, Reece Merrick, noted Bahrain’s leadership in blockchain adoption and highlighted the company’s goal of supporting the Kingdom’s burgeoning fintech ecosystem.
According to a press release, the partnership will enable Ripple to introduce its RLUSD stablecoin and digital asset custody solutions to Bahrain’s financial institutions.
While the move strengthens Ripple’s position in the global fintech space, it has sparked concerns within the XRP community as the company’s focus appears to be shifting towards its stablecoin, Ripple USD (RLUSD), rather than XRP.
Ripple’s RLUSD Adoption Grows, XRP Concerns Surface
Ripple’s latest blog post focused on the expanding use case of its stablecoin, RLUSD, particularly its role in the Hidden Road acquisition. The company recognized RLUSD’s growing role in bridging the gap between decentralized finance (DeFi) and traditional finance (TradFi), with a major application in the Hidden Road setup.
However, the move has reignited concerns within the XRP community. Some users have pointed out that XRP, once a key asset on the XRP Ledger (XRPL), is now seemingly relegated to a secondary role, primarily for transaction fees.
Community member Elena Schoen voiced these concerns, stating that while RLUSD offers broader use cases, XRP’s role appears increasingly limited. XRP was once considered the bridge asset for cross-border remittances within Ripple’s payment network, but RLUSD, Ripple’s USD-pegged stablecoin, has gained traction and adoption since its launch in December 2024.
Popular legal expert Bill Morgan also noted that the announcement made no reference to XRP or the XRP Ledger.
No mention of XRP or the XRPL.
Rather custody + RLUSD https://t.co/tKX2FFXe0h— bill morgan (@Belisarius2020) October 9, 2025
Growing Popularity of RLUSD and Community Concerns
The integration of RLUSD into Ripple’s payments solution and its listing on major exchanges like Gemini, Uphold, Bitso, and MoonPay have contributed to its growing popularity. In particular, RLUSD’s prospects as the first stablecoin to enable cross-margining between traditional and digital markets, following Ripple’s acquisition of Hidden Road, have attracted attention.
However, the increasing focus on RLUSD has led some to speculate that Ripple is shifting its focus away from XRP in favor of its stablecoin, raising concerns about the long-term role of XRP within Ripple’s broader ecosystem.
Evans Kelvin
Brenda Kanana
