Catenaa, Thursday, March 12, 2026- Ripple Labs said Tuesday it plans to acquire Sydney-based BC Payments, a move that would give the company an Australian Financial Services License and expand its payments network across the Asia-Pacific region.
The acquisition, subject to regulatory review, would allow Ripple to operate regulated digital asset and payments services in Australia under an Australian Financial Services License issued by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
The license would support deployment of Ripple Payments, the firm’s platform that connects traditional banking infrastructure with blockchain settlement systems.
Ripple said the platform manages the full life cycle of international transactions, combining fiat payment channels with crypto-based settlement rails.
Company executives described Australia as a strategic market for institutional adoption of blockchain payments and digital asset services across the Asia-Pacific region.
Regulatory frameworks for digital assets have expanded rapidly in Asia.
Singapore’s Monetary Authority of Singapore has approved multiple stablecoin issuers, while Hong Kong regulators have issued licenses for virtual asset trading platforms. Japan’s Financial Services Agency supervises dozens of crypto exchanges, and South Korea requires real-name identity verification for trading accounts.
Ripple has pursued an aggressive global licensing strategy as governments formalize digital asset oversight.
The company reports more than 75 regulatory approvals across over 35 jurisdictions. Recent milestones include a European electronic money license in Luxembourg, a payments license in Brazil and a full regulatory license from Dubai’s virtual asset authority.
In the United States, Ripple also reached a settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission after a long-running legal dispute over the status of its cryptocurrency.
Ripple’s network uses the XRP digital asset as a bridge currency for cross-border transfers through a service known as On-Demand Liquidity.
The company says the system can settle international transactions within seconds compared with the longer processing times common in correspondent banking networks. Ripple says its payment network operates across more than 70 countries and handles tens of billions of dollars in annual transaction volume.
Australia has become an active fintech market as regulators develop rules for digital assets and tokenized finance. The country recorded billions of dollars in crypto trading volume in 2025, and financial institutions have tested blockchain applications for bonds, cross-border remittances and digital custody services.
The country’s large pension system, known as superannuation, manages trillions of dollars in assets and has begun examining limited exposure to digital assets.
The acquisition also highlights increasing competition among financial technology companies offering blockchain-based settlement tools. Banks and fintech firms are testing stablecoins, tokenized deposits and distributed ledger networks for faster international payments.
Ripple was founded in 2012 and developed the XRP Ledger as a blockchain designed for high-speed payments between financial institutions. The company’s technology has been adopted by banks, payment providers and remittance services seeking alternatives to traditional correspondent banking systems.
Global payments exceed $190 trillion annually, and fintech companies are competing with established networks to capture a growing share of cross-border transaction flows.
