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Mastercard praised RLUSD stablecoin at XRP Ledger hackathon in New York
Payment giant's representatives complimented Ripple's stablecoin during developer event, per community account.
Key takeaways
- Informal praise, not formal endorsement. The compliment came from Mastercard representatives during a hackathon presentation, as reported by an attendee, rather than through an official company statement or announcement.
- Broader partnership context. Mastercard has already committed to supporting RLUSD settlement and XRPL as part of its regulated stablecoin options announced in June 2026.
- Developer focus. The hackathon demonstrates use cases for blockchain-based payments and stablecoins, but does not indicate immediate commercial adoption or changes to payment volumes.
What happened
Mastercard representatives complimented Ripple's RLUSD stablecoin during the XRP Ledger Hackathon in New York on October 24, according to an account posted by a community member on X. The comment was made during a presentation about partner pitch requirements for the event. Mastercard is listed as an official partner of the two-day hackathon, which ran October 24, 25 and was organized by XRPL Commons, a nonprofit focused on the XRP Ledger ecosystem.
The hackathon, formally called the AI & Fintech XRPL Hackathon, is a 36-hour developer competition designed to encourage the creation of new applications on the XRP Ledger. The event featured four tracks: Agentic Finance, Lending & Borrowing, Protocol Innovation, and an open category called Why Not. Participants competed for more than $40,000 in prizes, with mentorship and judging from Mastercard, Ripple, the XRP Ledger Foundation, Ledger, Amazon Web Services, and QuickNode.
The report of Mastercard's praise came from an attendee rather than a formal company statement. Neither Mastercard nor Ripple issued official announcements regarding the comment. The remark did not include specific details about product launches, timelines, or settlement volumes.
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Why it matters
The comment reflects Mastercard's ongoing engagement with stablecoin infrastructure and the XRP Ledger ecosystem. Positive remarks from major payment networks can signal confidence in blockchain-based settlement approaches and influence developer interest in building on these platforms. However, U.Today and Blockonomi both note that informal praise at a hackathon does not constitute a product launch or guarantee of immediate commercial adoption. The hackathon serves primarily as a space to explore potential applications rather than announce new services to customers.
Background
Mastercard's relationship with Ripple extends beyond this week's event. In August 2023, Ripple was among the first cohort selected for Mastercard's Central Bank Digital Currency Partner Program. In November 2025, Ripple announced that Mastercard, WebBank, and crypto exchange Gemini would collaborate to explore RLUSD settlement for traditional credit card transactions, with RLUSD enabling blockchain-based settlement between Mastercard and WebBank on the XRP Ledger, subject to regulatory approvals.
The following month, in June 2026, Mastercard announced plans to expand its settlement options to include regulated stablecoins. RLUSD was named among the supported options, along with USDC, SoFiUSD, and tokens issued by Paxos. Mastercard also designated XRPL as one of the supported blockchain networks for these settlements. The company described the expansion as offering new timing and settlement choices to issuers and acquirers while maintaining existing security, fraud, and dispute protections.
What to watch
Whether RLUSD settlement functionality becomes active for Mastercard's broader merchant and issuer network remains unclear. Mastercard has not specified which banks, card programs, or markets can currently use RLUSD settlement, nor has it disclosed settlement volumes. The hackathon's agentic finance track, which focuses on software that can execute payments without human intervention, may produce prototypes or proof-of-concept applications, but deployment to Mastercard's network would require separate product decisions and operational controls. Regulatory approvals will likely continue to influence the timeline for any expanded rollout.
Questions readers ask
Did Mastercard officially endorse RLUSD?
Representatives praised RLUSD during an informal hackathon presentation, but Mastercard issued no official statement. The praise reflects existing partnership discussions rather than a new announcement.
Can Mastercard customers use RLUSD settlement today?
Mastercard announced RLUSD as a planned settlement option in June 2026, but the company has not confirmed whether the feature is live across its network or specified which banks and markets can access it.
What is the hackathon's connection to Mastercard's stablecoin plans?
The hackathon provides a venue for developers to explore payment applications using RLUSD and XRP, but event projects are prototypes and do not automatically integrate into Mastercard's payment network.
