Ripple moves to buy BC Payments to secure Australia finance license

Ripple said it plans to expand its presence in the Asia-Pacific region by acquiring BC Payments Australia Pty Ltd, a move that would allow the company to obtain an Australian Financial Services License (AFSL) and offer its payments infrastructure more broadly in the country.

The acquisition, which remains subject to completion, would provide Ripple with the regulatory approval required to operate financial services in Australia.

Through the license, the company intends to roll out its full payments platform, which combines traditional financial infrastructure with digital asset capabilities.

The announcement comes as Ripple continues to scale its global payments network and deepen its regulatory footprint across major markets.

Acquisition aims to secure Australian financial license

Ripple said the planned acquisition of BC Payments Australia Pty Ltd would give the company access to an existing AFSL, a regulatory license required for offering financial services in Australia.

Instead of applying directly for a new license, Ripple is pursuing the faster route of acquiring a firm that already holds the authorization. However, the license will only transfer once the acquisition is finalized.

With the AFSL in place, Ripple would be able to provide its Ripple Payments platform to Australian customers through a single integrated system.

The platform is designed to handle the full lifecycle of cross-border payments, including onboarding, compliance, funding, foreign exchange, liquidity management, and payouts.

“Australia is a key market for Ripple, and an AFSL strengthens our ability to scale Ripple Payments across the region,” said Fiona Murray, managing director for Asia Pacific at Ripple.

Ripple did not disclose financial details of the proposed acquisition.

Australia central to Ripple’s regional growth

Ripple said its payments business in the Asia-Pacific region has been expanding rapidly.

According to the company, its payments volume across APAC nearly doubled year-on-year in 2025, though it did not release specific figures.

Several Australian companies already use Ripple Payments, including Hai Ha Money Transfer, Stables, Caleb & Brown, Flash Payments, and Independent Reserve.

The licensing effort reflects Ripple’s broader strategy of securing regulatory approvals in key markets while growing institutional adoption of digital asset payment solutions.

Ripple currently holds more than 75 regulatory licenses globally, positioning the company to work with financial institutions that are exploring blockchain-based infrastructure for payments and settlement.

Last month, Ripple also secured a full Electronic Money Institution license in Luxembourg, allowing the company to expand its services across the European Union.

Earlier in late 2025, the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency granted Ripple conditional approval to pursue a national trust bank charter.

Expanding digital asset infrastructure and services

Ripple’s push in Australia coincides with the company’s broader effort to expand its payments and digital asset infrastructure.

Last week, the company reported that its network has processed more than $100 billion in total transaction volume.

Ripple also announced new services designed for institutional customers, including managed custody, virtual account collections, and stablecoin settlement capabilities across more than 60 markets.

The company is also participating in Project Acacia, a digital asset infrastructure initiative led by the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre.

Meanwhile, Ripple’s associated cryptocurrency XRP remains among the largest digital assets by market value.

XRP was trading around $1.38, up slightly on the day and about 1.5% higher over the past week.

Ripple’s dollar-pegged stablecoin RLUSD has also been expanding its presence in the market, with a capitalization of roughly $1.6 billion, making it one of the largest stablecoins globally.

Together, these developments highlight Ripple’s ongoing efforts to build a global payments network that integrates blockchain technology with traditional financial systems while expanding regulatory approvals in key markets.

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