Ripple and Zand Bank deepen UAE tie to launch stablecoin, liquidity and on-chain issuance
Ripple has stepped up its Middle East push by expanding collaboration with UAE-based Zand Bank to deploy stablecoins, cross-currency liquidity solutions, and on-chain asset issuance. The move targets regulated players migrating dollar- and dirham-pegged assets onto blockchain infrastructure, leveraging Ripple’s payments stack and tokenization tools to support issuers and liquidity providers in the region.
Why it matters: the arrangement could accelerate tokenized fiat adoption and reduce FX frictions for institutional and cross-border flows, while giving regulated banks a clearer path to issue and manage pegged tokens. For Ripple, the deal reinforces its strategy in the Gulf as jurisdictions build crypto-ready frameworks; for the market, it signals growing demand for compliant, on-chain fiat alternatives and deeper liquidity rails in the UAE and beyond.