Ripple has gained its inaugural European bank client for its licensed payments technology, with AMINA Bank in Switzerland choosing Ripple Payments to enable near-real-time cross-border transactions for crypto-focused clients, according to a Friday announcement from the company.
AMINA, a digital asset bank regulated by FINMA, will leverage Ripple’s payment infrastructure to connect traditional banking systems with blockchain-based settlements, addressing a persistent operational hurdle for institutions servicing stablecoin issuers, crypto companies, and tokenized asset platforms.
This development indicates a transformation in how compliant banks are integrating crypto payments as a core business function — a system needing to operate seamlessly with fiat currency mechanisms.
Ripple Payments is a comprehensive platform that integrates messaging, liquidity sourcing, and settlement across both fiat and blockchain frameworks.
In contrast to correspondent banking systems, which depend on various intermediaries and batch processing, Ripple’s framework allows banks to transfer value directly, often completing transactions within minutes.
Practically, this enables AMINA to handle cross-border transactions that involve fiat currencies and stablecoins, including Ripple’s own RLUSD, without going through several correspondent banks or waiting for slow clearing processes.
A distinguishing feature is that Ripple Payments holds licenses in multiple jurisdictions, permitting banks to implement blockchain settlements without stepping outside regulatory boundaries.
For AMINA, this presents a compliant solution for serving clients who operate on-chain while also needing access to traditional banking services such as treasury management and fiat liquidity.
Earlier in the year, AMINA became the first global bank to accept Ripple’s U.S. dollar stablecoin, RLUSD, by offering custody and trading services. The payments integration broadens this partnership from asset support to transaction execution.
Essentially, AMINA is utilizing Ripple’s infrastructure as a linking element between regulated banking frameworks and on-chain settlements, a model increasingly adopted by institutions investigating tokenized assets, stablecoin creation, and cross-border treasury activities.
This collaboration could enhance Ripple’s presence in Europe, especially as regulatory clarity is encouraging banks to transition from experimentation to robust blockchain applications.
The company stated in the announcement that its payments network currently encompasses over 90% of global FX markets by volume, processing more than $95 billion in transactions.
