Cardano Founder Says RLUSD May Join ADA But Strategy Hinges on Circle Acquisition
May 26, 2025
Cardano Founder and XRP
Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has confirmed that discussions are ongoing between his team and the developers of Ripple USD (RLUSD), as integration efforts into the Cardano ecosystem continue.
Speaking during a recent livestream, Hoskinson addressed questions about whether RLUSD would go live on Cardano by year-end. He clarified that early talks had taken place in the previous year. Since then, engagement has progressed, although key strategic decisions hinge on potential corporate developments surrounding Circle.
Circle Acquisition Could Alter RLUSD’s Strategy
According to Hoskinson, a major factor influencing RLUSD’s roadmap is the speculation surrounding Circle’s future. He noted that there are ongoing talks about a possible acquisition of Circle by Ripple, reportedly valued at around $11 billion. This potential acquisition could significantly shift RLUSD’s integration plans. If RLUSD were to merge with Circle, its entire listing process and development path would need reevaluation.
XRP DeFi is Very Important
Charles Hoskinson stated that the Cardano team had offered to support the integration of RLUSD onto Cardano at no cost. He emphasized that XRP DeFi is viewed as an important area, with stablecoins playing a critical role in that ecosystem.
According to Hoskinson, the RLUSD team expressed interest in principle, but noted that several technical and strategic details would need to be addressed before moving forward. These include determining whether RLUSD should be integrated through a layer-zero routing model, which many projects are currently exploring, or whether a direct issuance model would be more appropriate.
Hoskinson added that conversations remain ongoing to determine if an agreement can be reached, while also confirming that Cardano is evaluating additional stablecoin options for its broader ecosystem.
XRP Support Progressing Through Cardano’s Lace Wallet
In parallel with the RLUSD discussions, Cardano has taken steps to incorporate XRP into its ecosystem. As previously reported in April, crypto users would soon be able to store, send, and receive XRP through Cardano’s Lace wallet, a non-custodial Web3 interface.
This development followed a series of positive interactions between Hoskinson and the Ripple team, despite past tensions between the two communities. In a YouTube AMA session, Hoskinson confirmed that relations with Ripple had improved, and the collaboration was advancing steadily.
Bridge for Bitcoin and XRP Integration
Further collaboration between Cardano and major blockchain ecosystems was revealed during a May 9 interview between Hoskinson and eToro analyst Sam North. In this conversation, Hoskinson outlined a long-term strategy aimed at addressing limitations within the XRP Ledger and Bitcoin network.
Specifically, he pointed to the lack of advanced smart contract functionality in the XRP Ledger. Cardano’s Midnight blockchain, designed with privacy in mind, was considered as a bridge to support both Bitcoin and XRP.
According to Hoskinson, this form of technical support would not only help those ecosystems but also potentially increase Cardano’s total value locked (TVL), projecting a scale beyond that of Solana and Ethereum combined.
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