Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Rakuten Wallet Launches XRP Payments for 44 Million Users in Japan

The move turns Rakuten Points into a direct on-ramp to crypto within a mainstream payments app.

Overview

  • Rakuten Wallet, which launched XRP support Wednesday, now lets Rakuten Pay users buy the token with loyalty points and pay at more than five million merchant locations.
  • About 44 million people using Rakuten Pay gain access inside the app, so most users do not need a separate crypto exchange account to start.
  • More than three trillion Rakuten Points, worth roughly $23 billion, can be converted into XRP, which users can then move into Rakuten Cash for everyday spending.
  • Rakuten is also enabling spot trading of XRP inside the Rakuten Pay app, with holdings kept in Rakuten Wallet.
  • Rakuten’s network spans over 100 million members and 5.6 trillion yen in annual e‑commerce volume, signaling how large loyalty programs can quickly push a token into everyday use.