Rakuten, Japan’s largest e-commerce platform with 44 million active customers, has enabled XRP payments through its Rakuten Pay app. The integration, announced April 14, marks one of the largest real-world crypto adoption events to date.
Ripple, the company behind XRP, called it a ‘watershed moment’ for institutional crypto use. Users can now convert XRP to fiat within the Rakuten ecosystem without leaving the app.
Why it matters: 44 million potential users is more than the entire user base of most crypto exchanges combined. Rakuten’s trusted brand reduces friction for crypto-curious consumers.
The timing is notable — Japan has been cautiously reopening to crypto after the 2014 Mt. Gox collapse. Rakuten’s move suggests institutional trust has returned.