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Japan Embraces Ripple: Rakuten Integrates XRP to Enhance Payment Options for 44 Million Users

Japan's leading e-commerce platform, Rakuten, is set to integrate Ripple's XRP into its payment system on April 15, 2026.

This integration will allow spot trading of XRP on Rakuten Wallet and enable users to convert Rakuten Points into XRP.

With approximately 44 million users, Rakuten Pay facilitates everyday transactions like buying coffee and groceries, making this move significant.

However, the utility of XRP within this closed ecosystem raises questions about true retail adoption versus a simple product feature update.

Rakuten Points, the platform's loyalty currency, do not qualify as crypto assets, with over 3 trillion points valued at around $23 billion USD outstanding.

Users will be able to load the converted XRP balance into Rakuten Cash for spending at various merchants, which receive yen in exchange.

This background conversion absolves retailers of any direct exposure to XRP, making it more of a points-to-payment flow than an actual cryptocurrency interaction.

Japan's regulatory framework has allowed this structure, classifying XRP clearly as a cryptocurrency, in contrast to securities.

Rakuten follows the path laid by previous players in Japan's crypto market, such as SBI Holdings, demonstrating the evolving regulatory landscape.

As cryptocurrencies and payment solutions like XRP find new applications, the implications for retail and regulatory practices continue to unfold in an increasingly digital economy.