Mastercard has expressed strong support for Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin during the XRPL Hackathon currently underway in New York City. The hackathon, a major event for the XRP Ledger developer community, gathers technologists, entrepreneurs, designers, and finance professionals to build new applications using the XRP Ledger ecosystem.
Collaboration expands at XRPL Commons Hackathon
Community member Lost Art reported that Mastercard representatives publicly endorsed RLUSD while outlining partner pitch expectations at the XRPL Commons Hackathon. The event runs from October 24 to 25, just ahead of Ripple’s flagship Swell conference.
Hosted by XRPL Commons, a non-profit dedicated to fostering the XRP Ledger ecosystem, the hackathon centers on AI-driven financial technology. Participants compete in a 36-hour development sprint, with mentorship and judging from organizations including Mastercard, Ripple, the XRP Ledger Foundation, Ledger, Amazon Web Services, and QuickNode.
The competition features four tracks: Agentic Finance, Lending & Borrowing, Protocol Innovation, and an open-ended “Why Not” category.
Mastercard reportedly praised Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin during the partner pitch segment at XRPL Commons Hackathon, according to remarks from Lost Art shared on X on October 24.
One of the main focuses this year is autonomous payments using artificial intelligence agents. These agents could facilitate seamless payments with XRP or RLUSD without the need for manual intervention at every cycle, pushing forward automation in digital finance.
Mini dictionary: XRPL Commons is a non-profit organization devoted to supporting developers and projects working on the XRP Ledger, encouraging innovation and collaboration within the Ripple ecosystem.
Broader Mastercard and Ripple partnership
Mastercard’s involvement extends beyond hackathon support. The company is one of the event’s official partners and has an active, long-term relationship with Ripple. In November 2025, Ripple announced joint research involving Mastercard, WebBank, and crypto exchange Gemini to explore using RLUSD as a settlement asset for traditional credit card transactions. According to early plans, RLUSD would power blockchain-based settlements between Mastercard and WebBank, which issues credit cards on Mastercard’s network.
Ripple joined Mastercard’s Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) Partner Program in August 2023, as part of the first cohort alongside Consensys and Fireblocks.
| Partner | Initiative | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Ripple | CBDC Partner Program & RLUSD settlement study | Aug 2023, Nov 2025 |
| Consensys | CBDC Partner Program | Aug 2023 |
| Fireblocks | CBDC Partner Program | Aug 2023 |
| WebBank | RLUSD settlement collaboration | Nov 2025 |
| Gemini | RLUSD settlement study | Nov 2025 |
Mastercard has also increased its involvement in stablecoin initiatives. In June 2026, Mastercard announced plans to introduce new settlement options with regulated stablecoins, specifically mentioning RLUSD among its supported assets. The payments company further supports Circle’s USDC, PayPal’s PYUSD, Paxos’ USDG and USDP, as well as SoFiUSD, reflecting its broader focus on blockchain-based payment solutions.
Mastercard remains committed to scaling its stablecoin offerings and integrating blockchain settlements into its global network, working alongside major fintech partners such as Ripple, Circle, PayPal, and Paxos.
The XRPL Hackathon, which includes over $40,000 in prizes, serves as a lead-in to the Ripple Swell 2026 conference, which will be held in New York from October 27 to 29. This sequence of events signals a growing alignment between Ripple and Mastercard, particularly at the intersection of AI, stablecoins, and next-generation payments infrastructure.
