Rakuten, Japan’s leading e-commerce company, has incorporated XRP into its Rakuten Pay application. This addition enables the app’s 44 million users to utilize Ripple’s cryptocurrency as a payment option at over five million merchant locations nationwide.
Tatsuya Kohrogi, Ripple’s senior ecosystem growth manager, announced on Tuesday via X that Rakuten is also allowing users to trade and purchase XRP within the app. Users will be able to buy XRP using Rakuten points and store it in their Rakuten Wallets.
Kohrogi highlighted that this integration links XRP with one of Japan’s largest loyalty programs, where over 3 trillion points—valued at approximately $23 billion—are currently active and can now be exchanged for XRP. He stated, “Starting April 15, Rakuten Wallet will introduce XRP as both a tradable asset and a payment method, enabling users to purchase XRP directly with their Rakuten Points and top up their Rakuten Cash balance using XRP for spending at more than five million merchant locations across Japan.” Kohrogi described this development as “one of the most significant milestones in XRP’s history.”
He also noted that Rakuten is considered one of Japan’s most reliable consumer brands. According to him, integrating XRP into its loyalty and payment infrastructure signals a major direction for digital asset adoption.
Previously, in 2023, Rakuten began accepting Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Bitcoin Cash as payment methods. The company had also launched its own Rakuten Coin in 2021, intended for use within its points-based loyalty rewards system.