Ripple has made notable strides in the European market by securing its inaugural bank client, AMINA Bank, based in Switzerland. This collaboration will leverage Ripple Payments for facilitating near-real-time cross-border transfers specifically catering to crypto-native clients. According to a company announcement made on Friday, AMINA is a digital asset bank regulated by FINMA, and it aims to utilize Ripple’s advanced payments infrastructure to address the historical challenges faced by institutions servicing stablecoin issuers, crypto firms, and tokenized asset platforms.
The partnership emphasizes a significant shift in the banking sector’s approach to crypto payments, transitioning from experimental phases to a more integrated business strategy. Ripple Payments provides an end-to-end solution that encompasses messaging, liquidity sourcing, and settlements across both traditional fiat and blockchain platforms. This is a critical departure from traditional correspondent banking networks, which often depend on several intermediaries and experience delays due to batch processing. Ripple’s technology enables banks to directly transfer value and complete transactions in a matter of minutes.
For AMINA, the implications of this partnership are substantial. The platform will be able to efficiently manage cross-border transactions that involve fiat currencies and stablecoins, including Ripple’s RLUSD, without depending on multiple correspondent banks or enduring prolonged clearing cycles. A significant advantage is that Ripple Payments is licensed across various jurisdictions, enabling banks to incorporate blockchain settlement in compliance with existing regulatory standards.
This partnership further builds on AMINA’s earlier adoption of Ripple’s U.S. dollar stablecoin, RLUSD, marking it as the first bank globally to offer custody and trading services for this digital asset. The new payments integration therefore extends the relationship beyond asset support to encompass transaction execution, positioning AMINA as a key player in the evolving financial landscape.
By functioning as a connective layer between regulated banking frameworks and on-chain settlements, AMINA is adopting a model that is increasingly being favored by financial institutions exploring tokenized assets and stablecoin issuance.
This collaboration may also enhance Ripple’s standing in Europe, especially as the regulatory landscape grows clearer and banks move towards more robust blockchain applications. Currently, Ripple’s payments network boasts extensive reach, covering over 90% of global foreign exchange markets by volume and processing transactions exceeding $95 billion.
