Mastercard Praises Ripple’s RLUSD Stablecoin at XRP Ledger Hackathon in New York

Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin has reportedly received positive recognition from Mastercard representatives during the XRP Ledger Hackathon in New York City. The remarks came as Mastercard outlined partner pitch requirements for developers participating in the blockchain event.

According to XRP Ledger community member Lost Art, Mastercard representatives complimented RLUSD during their presentation at the XRPL Commons Hackathon. In an October 24 post, Lost Art reported that Mastercard had acknowledged Ripple’s stablecoin while addressing participating developers.

The reported endorsement comes as Mastercard expands its involvement with Ripple and explores blockchain settlement solutions using regulated stablecoins.

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Mastercard Joins XRP Ledger Hackathon as Developers Explore RLUSD Payments

The two-day AI and Fintech XRPL Hackathon runs from October 24 to 25, bringing developers together before Ripple’s Swell conference. Organized by XRPL Commons, the 36-hour competition brings together developers, entrepreneurs, designers, and financial technology specialists.

Participants will compete for more than $40,000 in prizes while developing applications using the XRP Ledger’s blockchain infrastructure. Mastercard joins Ripple, AWS, Ledger, QuickNode, and the XRP Ledger Foundation as event partners providing mentorship and judging support.

Meanwhile, the competition features four development categories covering Agentic Finance, Lending and Borrowing, Protocol Innovation, and Why Not. The Agentic Finance category places particular emphasis on artificial intelligence systems capable of executing financial transactions independently.

Such applications could integrate XRP or RLUSD to facilitate automated payments without requiring human approval for every transaction. Mastercard’s reported praise for RLUSD therefore comes during an event exploring practical applications for blockchain payments and financial automation.

Mastercard and Ripple Expand Cooperation Around Stablecoin Settlement

Beyond the hackathon, Mastercard and Ripple have already established several initiatives involving blockchain technology and digital payment infrastructure. In November 2025, Ripple announced a collaboration with Mastercard, WebBank, and Gemini to examine RLUSD settlement for card transactions.

Under the proposed arrangement, Ripple’s stablecoin would facilitate blockchain-based settlement between Mastercard and WebBank, the card-issuing institution. The initiative aims to explore how regulated stablecoins could support settlement processes within existing payment networks.

Earlier, Ripple joined Mastercard’s Central Bank Digital Currency Partner Program in August 2023 alongside Consensys and Fireblocks. Additionally, Mastercard announced plans in June 2026 to introduce settlement options supporting regulated stablecoins, including Ripple’s RLUSD.

Its broader stablecoin initiatives also include Circle’s USDC, PayPal’s PYUSD, Paxos’ USDG and USDP, and SoFiUSD. These developments reflect Mastercard’s growing engagement with stablecoin infrastructure across its payment ecosystem.

Ripple Swell 2026 Follows New York Hackathon

The hackathon also precedes Ripple Swell 2026, scheduled for October 27 through 29 in New York City. The conference will bring together participants from the financial and blockchain industries to discuss digital assets and payment infrastructure. Mastercard’s reported remarks place RLUSD among the stablecoins attracting recognition within the XRP Ledger’s expanding developer ecosystem.

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