Ripple Labs, the company behind the popular XRP cryptocurrency, has sent shockwaves through the crypto community with a recent trademark filing. The name? RLUSD. The application was filed on May 7 to the U.S. legal database Justia.
While Ripple hasn’t officially confirmed anything, speculation is running rampant that this could be the ticker symbol for their upcoming dollar-pegged stablecoin.
What is RLUSD and Why Should You Care?
Ripple’s trademark application for “RLUSD” suggests its use in electronic financial services, which will pertain to handling monetary transactions in virtual currency. The description includes services for receiving and distributing payments in digital tokens pegged to fiat currency, essentially defining it as a stablecoin.
The trademark application by Ripple states, “The Protocol connects a swapper on one side and an automated market-making function coded into the autonomous Protocol on the other.”
The RLUSD Debate
However, one writes, “Clearly not to attract retail. It doesn’t even flow right. USDR sounds much better.” Not everyone seems to approve of the “RLUSD” as the ticker symbol. Community members as a “terrible” choice, arguing that alternatives like “USDX” or “USDR” would have been more appealing and recognizable to retail consumers.
Why Not “USDX” and “USDR”?
The anticipation for names like “USDR” comes from Ripple’s name, while “USDX” was expected due to Ripple’s plans to deploy the stablecoin on the XRP Ledger. However, “USDX” is already utilized by Flare Networks for their native stablecoin backed 1:1 with USD and secured by Hex Trust, and “USDR” is in use by Real USD. These existing designations likely influenced Ripple’s decision to opt for “RLUSD.”
Ripple’s Stablecoin Ambitions: A Launch on the Horizon?
Ripple’s foray into stablecoins is seen to be a strategic decision that will capture a large portion of the market, estimated to grow manifold in the next few years. The trademark application has raised speculations of Ripple preparing for the successful launch of its stablecoin later this year.
The current market value of the stablecoin market is $161 billion. However, this market is estimated to grow almost 18 times by 2024 to nearly $3 trillion. Earlier in April, Ripple announced a pivot to stablecoins in efforts to capture a large slice of the market projected to reach a valuation close to $3 trillion.
