- Rakuten Wallet users in Japan can now convert Rakuten Points into XRP and trade the token inside the app.
- The update comes as XRP spot ETFs recorded $81.63 million in April inflows, their strongest month of 2026.
XRP is getting a larger retail payment channel in Japan through a new Rakuten Wallet integration announced by RippleX.
Rakuten Points become XRP access
Starting today, Rakuten Wallet users can convert Rakuten Points into XRP, spot trade in-app and spend through Rakuten Pay’s merchant network.
The integration links XRP to 44 million Rakuten Pay users, according to RippleX, with about $23 billion in loyalty points now redeemable for the token.
Starting today, @Rakuten_Wallet users in Japan can convert @Rakuten Points into XRP, spot trade in-app, and spend across 5M+ merchant locations. 🇯🇵
With 44 million Rakuten Pay users and $23B in loyalty points now redeemable for XRP, this is one of the largest retail deployments… pic.twitter.com/P7I52bGjVL
— RippleX (@RippleXDev) April 30, 2026
The setup is notable because Rakuten already has consumer distribution. Loyalty points are familiar, easy to use and already embedded in daily spending behaviour. Converting them into XRP gives users a simple entry point without starting from a blank wallet.
ETF inflows add institutional angle
The spending layer is equally important. With access across more than 5 million merchant locations, XRP is being placed closer to everyday payments in one of its strongest retail markets.
At the same time, XRP spot ETFs are drawing fresh demand. On April 28, they recorded $2.2018 million in net inflows, driven entirely by the Canary XRP ETF. Cumulative net inflows reached $1.293 billion, while total net assets across XRP spot ETFs stood at $1.053 billion, equal to around 1.23% of XRP’s market capitalization.
April has also become the strongest month for XRP ETFs in 2026, with about $81.63 million in monthly inflows. That has fueled talk of a possible decoupling from Bitcoin and Ethereum, although XRP’s price has not yet fully reflected the ETF demand.
Ripple’s wider ecosystem is also expanding. OKX recently added Ripple USD, or RLUSD, across more than 280 spot trading pairs, including RLUSD/XRP, while supporting deposits and withdrawals through the XRP Ledger.
At the time of writing, XRP is trading at $1.36, showing a slight decrease of 1.63% over the past 24 hours.
