Ripple, the enterprise blockchain and cryptocurrency solutions company, announced a partnership with Water.org on March 26, 2025, to expand access to safe water and sanitation using its RLUSD stablecoin. The collaboration marks one of the first major applications of a regulated stablecoin for international development funding.
Water.org, the nonprofit co-founded by Gary White and Matt Damon, has provided water and sanitation loans to over 63 million people across 60 countries. The organization will use RLUSD to enable faster, lower-cost transfers of funds to local financial institutions in regions where clean water access is most limited.
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How RLUSD Will Support Water Access
The partnership leverages Ripple’s stablecoin, RLUSD, which launched in December 2024 and is issued under a limited purpose trust company charter from the New York Department of Financial Services. RLUSD is pegged 1:1 to the U.S. dollar and is designed for cross-border payments and institutional use.
Water.org will integrate RLUSD into its existing capital flow infrastructure, enabling near-instant settlement of funds to partner microfinance institutions in countries such as Kenya, India, and Bangladesh. Traditional bank transfers to these regions can take 3–5 business days and incur fees of 5–10% of the transfer amount. RLUSD transactions settle in seconds with minimal fees.
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“By using RLUSD, we can reduce the cost and time of getting capital to the communities that need it most,” said a Water.org spokesperson in a statement. “This allows us to deploy more resources directly to water and sanitation projects.”
Broader Implications for Stablecoins in Development
The partnership signals a growing trend of blockchain-based stablecoins being used for humanitarian and development purposes. The World Bank estimates that 2.2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water, and 3.5 billion lack safe sanitation. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 6 aims to achieve universal access by 2030, but current funding gaps are estimated at $114 billion per year.
Ripple’s move aligns with its long-standing focus on financial inclusion. The company has previously partnered with the International Rescue Committee and other nonprofits to test blockchain-based aid distribution.
“Stablecoins like RLUSD can bridge the gap between traditional finance and the unbanked,” said Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse in a prepared statement. “Partnering with Water.org demonstrates how blockchain technology can solve real-world problems at scale.”
The RLUSD token is also available on the XRP Ledger and Ethereum networks, giving Water.org flexibility in how it moves and manages funds.
Regulatory and Operational Considerations
Water.org’s use of RLUSD is subject to compliance with anti-money laundering and sanctions regulations. Ripple has stated that all transactions will be screened through its compliance tools, which include real-time transaction monitoring and identity verification.
The partnership does not involve Ripple’s XRP token directly. RLUSD is a separate stablecoin issued under New York state regulation, distinct from the XRP cryptocurrency that has been the subject of a long-running legal battle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Water.org will initially pilot the RLUSD integration in three countries before expanding to additional markets. The pilot is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2025.
