Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse Drops Bombshell Announcement with BlackRock

Brad Garlinghouse took it to X earlier today to announce that Ripple had partnered with Securitize, a leading provider of digital asset infrastructure, to launch a smart contract that will also benefit holders of BlackRock’s BUILD and VanEck’s VBILL.

More precisely, such holders will be able to exchange their shares to Ripple for the company’s stablecoin RLUSD.

According to the announcement, this new smart contract will add “an additional stablecoin off-ramp for BUILD and VBILL tokenized short-term treasury funds.” Jack McDonald, SVP of Stablecoins at Ripple, commented:

“Making RLUSD available as an exchange option for tokenized funds is a natural next step as we continue to bridge traditional finance and crypto. RLUSD is for institutional use, offering regulatory clarity, stability, and real utility. As adoption grows, partnerships with trusted platforms like Securitize are key to unlocking new liquidity and enterprise-grade use cases.”

BUILD and VBILL operate in a similar manner as they are tokenized short-term treasury products issued on public blockchains. This integration will allow investors to gain a 24/7 stablecoin off-ramp.

Their holders can swap their shares for RLUSD instantly, while maintaining exposure to on-chain yields and DeFi strategies. The integration is designed to increase liquidity, flexibility, and interoperability for tokenized assets.

BUILD has already launched RLUSD support, while VBILL is expected to follow suit in the following days.

“Partnering with Ripple to integrate RLUSD into our tokenization infrastructure is a major step forward in automating liquidity for tokenized assets. Together, we’re delivering real-time settlement and programmable liquidity across a new class of compliant, on-chain investment products—bringing the full potential of blockchain to institutional finance,” noted Carlos Domingo, Co-Founder and CEO of Securitize.