Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 9 hours ago
In this episode of Onchain Economy, we're joined by Yasuo Matsuda, Senior Analyst at Rakuten Wallet, to explore how one of Japan's most trusted consumer ecosystems is integrating XRP into everyday payments - and what it signals for the broader adoption of digital assets.
With over 100 million members and 44 million active payment users, Rakuten's scale makes this more than a product announcement. It's a window into what mainstream XRP adoption actually looks like, and why Japan may be leading the world in turning digital assets into everyday financial tools.
In this episode, you'll learn:
↳ Why XRP's speed and liquidity make it a natural fit for real-world payments — and what changes when it can be spent directly, without converting to local currency
↳ How loyalty points are quietly lowering the barrier to crypto entry for millions of first-time holders
↳ Why traditional financial institutions are shifting from cautious observers to first-mover participants in the onchain economy
↳ Why the coming era of stablecoin competition — including RLUSD — could unlock entirely new markets for cross-border corporate payments and small-value global settlements
In this episode of Onchain Economy, we're joined by Yasuo Matsuda, Senior Analyst at Rakuten Wallet, to explore how one of Japan's most trusted consumer ecosystems is integrating XRP into everyday payments - and what it signals for the broader adoption of digital assets.
With over 100 million members and 44 million active payment users, Rakuten's scale makes this more than a product announcement. It's a window into what mainstream XRP adoption actually looks like, and why Japan may be leading the world in turning digital assets into everyday financial tools.
In this episode, you'll learn:
↳ Why XRP's speed and liquidity make it a natural fit for real-world payments — and what changes when it can be spent directly, without converting to local currency
↳ How loyalty points are quietly lowering the barrier to crypto entry for millions of first-time holders
↳ Why traditional financial institutions are shifting from cautious observers to first-mover participants in the onchain economy
↳ Why the coming era of stablecoin competition — including RLUSD — could unlock entirely new markets for cross-border corporate payments and small-value global settlements
