Key Takeaways
- Aquarium Cohort 9 brings together 13 startups from 11 countries.
- Straid aims to let users borrow RLUSD against their XRP holdings.
- The nine-week program includes an online demonstration for investors.
13 Startups Take XRP Ledger Applications Beyond Transfers
Startups developing payment and financing applications will receive support through a new cohort of an XRP Ledger (XRPL) startup program. Paris-based nonprofit XRPL Commons announced its first fully online Aquarium cohort on Oct. 13. The organization provides education, mentorship, and grants. Cohort 9 is the ninth group selected for its startup development program.
Several participants already have operating products, according to David Bchiri, president of XRPL Commons. Graduates become eligible for funding tied to milestones. Bchiri said:
“Many of these teams already have live products and active users.”
The 13 Startups Building Payments, AI, and Credit Applications
Five startups focus on payments. Xrpay develops e-commerce settlement using Ripple USD (RLUSD), while Payinnov Labs combines card and stablecoin acceptance. Salypay targets AI-powered remittances and merchant payments. Netten provides payouts for businesses, service providers, and freelancers, and Zeno develops privacy-preserving mobile transfers on XRPL.
Two teams address AI transactions. Ultra AI connects agents seeking business opportunities, while Agntpymt governs automated spending within corporate policies and audit requirements.
Four ventures cover energy finance and credit. Megawatt enables fractional investment in commercial battery storage, allowing investors to hold part of a project. Hestiax develops renewable energy lending. Straid supports RLUSD borrowing against XRP collateral. Laguna works on tokenized private credit, representing lending investments through digital tokens.
The remaining two address inheritance and trade documentation. Genwealth automates asset succession and inheritance distribution. Paper-Chain uses AI to verify letters of credit, bank instruments supporting international payment obligations, with planned escrow and stablecoin settlement functions.
AI Payments Extend the Ledger’s Financial Applications
RLUSD belongs to a category of digital tokens that aim to track assets such as the U.S. dollar. Ripple’s dollar-backed stablecoin features in the cohort’s e-commerce settlement and XRP-backed lending applications.
Ripple’s XRPL AI Starter Kit supports payments using XRP and RLUSD. Its developer tools connect AI agents to wallets and payment functions. The x402 protocol lets online services request payment before granting access, enabling software to purchase data or computing resources.
XRPL Commons cited t54’s figure of more than 8 million x402 transactions on the XRP Ledger in the 30 days through Oct. 8. Total x402 transactions on the ledger topped 14 million as of Oct. 13, according to the transactions page of t54’s XRPL AI Hub.
Brazil Tokenization and Bank Custody Expand XRPL’s Institutional Use
Broader XRP Ledger-based asset tokenization in Brazil includes fund ownership records and financing instruments. Ripple’s partnership with CSD BR begins by mirroring investment fund ownership records on the blockchain while the operator’s systems remain the official record. A separate private credit platform operated by VERT records events throughout the financing lifecycle, extending XRPL’s applications beyond payments.
Standard Chartered’s institutional RLUSD custody is also live. Planned collateral mirroring with Ripple and LMAX Group would recognize bank-held tokens’ value for trading without transferring them to the venue.
Nine-Week Program Connects Founders With Investors
Participants receive workshops, technical and business coaching, and mentorship, with an investor demonstration midway through the nine-week program. The online format welcomes founders worldwide, particularly from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Teams need a working product and at least one full-time founder. Xrpay, Straid, Paper-Chain, and Netten advanced from Make Waves, a 90-day challenge that helped participants build, release, and grow XRPL applications through September.
