What is the Rakuten XRP integration and why did XRP price rise?

Rakuten launched a feature allowing users in Japan to convert loyalty points into XRP and use it for payments, which helped push XRP up about 3% to $1.40. The news matters because it connects XRP to a major consumer platform with millions of users.

How does Rakuten’s loyalty points system work with XRP?

Rakuten users can convert their accumulated shopping rewards points into XRP through the mobile app. These XRP tokens can then be used for payments or traded via Rakuten Wallet’s new spot trading feature.

How big is Rakuten’s user base and why is that important for XRP?

Rakuten has around 44 million active users, giving XRP access to a large retail audience. This scale could drive real-world usage, which is a key factor for long-term crypto adoption.

How much value could flow into XRP from Rakuten points?

Rakuten has over three trillion loyalty points in circulation, equivalent to about $23 billion. Not all will convert to XRP, but even a small percentage could create meaningful demand.

How can XRP be used within the Rakuten ecosystem?

Users can spend XRP at more than five million merchants in Japan via QR code payments. This adds a real-world utility layer beyond speculation and trading.

Is this bullish for XRP investors?

It’s positive for adoption because it introduces XRP to everyday payments and a large user base. However, the price impact may depend on how many users actually convert and use XRP.

How does this compare to other crypto payment integrations?

Unlike many crypto integrations that focus on trading, Rakuten ties XRP directly to a loyalty and payments ecosystem. This gives XRP a more practical use case compared to purely speculative tokens.

What are the key risks for XRP after this announcement?

Adoption risk is the main factor—users may not convert points into XRP at scale. Regulatory changes in Japan or technical issues with payments could also limit growth.

Image for illustrative purposes only. Not a real photo.

Rakuten unlocks $23B points into XRP payments

Written by Jon CuthbertPublished May. 4 2026Last Updated May. 3 2026

XRP rose about 3% to $1.40 over the weekend after Rakuten launched a feature allowing users to convert loyalty points into the cryptocurrency.

The Japanese platform said customers can now swap reward points for XRP and use the token for payments across its network, expanding real-world crypto utility.

Rakuten Wallet also introduced XRP spot trading and payment functionality, enabling conversions directly through its mobile app.

Users can spend XRP at more than five million merchant locations in Japan via QR code payments linked to Rakuten’s retail ecosystem.

Rakuten’s 44 million active users and more than three trillion loyalty points—worth roughly $23 billion—create a large potential pool of capital that could flow into XRP. Following the announcement the XRP price was up at $1.40.

The development marks a shift towards integrating crypto into everyday consumer rewards systems, positioning XRP as a payments-focused digital asset.

XRP has a market capitalisation of $84.42 billion with 62 billion tokens in circulation, placing it among the largest cryptocurrencies globally.

At the time of reporting, XRP price was $1.40.