Ripple has finalized the acquisition of Standard Custody and Metaco, marking two major acquisitions in approximately one year. Jack McDonald has been appointed as the Senior Vice President of Stablecoins and will lead Ripple’s stablecoin initiatives while continuing as CEO of Standard Custody. Ripple plans to bring its stablecoin to market later this year. Additionally, Ripple has introduced the XRPL EVM Sidechain, bringing Ethereum Virtual Machine compatibility to the XRP Ledger, which enhances interoperability and unlocks new opportunities in DeFi and RWA. Axelar has been announced as the exclusive bridge protocol for this new sidechain. Ripple's CEO also unveiled the name of their upcoming stablecoin, RLUSD.