October 28, 2026, brought a Federal Reserve rate decision, expanded access to Ripple’s stablecoin, and the commercial launch of DTCC’s tokenization service. Other announcements covered institutional custody technology, Stellar’s tokenization ecosystem, and a new foundation backed by Tether.
Fed Keeps Interest Rates at 3.75% to 4%
The Federal Reserve left its benchmark interest-rate range unchanged at 3.75% to 4%, with officials approving the decision by a 10–2 vote. Lisa Cook and Beth Hammack dissented, favoring a quarter-percentage-point increase as inflation remained elevated. Bitcoin traded around $81,000 shortly after the announcement.
Coinbase Opens RLUSD Access Across Three Platforms
Ripple and Coinbase announced that retail and institutional customers can now trade and manage RLUSD through Coinbase’s retail app, Exchange, and Prime service. The rollout includes dollar-for-dollar conversion from U.S. dollars and supported dollar stablecoins, alongside deposits and withdrawals on the XRP Ledger, Base, and Ethereum. Support for Coinbase Global Exchange, including using RLUSD as collateral, is planned for a later stage.
DTCC’s Securities Tokenization Service Goes Live
DTCC launched a service allowing eligible participants to create blockchain representations of securities held at its DTC subsidiary while retaining the underlying ownership rights and investor protections. Canton and DTCC’s private Besu network are the initial supported blockchains. Twenty firms, including JPMorgan, Citi, and Morgan Stanley, have signed agreements to access the service, with additional participants to be onboarded progressively.
Securitize Plans to Bring Its Infrastructure to Stellar
Securitize announced plans to connect its tokenization infrastructure to Stellar, giving institutional asset managers another network for issuing and managing digital representations of financial assets. The announcement accompanied the Meridian conference in Lisbon. Specific assets and a completion date have yet to be disclosed, so the integration remains a planned expansion.
Google Details Crypto Security Service in Private Preview
Google disclosed details of Google Multi-Party Compute in an October 28 CoinDesk report, describing a system intended to help institutions secure cryptocurrencies and tokenized assets. The technology distributes signing credentials across separate environments, and Google said several financial institutions are testing it while Alphabet uses it for assets on Ethereum and Solana. Commercial availability is planned for early 2027; the service currently remains in private preview.
Ripple Forecasts a $900 Million Product Revenue Run Rate
Ripple said in an October 28 business update that it expects to finish 2026 at an annualized product revenue pace of $900 million. The company also reported serving more than 1,700 institutions, businesses, and enterprises, with a threefold increase this year in customers and partners using multiple Ripple solutions. The $900 million figure describes the anticipated year-end revenue pace rather than revenue already earned during 2026.
Tether and Industry Partners Launch FASE Foundation
Tether announced the launch of the Swiss nonprofit FASE Foundation alongside organizations including Kraken, Chainalysis, Anchorage Digital, and the Solana Foundation. Its initial programs focus on scam prevention, support for trafficking survivors, and exploring stablecoin-based humanitarian assistance with Prosper Global. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime will provide technical advice to the foundation.