Webus, Air China Partner for $100M XRP Treasury Strategy, Boosting Blockchain Payments

XRP's latest price was $2.82, up 0.501% in the last 24 hours. This price increase comes as Webus International Ltd. has partnered with Air China to introduce a $100M XRP treasury strategy, aiming to enhance blockchain payments and loyalty solutions for PhoenixMiles' 60 million users. This initiative highlights a major advancement in integrating blockchain technology into mainstream applications, potentially affecting XRP usage and trading volumes with expected implications for the travel industry's payment systems. The joint initiative underscores growing interest in blockchain for large-scale consumer loyalty systems. Webus International Limited has partnered with Air China to launch an XRP treasury strategy. This move aims to incorporate blockchain-powered payments for over 60 million PhoenixMiles members. The partnership leverages a $100M credit facility for its XRP treasury. This strategically integrates Webus' digital asset ecosystem within the airline industry's loyalty programs. "This $100 million facility reflects strong confidence in our long-term XRP strategy." - Nan Zheng, CEO, Webus International Limited. The integration is expected to significantly impact XRP trading volumes and liquidity. It highlights blockchain's potential in mainstream financial systems and has attracted market interest. Financial institutions show increased engagement in blockchain solutions, emphasizing a shift towards digital asset adoption. This collaboration potentially reshapes loyalty programs across industries. Past efforts like VivoPower and Trident Digital’s XRP treasuries paved the way for large-scale corporate adoption. These cases underline the growing trend of crypto treasury expansion. With XRP at the forefront, analysts anticipate enhanced institutional credibility and real-world utility. Such precedents suggest a future where XRP and similar assets gain broader fintech roles. Webus International announced a deal with Air China to reach more than 60 million PhoenixMiles members. Notably, this will set the stage for future XRP payment use in travel and loyalty programs. The partnership linked blockchain settlement with one of China’s largest airlines. In a major update, Webus International confirmed a partnership with Air China, one of the leading airlines in China. The agreement gave Webus direct access to PhoenixMiles, the airline’s loyalty program with over 60 million members. Notably, the move aimed to prepare for XRP-based payments in global travel. By adding blockchain settlement, Webus said it wanted to reduce delays and extra costs often seen in cross-border payments. Using XRP could cut transaction times to seconds and lower expenses for both airlines and passengers. The company said it chose XRP because of its speed and scalability. Airline tickets, loyalty redemptions, and other purchases often require large volumes of transactions. XRP was seen as fit for that scale. Webus also stressed the importance of regulatory approval. The firm said it was working with financial institutions, Ripple’s enterprise network, and regional regulators to make sure its services followed local rules. For Air China, the partnership offered a chance to make PhoenixMiles more competitive. Accepting blockchain payments could attract frequent travelers and create new options for loyalty rewards. It could also support the airline’s broader digital shift. Future plans included expanding XRP payments to other travel services tied to PhoenixMiles. This might include hotels, duty-free shops, and transport providers in Asia and Europe. The news about Webus came as analysts in the XRP community discussed possible changes on the XRPL (XRP Ledger). More importantly, they focused on three technical amendments that could increase interest from banks and funds. The first, called XLS-70, dealt with digital credentials. Wallets would carry proof of compliance with KYC and AML standards, which institutions require. In addition, the second, XLS-80, created permissioned domains. These domains would allow only approved wallets to join specific markets. The third change was the launch of a decentralized exchange. This would let banks and funds trade stablecoins, foreign exchange, and XRP. Analysts said such features might push institutions to hold more XRP in liquidity pools, which could reduce the supply available to retail users. Community voices described this as a possible path toward scarcity, though they noted it would depend on how institutions adopted the tools. The focus was on the link between new technical functions and the broader role of XRP in regulated markets. Ripple Labs, the company tied to XRP’s development, continued to play a role in supporting projects like Webus. Ripple’s network connected financial firms and helped build corridors for faster settlement. Basically, by offering enterprise tools, Ripple allowed companies to test and expand blockchain use while keeping in line with regulations. Webus was one example of how Ripple’s reach supported new partnerships in travel and payments. The combination of new airline links, loyalty program access, and planned ledger upgrades placed the crypto at the center of ongoing discussions. For Webus, the Air China deal was described as an entry point into the travel and hospitality sector. Meanwhile, market participants are of the opinion that this shows how the Ripple network could support firms across industries. Both the partnership and the ledger amendments pointed to one direction: broader exploration of how XRP could fit into regulated markets. Whether through airlines, banks, or funds, XRP was being prepared as a tool for faster, lower-cost settlement across borders. Recent regulatory clarity surrounding XRP has solidified its position within the financial sector, with analysts highlighting significant institutional adoption following the conclusion of the Ripple vs. SEC lawsuit. This resolution is considered a major catalyst for increased utilization and integration of the digital asset. Blockchain analytics identified a substantial movement of XRP tokens, later confirmed to be associated with the Kraken exchange. This transaction, interpreted by market observers as indicative of institutional accumulation, aligns with projections anticipating heightened participation from larger financial entities. Infrastructure development continues to advance, highlighted by Flare Networks' collaboration focused on unlocking decentralized finance (DeFi) utility and yield generation opportunities for XRP. CEO Hugo Philion emphasized the project's objective to significantly enhance XRP's functional capabilities within the evolving DeFi landscape, explicitly stating their commitment to "take XRP to new heights." Further broadening its practical applications, XRP has been integrated into consumer finance via the launch of the XRP Mastercard. This initiative places the digital asset within the extensive global credit card payment network. Concurrently, analysts report an elevated probability, now estimated at 85%, for the approval of a dedicated XRP Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) by October, potentially unlocking substantial institutional investment channels. Signaling enhanced utility, the blockchain ecosystem supporting XRP witnessed expansion through a strategic partnership between XRP Commons and B3 Network. This collaboration integrates a layer-3 solution built upon the Base framework, aiming to introduce gaming applications and related functionalities to the XRP Ledger ecosystem, thereby enriching its real-world use cases.