In a now-deleted social media post, ZachXBT questioned Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin, arguing that it lacked an authentic user base and relied on paid partnerships to create the illusion of organic growth.
However, an XRP supporter responded to ZachXBT’s critique, arguing that RLUSD is being actively used within Ripple’s payment network, which is integrated with millions of merchants via AEON and AlchemyPay.
The supporter noted that while Ripple, like other major projects, pays for partnerships to drive growth, this strategy should not be mistaken for non-organic adoption.
“Ripple pays for partnerships just like literally every major stablecoin project does. That’s not non ‘organic’ adoption, that’s how scaling works in this space.”
Launched in December 2024, RLUSD is a US dollar-pegged digital asset issued under a New York trust license. It is backed by cash reserves and short-term US Treasurys, offering a regulatory-compliant option designed for global transactions.
Meanwhile, ZachXBT’s criticism extended to Circle’s USDC, the second-largest stablecoin by market capitalization.
The on-chain investigator alleged that North Korean IT operatives use the token to move illicit funds. He criticized Circle for failing to detect and freeze suspicious activity, despite its claims of having strict compliance protocols.
Meanwhile, this is not the first time ZachXBT has criticized the USDC stablecoin issuer.