Ripple Drops $25M RLUSD Bomb on Education—Because Stablecoins Solve Everything Now
Ripple’s latest play? Flooding US schools with its new RLUSD stablecoin—because apparently blockchain fixes underfunded textbooks and teacher salaries. The $25M commitment marks one of crypto’s biggest education bets to date.
Will it move the needle? Maybe. Will it generate headlines for Ripple’s stablecoin rollout? Absolutely. Because nothing says ’philanthropy’ like a thinly-veiled marketing ploy wrapped in blockchain buzzwords.
Bonus jab: At least they didn’t try paying teachers in XRP—those bags are heavy enough already.
Ripple has pledged $25 million to support US classroom projects, students, and innovation in the education sector. The grant to education non-profits DonorsChoose and Teach for America is in Ripple’s U.S.-dollar pegged stablecoin RLUSD.
Ripple Spends RLUSD On American Education
On May 5, Ripple announced a $25 million donation to two U.S. education non-profit organizations. The grant will be processed through the crypto charity intermediary service, The Giving Block.
The initiative seeks to address educational resource gaps, as 55% of US parents and adults report dissatisfaction with the quality of K–12 education in the United States, Ripple said, citing a 2024 Gallup survey.
With the donation, Ripple aims to provide resources that enhance academic outcomes, boost economic resilience, and help young Americans and educators flourish in a fast-changing job market.
“Ripple has always championed financial and educational access for all, and we’re partnering with some of the most impactful organizations — DonorsChoose and Teach For America — to benefit thousands of classrooms across the US,” Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse quipped.
The lion’s share of the funding will be transferred in the RLUSD stablecoin, making this one of the first large-scale nonprofit partnerships using a crypto-based stablecoin. Ripple rolled out its USD-pegged stablecoin in late 2024 to boost its payment infrastructure and rival existing stablecoins like Tether’s USDT and Circle’s USDC. According to Ripple, using the stablecoin makes it possible to send money faster and more efficiently.
The donation will back a series of efforts, including classroom projects, teacher requests during Teacher Appreciation Week, Teach For America’s Ignite tutoring program, and a national STEM Innovation Challenge.
Teach For America CEO Aneesh Sohoni described Ripple’s support as “transformative,” adding that the funds will allow the NGO to extend its “Ignite Tutoring Fellows program, drive innovation in our Reinvention Lab, and provide crucial financial assistance” to prepare teachers.
Notably, charitable donations are not new in the cryptosphere. In March, Binance co-founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao donated 1,000 BNB to the earthquake disaster relief effort in Thailand and Myanmar.
