Over the past two weeks, stablecoins and fintech have moved in lockstep toward the future of programmable money. Stripe led the charge — applying for U.S. federal and state banking licenses, launching Open Issuance, a self‑service stablecoin issuance tool for enterprises, and unveiling ACP, an open payments standard for AI commerce with OpenAI. Together, these moves redefine payments from human‑machine interfaces to intelligent interfaces.

The timing makes sense. Stablecoins are no longer peripheral — they’re moving into the core of global finance. Visa is building the core infrastructure for on‑chain finance, bridging banks with the $670 B stablecoin credit market and enhancing enterprise cross‑border payments, Anchorage Digital now connects crypto and fiat accounts via wire transfers, Fiserv and the Bank of North Dakota piloted a state‑backed coin, and Swift is running distributed‑ledger settlement trials with 30 banks. As legacy systems anchor themselves on‑chain, the old PSP arbitrage model quickly loses ground — and Stripe’s advance positioning reads as a pre‑emptive bet on this structural shift.

When arbitrage fades, competition returns to fundamentals — innovation and user value. A new wave of fintech builders is diving vertically: Fasset is rolling out Sharia‑compliant yield‑free crypto products, Crown (Brazil) fuses local sovereign bond returns with blockchain efficiency for institutional non‑USD yield, while Daylight extends stablecoin income flows into sustainable energy and community‑owned RWA models.

The rails are being rebuilt — smarter, faster, and globally composable.

Market Overview & Growth Highlights

Total stablecoin market cap reached $307.124b, with a week-over-week increase of $2.814b. In terms of market structure, USDT continues to maintain its dominant position at 59.09%; USDC ranks second with a market cap of $75.67b, accounting for 24.64%.

Blockchain Network Distribution

Top 3 Networks by Stablecoin Market Cap:

1. Ethereum: $162.294b

2. Tron: $78.349b

3. Solana: $15.646b

Top 3 Networks by Weekly Growth:

1. crvUSD (crvUSD) : +134%

2. Global Dollar (USDG) : +25.63%

3. Ripple USD (RLUSD) : +6.56%

Data from DefiLlama

🎯Bridge, Coinbase, and Sony Apply for U.S. Trust Bank Charters as Stablecoin Issuers Accelerate Their “Federalization” Strategy

Bridge (acquired by Stripe), Connectia Trust, a subsidiary of Sony Bank, and Coinbase have almost simultaneously filed applications with the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to obtain national trust bank charters. Alongside earlier applicants such as Circle, Ripple, and Paxos, a clear race is now forming around securing a “federal license.” Since the passage of the GENIUS Act, applying for an OCC charter has become the default move for stablecoin issuers aiming to anchor themselves within the U.S. regulatory perimeter.

At its core, this license allows these firms to move from fragmented state-by-state supervision to direct federal oversight. Once approved, they can operate nationwide while locking in a compliant channel ahead of the GENIUS Act’s formal implementation—positioning themselves as the first generation of federally chartered stablecoin banks.

Yet, holding a trust bank license does not automatically mean that Circle can directly custody all USDC reserves. Under OCC regulations governing proprietary trading and trust bank operations, institutions are prohibited from investing in or disposing of their own or affiliated assets, and trust funds cannot be used for related-party transactions. This means that Circle’s trust entity—First National Digital Currency Bank, N.A.—is legally barred from directly holding USDC reserves, which would otherwise be treated as proprietary dealing.

The GENIUS Act further compounds this constraint. It requires stablecoin reserves to include cash, typically held as demand deposits at FDIC‑insured commercial banks. But national trust banks are explicitly prohibited from taking demand deposits, narrowing Circle’s ability to directly manage reserve cash even further.

In practice, even with full licensing, stablecoin issuers will still need to rely on traditional custodians such as BNY Mellon or BlackRock to manage portions of their assets. The difference is in positioning: with trust bank credentials, these issuers move from being “custody clients” to “regulatory coordinators,” stepping one layer higher in the value chain. Banks, on the other hand, are not retreating from the stablecoin ecosystem. Instead, they are redefining their role as the core custodial and settlement anchors of the digital‑dollar system—providing the infrastructure of safety and trust that underpins it. Citi plans to launch crypto‑asset custody services by 2026, while BNY Mellon is positioning itself as an institutional hub connecting cash, collateral, and market infrastructure, continuing to act as the foundation for stablecoin operations in the crucial domains of cash custody and Treasury settlement.

From a longer‑term perspective, the strategic value of a trust bank license lies in creating a direct pathway to a Federal Reserve master account. Access to FedWire, the Fed’s real‑time gross settlement system, would enable issuers to settle dollar transactions within the Federal Reserve network itself, effectively eliminating intermediary reliance on commercial banks. Historically, stablecoin reserves have been held through commercial banking partners, which introduced liquidity, timing, and credit risks whenever redemption activity spiked. Direct FedWire access transforms this process—making the exchange between fiat dollars and stablecoins instantaneous, transparent, and auditable.

In essence, this development embeds the “dollar side” of stablecoins into the core layer of U.S. financial infrastructure. Reserve assets would move off commercial bank balance sheets and anchor directly within the Fed’s settlement network. For issuers like Bridge, the shift represents more than improved efficiency—it signifies the elevation of stablecoins from commercial‑bank instruments to central‑bank‑adjacent settlement assets, integrating them into the heart of the American financial system.

🎯Stripe and OpenAI Define the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), Establishing an Open Standard for Agent‑Driven Commerce

Over the past two weeks, a series of high‑impact events have reshaped the stablecoin landscape—and Stripe has been at the center of it all. In rapid succession, the fintech giant has launched its Open Issuance platform, announced the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) in partnership with OpenAI, and introduced instant checkout functionality within ChatGPT. Meanwhile, to align with the U.S. Stablecoin Regulation Act, Stripe is applying for both a federal trust bank charter (OCC) and a New York State trust license (NYDFS). Taken together, these moves form the clearest blueprint yet of Stripe’s evolution into the commercial infrastructure provider for the AI era.

Among these initiatives, the release of the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) stands out as the most strategically significant. Co‑developed with OpenAI, ACP establishes a universal language and open standard for commerce powered by AI agents. Its first implementation is the instant checkout feature in ChatGPT, allowing users to complete a purchase directly within the chat interface—no redirects, no page reloads. Etsy is the initial integration partner, with Glossier, Vuori, Spanx, and other Shopify‑ecosystem brands slated to follow. Through ACP, shopping becomes a native behavior within conversational interfaces, and Stripe is attempting to define this new, agent‑centric commercial paradigm.

At the heart of ACP is the Shared Payment Token (SPT)—a one‑time encrypted token with transactional, temporal, and scope‑based limits that supports tracking and revocation. After a user grants authorization, an AI agent uses a bank card, PIX, or a stablecoin to generate an SPT. The agent never touches real card data; instead, it transmits the token to the merchant to complete payment—a structure that is operable but non‑exposable. This tokenization model reduces the compliance footprint for both merchants and AI agents by narrowing PCI‑DSS applicability while maintaining regulated service provider involvement for token creation and authorization. Stripe Radar oversees fraud risk, and dynamic tokenization enhances both transaction privacy and user experience.

Strategically, ACP serves as a common commercial language linking AI platforms, merchants, and payment networks. Its guiding principle is agnosticism—platform‑agnostic, merchant‑agnostic, and processor‑agnostic. Merchants integrate once and gain access to any compliant AI platform; AI platforms can transact with any ACP‑ready merchant; payment providers can plug in freely, not limited to Stripe’s stack. This open architecture drastically reduces integration costs and accelerates commerce network expansion.

Beneath this open‑protocol narrative lies Stripe’s deeper thesis: the center of gravity on the internet is shifting—from websites and search to AI‑driven conversational interfaces. Traffic itself is being redefined: no longer measured in page views but generated dynamically by user intent and real‑time actions. The key to capturing this new market is not controlling pages but controlling the protocol that governs intent‑driven transactions. ACP is that protocol. It allows platforms, merchants, and payment providers to coordinate under one interoperable standard, while Stripe positions itself at the protocol layer’s core—as the transactional language of AI commerce.

This new layer reshapes the economic incentives of digital business. AI platforms gain monetization opportunities through transaction participation; merchants access higher‑conversion intent channels; and payment networks that refuse to adopt the standard face progressive marginalization. With ChatGPT’s in‑session conversion rate reportedly 6.8× higher than Google organic search, conversational AI is emerging as the next commercial frontier. Through ACP, Stripe completes its transformation from payment gateway to commerce infrastructure fabric.

In this landscape, AI agents become the new front‑end—ephemeral, generative, transactional browsers. Behind them, Stripe orchestrates the machine layer of global commerce:

• ACP defines the standard,

• Tempo powers clearing and settlement,

• Link manages identity,

• Bridge connects issuance and cross‑border flows, and

• Radar enforces risk and fraud intelligence.

Together, these components form Stripe’s operating system for agentic commerce, embedding the company deeply in the transactional backbone of the AI‑driven internet.

Regulatory Compliance

🏛 The OCC has granted preliminary conditional approval to Erebor Bank, a new institution backed by Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund and Haun Ventures, targeting clients in the crypto and AI sectors. Founded in 2025 by Palmer Luckey and Joe Lonsdale, Erebor aims to serve the innovation economy left underserved after Silicon Valley Bank’s 2023 collapse. OCC Chief Counsel Jonathan Gould called it the first such approval under his tenure, signaling that the regulator no longer blocks digital‑asset‑focused banks. The move reflects a broader U.S. regulatory shift under the Trump administration, as traditional banking and frontier technologies increasingly converge.

🏛 Sony Bank’s subsidiary Connectia Trust has applied to the U.S. OCC for a national crypto‑bank charter, seeking authorization to issue a U.S.‑dollar stablecoin, manage reserve assets, and offer digital‑asset custody services. The move places Sony among applicants such as Stripe, Coinbase, Paxos, and Circle, all pursuing crypto‑bank licenses after passage of the GENIUS Act. With the stablecoin market’s capitalization at $312 billion and projected to reach $360 billion by early 2026, Sony’s entry signals mainstream tech’s deepening pivot into digital finance and follows its earlier collaboration with Startale Group on the Ethereum Layer‑2 network Soneiun.

🏛 Fiserv and the Bank of North Dakota plan to launch the state’s first official “Roughrider” stablecoin next year, offering access to local banks and credit unions. Built on the FIUSD digital‑asset platform, the token aims for future interoperability with other stablecoins, drawing its name from President Theodore Roosevelt’s famed “Rough Riders.” Following Wyoming’s state‑backed token debut in August, North Dakota joins the wave of asset‑backed issuers pursuing real‑world integrations. Coming just a month after the federal stablecoin law’s enactment, this initiative underscores how state‑led innovation is accelerating America’s shift toward instant, interoperable, and borderless digital payments.

🏛The Bank of England (BoE) is preparing to introduce exemptions to proposed stablecoin holding limits, allowing institutions such as crypto exchanges to maintain larger balances when necessary. It will also permit the use of stablecoins for settlements within its Digital Securities Sandbox, expanding real‑world testing opportunities. Earlier proposals capped holdings at £10,000–£20,000 for individuals and £10 million for firms, drawing criticism from the digital‑asset industry. The move signals a more pragmatic stance as the BoE seeks to balance oversight with competitiveness, aligning the UK more closely with stablecoin regulatory trends in the U.S. and Hong Kong.

🏛 Over 250,000 letters have been sent by Stand With Crypto members urging U.S. senators to protect stablecoin yield rights amid intensifying lobbying from Wall Street banks. The campaign pushes back against efforts to amend the GENIUS Act to bar issuers and affiliates from offering returns, which banks fear could divert funds from deposits and money‑market accounts. While the Act already prohibits issuers from paying interest directly, it allows affiliated platforms some flexibility. The surge in advocacy underscores a growing power struggle between traditional finance and crypto, as the GENIUS Act’s final implementation will define the future landscape of U.S. stablecoin yield markets.

🏛 The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has postponed the implementation of crypto‑asset prudential standards for banks from January 2026 to early 2027, following industry feedback on competitiveness and fairness under Basel‑based classifications. The updated rules will require banks to hold capital reserves tied to crypto‑asset risk levels, with the most volatile assets facing capital buffers up to 1,250%. The delay reflects MAS’s effort to balance financial stability with innovation, as Web3 investments account for 64% of Singapore’s fintech funding, highlighting the city‑state’s cautious yet strategic response to global regulatory competition.

🏛 Fasset has secured a temporary banking license in Malaysia to launch the world’s first Shariah‑compliant digital bank built on stablecoins. The bank will offer asset‑backed savings, zero‑interest accounts, and on‑chain global payments, enabling clients to hold deposits and invest in U.S. stocks, gold, and crypto while spending through a forthcoming Visa crypto card. It will also debut “Own,” an Arbitrum‑based Layer‑2 network for regulated asset settlements. Rooted in stablecoin infrastructure, Fasset’s model bypasses interest‑bearing products and enhances capital preservation, bridging Islamic finance principles with blockchain efficiency to broaden financial access across Muslim‑majority markets.

🏛 SEC Chair Paul Atkins confirmed that the agency will initiate formal rule‑making for the Innovation Exemption by late 2025 or early 2026, signaling a decisive end to the prior enforcement‑driven approach. He said crypto remains a top priority as the SEC repositions itself to support innovation and rebuild domestic competitiveness. Together with the GENIUS Act, the exemption aims to form a coherent digital‑asset regulatory framework, giving clarity to builders. Analysts expect it to unlock a wave of stablecoin and tokenization growth across payments, collateral, and capital markets, marking a new phase of U.S. crypto policy maturity.

New Launches

👀 Anchorage Digital, the only federally chartered crypto bank in the U.S., has launched global USD wire services, uniting cash and crypto under one regulated platform. The bank plans to roll out interest‑bearing USD accounts and enable clients to mint stablecoins like PYUSD and USDG with rewards. Following the OCC’s lifting of its consent order in August, Anchorage is expanding into traditional finance while maintaining crypto roots. The move highlights how crypto‑native institutions are evolving into full‑spectrum financial providers for institutional clients.

👀 Coinbase has launched Coinbase Business, an enterprise‑grade USDC payments platform designed to simplify vendor transactions, eliminate chargeback risk, and offer seamless API integration. Corporate users earn 4.1% APY on stored USDC and can withdraw funds anytime via wire or ACH, with accounting sync through CoinTracker, QuickBooks, and Xero to ensure compliance. The platform advances Coinbase’s push beyond trading, integrating AI‑driven agent commerce and its x402 open‑source payment protocol for stablecoin transfers. As Coinbase and Circle share USDC revenue equally, the move strengthens both transaction volume and positioning in the emerging machine‑to‑machine payments economy.

👀 Cloudflare has partnered with Visa, Mastercard, and American Express to lay the payment rails for autonomous AI agents. Together they’re developing a Trusted Agent Protocol, allowing merchants to authenticate AI commerce bots through Cloudflare’s Web Bot Auth standard. The collaboration extends Cloudflare’s push into machine‑to‑machine payments, following its NET Dollar stablecoin initiative and the x402 Foundation with Coinbase. This marks the foundation of an agentic commerce infrastructure, where AI agents can transact securely and instantly using programmable money—signaling a new layer of trust for the autonomous economy.

👀Jupiter, Solana’s largest DEX, is launching JupUSD, a native stablecoin backed by Ethena Labs. The token will be fully collateralized by Ethena’s USDtb, which draws reserves from BlackRock’s BUIDL fund, with plans to add USDe as a yield‑enhancing secondary asset. Deeply integrated across Jupiter’s perps, lending, and trading platforms, JupUSD anchors the protocol’s evolution from an exchange into a full‑stack financial network. The move strengthens Solana’s stablecoin infrastructure and underscores how leading DEXs are becoming vertically integrated liquidity hubs.

👀 Crypto compliance firm Notabene has launched Flow, a stablecoin payments platform built for high‑value B2B transactions. Flow introduces long‑missing features like payment authorization, invoicing, and dispute resolution, supported by Notabene’s network of 2,000+ regulated entities processing $1.5 trillion annually. Through its Transaction Authorization Protocol (TAP) and collaboration with GLEIF, Flow enables pull‑based, recurring, and coordinated payments—overcoming crypto’s “push‑only” limitation. Arriving as Swift tests blockchain settlement, Flow brings a compliance‑first trust layer to institutional stablecoin payments, signaling intensifying competition in this field.

👀 Aleo Network Foundation and Paxos Labs have unveiled USAD, a privacy‑preserving dollar stablecoin built on Aleo’s zero‑knowledge blockchain. Unlike USDT or USDC, USAD encrypts wallet addresses and transaction values end‑to‑end, addressing institutional concerns over on‑chain data exposure while preserving auditability. Backed by a16z, Coinbase Ventures, and SoftBank, the launch combines Aleo’s privacy layer with Paxos’s stablecoin expertise. Arriving as new federal standards for stablecoins take shape under the GENIUS Act, USAD positions privacy as a regulatory‑aligned foundation for institutional digital money.

Capital Deployment

💰YZi Labs, formerly known as Binance Labs, has led a $50 million seed round for Better Payment Network (BPN), a stablecoin payments firm built on the BNB Chain. BPN integrates both centralized and decentralized finance models to enable real‑time stablecoin minting, swapping, and settlement across jurisdictions. The funding will support development of on‑chain liquidity pools and market‑making systems, targeting emerging markets and cutting cross‑border settlement times from days to hours while lowering costs from 2% to 0.3%. The model offers a viable alternative to USD‑centric payment rails, reinforcing YZi‑linked investments in the expanding stablecoin infrastructure ecosystem.

💰Daylight raised $75 million to expand its decentralized energy network and launch the DayFi protocol, introducing energy‑backed stablecoin yield products. The funding, led by Framework Ventures with project financing from Turtle Hill Capital, will scale home solar and storage deployments under a zero‑upfront‑cost model. Households can sell surplus energy back to the grid and earn Sun Points rewards. By tokenizing electricity revenues into stablecoin yields, Daylight bridges sustainable infrastructure and DeFi. The initiative signals a transition from financial to real‑world‑asset‑backed stablecoins driving inclusive on‑chain economies.

💰Coinbase and Mastercard are in advanced talks to acquire London‑based stablecoin infrastructure firm BVNK in a deal valued between $1.5 billion and $2.5 billion, with Coinbase currently leading negotiations. Founded in 2021, BVNK offers stablecoin payments, cross‑border transfers, and treasury management, and was last valued at $750 million after a $50 million raise in 2023. If completed, the deal would mark the largest acquisition in the stablecoin sector, surpassing Stripe’s $1.1 billion purchase of Bridge. The bidding reflects how traditional payment networks are repositioning themselves as stablecoins emerge—post‑GENIUS Act—as faster, lower‑cost alternatives to legacy rails.

💰Brazilian fintech Crown has raised $8.1 million in seed funding led by Framework Ventures, with participation from Coinbase Ventures and Paxos, to launch BRLV—a yield‑bearing stablecoin fully backed by Brazilian government bonds. Pegged to the real (BRL), BRLV targets institutional investors, sharing sovereign‑bond yields and positioning Crown as “Brazil’s Circle.” The token offers a low‑friction on‑chain gateway for global capital to access Brazil’s high‑rate environment. By merging local bond yields with blockchain liquidity, Crown showcases how non‑USD stablecoins can drive real‑world‑asset innovation and expand emerging‑market financial infrastructure.

💰Tether and crypto‑finance firm Antalpha have advanced their gold‑backed token strategy with Prestige Wealth—soon to rebrand as Aurelion—becoming the first implementation partner. The Nasdaq‑listed firm raised $150 million, including $100 million in equity and $50 million in debt led by Antalpha, to build a yield‑generating portfolio centered on $1.5 billion in XAUT holdings. The partnership forms a full ecosystem: BTC‑collateralized XAUT lending for miners and a verifiable on‑chain gold asset vault managed by Aurelion. By connecting issuance, financing, and asset management, Tether is constructing a comprehensive infrastructure for tokenized gold and diversified crypto‑treasury solutions.

💰Japanese payment giant PayPay has acquired a 40% stake in Binance Japan, forming a capital and business alliance to bridge digital payments with crypto assets. A SoftBank‑backed company with over 70 million users, PayPay will integrate Binance’s blockchain infrastructure to enable seamless fiat‑to‑crypto transactions. In the initial phase, Binance Japan users can purchase digital assets using PayPay Money and withdraw proceeds directly into their PayPay accounts. The partnership marks a major convergence between Japan’s mainstream payment networks and crypto industry, widening public access to Web3 financial services.

💰Coinflow, a global stablecoin payments platform, has raised $25 million in Series A funding led by Pantera Capital, with participation from Coinbase Ventures, Jump Capital, and others. Revenue has surged 23× in 2024 as the company now supports stablecoin settlements across 170+ countries and processes billions in annual volume. Built on USDC, Coinflow’s infrastructure offers instant settlement, chargeback protection, and AI‑based fraud detection, streamlining traditional cross‑border payments. The new funding will accelerate expansion in Asia and Latin America, signaling the rapid institutionalization of stablecoin payment networks worldwide.

Big Picture

🔮Jesse Pollak, creator of Base, the Coinbase-incubated Layer 2 network, said at Token2049 Singapore that non-USD stablecoins are the crypto industry’s “missing piece,” as 99% of on-chain economic activity remains dollar-denominated. Base processed around 81 billion stablecoin transactions last month, with $1.5 trillion in volume, and now supports 12 local currency stablecoins spanning the Indonesian Rupiah, Turkish Lira, and Brazilian Real. Coinbase and Base have also introduced Singapore-dollar and Australian-dollar stablecoins, while the Base App super-app, focused on the creator economy, already counts 1.2 million waitlist users. This shift signals a move toward multi-currency crypto infrastructure, enhancing global accessibility and real-world utility.

🔮Bhutan will migrate its National Digital Identity (NDI) system from Polygon to Ethereum, with full integration expected by Q1 2026, marking a pivotal step in sovereign blockchain adoption. According to Jigme Tenzing, Secretary of the Government Technology Agency, the move to Ethereum will enhance security and resilience for the platform serving 800,000 citizens. Aya Miyaguchi, Executive Director of the Ethereum Foundation, confirmed Bhutan as the first nation to anchor a national digital ID system on Ethereum, announced at a launch event with Vitalik Buterin. The initiative underscores Bhutan’s digital economy agenda, which also includes bitcoin mining—placing the kingdom among the top six sovereign BTC holders worldwide.

Market Adoption

🌱 Walmart‑backed OnePay will add Bitcoin and Ethereum trading and custody to its financial app by year’s end, expanding its digital ecosystem beyond banking and payments. The service, powered by ZeroHash, positions OnePay alongside Venmo, Cash App, and PayPal in offering U.S. users seamless crypto transactions. Founded in 2021 by Walmart and Ribbit Capital, OnePay already provides high‑yield savings, cards, P2P payments, and installment plans. By integrating crypto access across Walmart’s vast customer base, the company strengthens its financial super‑app strategy and extends inclusion for underbanked Americans.

🌱BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, has upgraded its BlackRock Select Treasury Liquidity Fund (BSTBL) to serve GENIUS Act-compliant stablecoin issuers, streamlining management of high-quality liquidity reserves. The move aligns with BlackRock’s expanding digital-asset strategy, which already includes a Bitcoin ETF, an Ethereum ETP, the BUIDL tokenized liquidity fund, and exploratory real-world asset-linked tokens. As the U.S. Treasury consults on GENIUS Act rules, analysts project stablecoin issuance could reach $2 trillion by 2028, up from roughly $300 billion today, reflecting Wall Street’s accelerating push toward on-chain capital markets.

🌱S&P Global Ratings has partnered with Chainlink to bring its stablecoin risk scores on-chain, enabling DeFi protocols and platforms to access real-time stability assessments directly via smart contracts. The 1-to-5 rating model evaluates asset quality, liquidity, redemption mechanisms, regulatory status, and governance, covering stablecoins such as USDT, USDC, and DAI/USDS. The service launches on Base, Ethereum’s Layer 2 network, using Chainlink’s DataLink infrastructure to deliver verified data without new off-chain systems. As the stablecoin market expands from $130 billion to $305 billion, this integration brings traditional financial credibility and risk analytics into DeFi, bridging the on-chain finance world with institutional oversight.

🌱Société Générale’s SG‑FORGE and Austrian exchange Bitpanda are expanding their partnership to introduce the bank’s CoinVertible stablecoins (EURCV and USDCV) into the DeFi ecosystem, marking the first time European retail users can access these regulated assets through Bitpanda’s platform and DeFi wallet. Bitpanda becomes Europe’s first retail broker allowing customers to earn yield using CoinVertible  stablecoins via on‑chain protocols such as Morpho and Uniswap. The collaboration may extend to Bitpanda’s Vision token and upcoming Vision Chain, exploring bridges between traditional finance and Web3. Under the EU MiCA framework, this move embeds bank‑grade stablecoins within decentralized markets, advancing the regulated integration of digital assets and DeFi.

🌱Ten major international banks- Bank of America, Citi,  Goldman Sachs,  Santander,Barclays, BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, MUFG, TD Group, and UBS — have formed a consortium to explore issuing G7‑currency‑pegged stablecoins. The initiative aims to launch 1:1 reserve‑backed digital currencies on public blockchains, combining regulatory compliance with tokenization efficiency. Following the passage of the U.S. GENIUS Act, which established a legal framework for stablecoin issuance, this marks a decisive entry of global banks into digital assets. Standard Chartered  analysts forecast that stablecoins could redirect up to $1 trillion in deposits from emerging‑market banks over the next three years, reflecting the rapid institutional realignment around digital currencies.

🌱Square has unveiled “Square Bitcoin,” a new toolkit enabling U.S. small businesses to accept Bitcoin payments with zero processing fees for the first year and unified management of crypto and traditional finances. The suite includes Bitcoin payments, optional auto-conversion of card sales (up to 50%) into BTC, and a native Bitcoin wallet integrated into the Square Seller platform, launching November 10. With U.S. crypto payments expected to grow 82% from 2024 to 2026, this rollout lowers onboarding barriers for merchants and extends Block’s long-term Bitcoin strategy—bringing digital-currency transactions from crypto enthusiasts to mainstream local businesses.