Day: March 12, 2026

The Honest Number Behind AI Agent Payments: a16z

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Payment transaction volumes among artificial intelligence agents are more than 90% lower than reports suggest, but crypto giants are pouring billions into building the infrastructure around it. AI agents are starting to buy things, but “the numbers are inconsistent,” Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) partner Noah Levine wrote in an X post on Wednesday. He said a Bloomberg article on Saturday reported that AI agents made $24 million in payments over a 30-day period, citing data from x402.org. Levine said that data from Allium Labs shows there have been roughly $3 million…

Bank of England Signals Flexibility on Sterling Stablecoin Holding Limits

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Bank of England Deputy Governor Sarah Breeden told UK lawmakers that the central bank is open to alternative ways to manage stablecoin risks other than imposing holding limits. Speaking before the House of Lords Financial Services Regulation Committee on Wednesday, Breeden said the proposed holding limits are designed to prevent a mass migration of deposits from banks into stablecoins, arguing it could curtail lending and reduce credit availability for businesses and households. “We are genuinely open to other ways of achieving the objective. I think you’ve heard from other people…

OP Labs cuts 20 employees as Ethereum L2 developer narrows strategic focus

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OP Labs, the development company behind the Ethereum layer 2 network Optimism, has let go of 20 employees as part of an organizational restructuring aimed at narrowing its strategic priorities and streamlining decision-making processes. “This is not about finances,” OP Labs CEO Jing Wang said in a note. “OP Labs is well capitalized with years of runway. This is about doing fewer things well, making decisions faster, and reducing coordination overhead.” The company said that it plans to support departing employees with severance, healthcare continuation, and help them find new…

Kalshi Preemptively Sues Iowa to Defend Sports Contracts

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Prediction market Kalshi has sued regulators in the US state of Iowa, claiming it did so as there was a risk of an impending enforcement action over its sports event contracts. Kalshi sued Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, along with the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission and its board, in an Iowa federal court on Wednesday, claiming there “is a substantial risk” Bird would bring enforcement action to block the company’s event contracts. In its complaint, Kalshi said a company representative met with Bird for what was believed to be…

Stablecoin Yields will Bring Fresh Money to US Banks: Patrick Witt

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Stablecoin yield providers will inject more capital into the US banking system, argues White House Council of Advisors for Digital Assets executive director Patrick Witt, amid debate over whether stablecoin yields will draw deposits away.  “Foreigners exchange local currency for stablecoins from a US-based issuer,” Witt said in an X post on Wednesday, adding that “global demand for USD is massive.” “That is net new capital entering the American banking system,” Witt said. Most US stablecoin issuers hold US dollars or US Treasuries to back each token issued. Banking and…

Dogecoin (DOGE) Pullback Sparks Tension — Will Support Hold?

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Aayush Jindal, a luminary in the world of financial markets, whose expertise spans over 15 illustrious years in the realms of Forex and cryptocurrency trading. Renowned for his unparalleled proficiency in providing technical analysis, Aayush is a trusted advisor and senior market expert to investors worldwide, guiding them through the intricate landscapes of modern finance with his keen insights and astute chart analysis. From a young age, Aayush exhibited a natural aptitude for deciphering complex systems and unraveling patterns. Fueled by an insatiable curiosity for understanding market dynamics, he embarked…

Metaplanet Expands Bitcoin Strategy with New Venture Firm

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Bitcoin-buying company Metaplanet has established a new venture firm, Metaplanet Ventures, to support Bitcoin ecosystem development in Japan, as the country looks to recognize Bitcoin as a regulated financial asset within the next two years. Metaplanet said on Thursday that Metaplanet Ventures K.K. will be tasked with funding, incubating and scaling companies that build regulated Bitcoin financial infrastructure, particularly those that strengthen Japan’s domestic ecosystem and make it a stronger competitor internationally. Metaplanet said it is expanding its Bitcoin strategy on the expectation that Bitcoin (BTC) will be reclassified as…

XRP Price Reversal Gathers Speed, Downside Pressure Intensifies

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Aayush Jindal, a luminary in the world of financial markets, whose expertise spans over 15 illustrious years in the realms of Forex and cryptocurrency trading. Renowned for his unparalleled proficiency in providing technical analysis, Aayush is a trusted advisor and senior market expert to investors worldwide, guiding them through the intricate landscapes of modern finance with his keen insights and astute chart analysis. From a young age, Aayush exhibited a natural aptitude for deciphering complex systems and unraveling patterns. Fueled by an insatiable curiosity for understanding market dynamics, he embarked…

MediaTek Patches Bug Allowing Attackers To Steal Crypto Seeds

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Mobile phone chipmaker MediaTek patched a vulnerability affecting its chipsets in January that could have allowed an attacker to steal crypto seed phrases on affected devices using just a USB cable and the right software.  The flaw was discovered by Ledger’s white-hat security team, Donjon, who had shared the vulnerability with MediaTek before a patch was rolled out on Jan. 5, though users who have not installed the latest security patches are advised to do so, said Ledger.  Test device compromised in 45 seconds According to Ledger, the flaw came…