Tag: Stablecoins

France Pushes Tighter Curbs on Dollar Stablecoins and Self-Custody Wallets

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French officials are pushing for tighter oversight of crypto from two directions, as a Bank of France official called for stricter limits on non-euro stablecoins under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), and lawmakers in Paris advanced a separate reporting requirement for some self-custody holdings. Denis Beau, First Deputy Governor of the Bank of France, delivered a speech at the EUROFI High Level Seminar in March, calling on the EU to restrict the use of stablecoins for payments, particularly those pegged to non-euro currencies. Published on the Bank…

South Korea Eyes FX Oversight for Stablecoins in Draft Bill

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South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party is reportedly preparing a draft bill that would classify stablecoins as foreign exchange payment instruments and require tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) to be backed by assets held in trust.  Citing an integrated draft of the proposed Digital Asset Basic Act, the Seoul Economic Daily reported on Wednesday that stablecoins used in cross-border transactions would be treated as “means of payment” under the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, placing related businesses under oversight even without separate registration. The draft bill would also require issuers of tokenized RWAs…

Stablecoins dominate crypto trading volumes amid geopolitical tensions

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Stablecoins now lead crypto trading volumes, showing a shift towards safer assets amid geopolitical tensions. Bitcoin’s odds of reaching $100,000 by June 30 face pressure, with current market sentiment skeptical. The focus on stablecoins indicates a risk-off environment, as investors prioritize safety over volatility. This trend could affect Bitcoin’s price targets, especially with odds for exceeding $100,000 by June 30 under scrutiny. Geopolitical tensions involving the US, Russia, Iran, and Venezuela drive the use of stablecoins as financial workarounds. The stablecoin surge suggests reliance on digital dollars to bypass traditional…

Stablecoins Dominate Crypto Trading as Retail Activity Drops: CEX.io

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Stablecoins were a rare bright spot in an otherwise subdued crypto market in the first quarter, with supply growth and transaction activity pointing to sustained demand even as broader market conditions weakened. Total stablecoin supply increased by roughly $8 billion to a record $315 billion in Q1, according to data from CEX.IO. Although this marked the slowest pace of expansion since Q4 of 2023, it still represented growth during a period when the wider crypto market contracted. The data suggests investors rotated into stablecoins as a defensive strategy, boosting their…

Base outlines 2026 roadmap focused on global markets, stablecoins, and builders

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Base has outlined its 2026 strategy, positioning itself as infrastructure for a global onchain economy built around tokenized assets, stablecoin payments, and developer-driven growth. The roadmap builds on momentum from 2025, when Base processed more than $17 trillion in stablecoin volume across 26 currencies and 17 countries, expanded its app presence to over 140 countries, and funded more than 50 teams through its Base Batches program. The network also emerged as a leading venue for Bitcoin spot trading onchain, reflecting rising demand for crypto native market infrastructure. Base frames the…

OpenFX Raises $94M to Speed Cross-Border FX Payments with Stablecoins

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OpenFX, a fintech startup focused on foreign exchange and remittances, raised $94 million in a Series A funding round to expand its stablecoin-based payments network. The round included Accel, Atomico, Lightspeed Faction, M13, Northzone and Pantera. The company said it plans to use the funds to increase liquidity, enter new markets and expand operations in Southeast Asia and Latin America. “The global FX market processes more than $200 trillion annually, yet the core settlement infrastructure remains largely unchanged from decades ago,” founder Prabhakar Reddy said, adding that he launched OpenFX…

Stablecoins Will Be Crypto’s “ChatGPT Moment,” Says Ripple

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Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse said stablecoins will be the crypto sector’s “ChatGPT moment” for businesses in search of faster, more efficient payments, and that many companies are already discussing and strategizing how to implement stablecoins into their operations. “You have boards of directors and CEOs of companies, whether it’s Fortune 500 or Fortune 2000, they’re asking their treasurers, they’re asking their CFOs, hey, what are we doing with stablecoins,” Garlinghouse told FOX Business on Friday. “Giving the treasurer and the CFO that option is the unlock,” he said.  Garlinghouse said…

Here is Why AI and Stablecoins Defy Crypto Market Weakness in 2026

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AI and stablecoin sectors continued to grow amid broader market weakness in 2026, showing remarkable resilience driven by the “strongest structural tailwinds,” a new analysis shows.  Key takeaways: AI sector posts smallest loss in Q1/2026, down just 14%. Stablecoin market cap hits a record $320 billion, with monthly transaction volumes at a record $1.8 trillion. AI and stablecoin sectors buck the trend Bitcoin (BTC) trades 18.5% lower in 2026, the total crypto market capitalization has slipped to $2.42 trillion, while most altcoins are lagging, as fear and uncertainty surrounding the US…

ECB Says Stablecoins and Tokenized Deposits Need Central Bank Money

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Tokenized deposits and stablecoins need tokenized central bank money as a public settlement anchor if Europe’s tokenized financial markets are to scale, Piero Cipollone, a member of the European Central Bank’s Executive Board, said on Monday. Cipollone pointed to Pontes, the Eurosystem’s distributed ledger technology (DLT) settlement initiative, which is designed to connect market DLT platforms with the Eurosystem’s TARGET Services and provide settlement in central bank money. “Without tokenised central bank money, a seller of a tokenised security may receive payment in an asset they are not comfortable holding…

Stablecoins to Replace Old FX Rails, but Off-Ramps Remain a Chokepoint

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Stablecoins are gaining traction in high-cost cross-border payment corridors in emerging markets as they reduce some of the inefficiencies of legacy foreign exchange (FX) infrastructure, according to research firm Delphi Digital. Stablecoins are emerging as the cheapest alternative to move US dollars in emerging economies due to the high costs of legacy FX corridors, which can reach up to 8% in combined fees when sending money to Argentina or Nigeria.  Delphi said in a Monday article on X that 81% of the cost in those corridors comes from servicing the…