Stablecoins Could Power Global Payments: Druckenmiller

Billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller said blockchain and stablecoins may only be a decade away from powering the global payments system — though he isn’t sold on the idea of crypto functioning as a store of value. In an interview with Morgan Stanley recorded on Jan. 30 and released on Friday, the former hedge fund manager said blockchain-based tokens — particularly stablecoins — boost productivity in the payments space: “Blockchain and the use of stablecoins, if you want to throw crypto into that, tokens, incredibly useful in terms of productivity,” Druckenmiller…

Circle Stock Surges as Stablecoins Expand; Canaan Boosts Bitcoin Holdings

A selloff in both Wall Street and crypto markets hasn’t slowed Circle’s relentless rise. The stablecoin issuer’s stock has more than doubled since early February, with Bernstein analysts expecting further gains as stablecoins continue expanding beyond crypto’s more speculative use cases. The technology is already moving deeper into traditional finance. UK insurance giant Aon recently piloted stablecoin payments for insurance premiums with Coinbase and Paxos, a move that could make cross-border premium payments faster and more efficient. Elsewhere, Bitcoin (BTC) miner Canaan is taking a contrarian approach to treasury management,…

Bank of England Comes Around on Stablecoins

The Bank of England’s (BOE) position on stablecoins is evolving to a more friendly stance, but according to the bank’s deputy governor, constructive dialogue with the industry is still lacking. The UK’s central bank launched a consultation on stablecoins in November last year. Some of the proposed requirements drew the ire of crypto industry representatives, who claimed they could stifle innovation.  Over the past few months, the bank has been working with industry groups to develop its stance on stablecoins. These include revising backing requirements and rethinking account limits.  Some…

Tether Backs Ark Labs in $5.2M Round to Expand Stablecoins on Bitcoin

Tether’s investment arm has invested in Ark Labs, the developer of the programmable Bitcoin infrastructure Arkade, as part of a $5.2 million funding round to expand stablecoin capabilities on the Bitcoin network. According to Thursday’s announcement from Ark Labs, the investment is intended to support infrastructure that enables stablecoins such as USDT (USDT) to be issued, transferred and settled more efficiently on Bitcoin (BTC). The Lugano, Switzerland-based startup is developing an execution layer designed to support instant and programmable transactions on Bitcoin. The funding round brings the company’s total funding…

Stablecoins Are Becoming Crypto’s Largest Wasted Resource

Opinion by: Artemiy Parshakov, vice-president of Institutions at P2P.org Stablecoins sit at the center of the digital asset economy, functioning as the de facto cash layer for onchain markets. With over $300 billion now held in stablecoins, they often exceed the transaction volumes of many traditional payment networks. Yet most of this capital is static. Across exchanges, wallets and corporate treasuries, stablecoin balances largely remain idle. Public datasets from DeFiLlama, Glassnode and others all suggest that a significant stablecoin supply remains inactive for months at a time. This is not a…

FDIC Chair Says no Deposit Insurance for Stablecoins under GENIUS Act

Travis Hill, chair of the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), confirmed that, in his opinion, a law passed in July would not give the agency the authority to guarantee stablecoin deposits.  In remarks prepared for the American Bankers Association (ABA) Washington Summit on Wednesday, Hill said that under rules for the stablecoin payments bill, the GENIUS Act, the FDIC would not allow the government to guarantee deposits once the law was fully implemented. Similarly, stablecoin issuers would be prohibited from representing that the digital assets were FDIC insured, and…

Circle Stock Surges As Bernstein Sees Upside From Stablecoins

Circle Internet Financial is among Wall Street’s best-performing stocks so far in 2026, and analysts at Bernstein believe the rally could continue as stablecoin adoption accelerates. In a recent note to clients, Bernstein reiterated its “Outperform” rating on CRCL stock and set a $190 price target, which typically reflects analysts’ expectations for a stock over the next 12 months. Despite a volatile end to 2025, Circle shares appear to have decoupled from the broader cryptocurrency market, which has been under pressure since October following a major leveraged liquidation event. Since…

UK Lords Press Coinbase on Stablecoins, KYC and Bank‑Run Risks

The United Kingdom House of Lords grilled Coinbase’s top international policy executive on Wednesday over whether stablecoins would drain bank deposits and add new risks to the UK financial system, pressing him on everything from Silicon Valley Bank‑style runs to illicit finance and Know Your Customer (KYC) rules.  During the Lords’ stablecoins inquiry, Tom Duff Gordon, Coinbase’s vice president for international policy, insisted that fully reserved, regulated stablecoins were “safer than uninsured bank deposits” because they are backed one‑to‑one by cash and high‑quality government securities and can be redeemed at…

ECB Flags Stablecoins as a Growing Risk to Bank Lending

The European Central Bank said increasing stablecoin use may pull money out of bank deposits and weaken the way monetary policy flows through to lending, according to a new ECB working paper. Growing adoption of stablecoins, which are digital assets often pegged to currencies such as the US dollar or euro, is expected to draw funds away from traditional bank deposits, the ECB said in its latest working paper series, “Stablecoins and Monetary Policy Transmission,” released Tuesday. “Our analysis shows that rising interest in stablecoins is linked to a measurable…

Bitcoin Treasury Pressure Mounts as Stablecoins Gain Strength

After months of sliding digital asset prices, public companies that embraced Bitcoin (BTC) as a treasury strategy are facing renewed scrutiny. Activist investors are now challenging those balance-sheet bets, echoing broader concerns about the volatility and long-term viability of the corporate Bitcoin model. Stablecoins, meanwhile, continue to anchor the market. Circle posted a stronger-than-expected fourth quarter, even as early signs of a so-called “crypto winter” began to surface.  However, not every payments player is sharing in that momentum. PayPal’s push into digital assets, including the launch of its PayPal USD…