Industry

Education: Regulated Payment Stablecoins Become a Reality in the U.S.

St Louis Fed

"The Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act was signed into law June 18, establishing a regulatory framework for the issuance and transaction of payment stablecoins in the U.S. The law goes into effect 18 months after enactment (December 2026) or 120 days after the Federal Reserve Board (FRB), the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) and the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) issue final regulations, whichever is earlier. What Is a Payment Stablecoin?"

Industry

How Will AI Agents Pay Each Other Using the X402 Payments Protocol

CFOtech Asia

"Long before anyone imagined AI assistants buying things on our behalf, the internet quietly reserved an error code for online payments. "HTTP 402: Payment Required" was included in early web standards in the 1990s, intended for future digital commerce. For decades it remained unused – a forgotten code akin to the famous 404 "Not Found" page. Developed as an open standard with input from major tech and finance firms, x402 turns the old 402 error into a feature: a way for machines to negotiate payment."

Industry

International Takedown of Cryptocurrency Fraud Network Laundering Over Eur 700 Million

Europol

"The final actions in a sweeping international operation have successfully dismantled a large-scale cryptocurrency fraud and money laundering network that had laundered over EUR 700 million. Coordinated across multiple jurisdictions, these actions, carried out last month and earlier this week, mark the culmination of years of investigation and the effective disruption of a criminal operation that spanned Europe and beyond."

Industry

The Political Economy of Brazil’s Pix Payment System

ProMarket

"In July, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) initiated a Section 301 investigation into Brazil’s public instant-payment system, Pix, for discriminatory practices that harm U.S. commerce. Coming weeks after the USTR had flagged India’s and Indonesia’s public payment services in its Foreign Trade Barriers report, the move signals a new front in global trade tensions centered on industrial policy, financial regulation, and antitrust in the digital economy."

Industry

Federal Money Services Business Association Launches Stablecoin Standards Authority (SSA)

Morningstar

"The Federal Money Services Business Association (FedMSB) announced the launch of the Stablecoin Standards Authority (SSA), an independent standards platform within FedMSB dedicated to strengthening the reliability, governance, and transparency of U.S. dollar–denominated stablecoins. The SSA is designed to give stablecoin issuers, money services businesses (MSBs), financial institutions, and technology providers a clear, professionally vetted framework for operating in a rapidly evolving digital-dollar environment spanning payments, remittances, settlements, and emerging decentralized finance (DeFi) use cases."

Industry

Game-Changing Euro Stablecoin: 10 Major Banks Launch Qivalis to Challenge US Dominance

CryptoRank

"Imagine a digital payments landscape not dominated by the US dollar. That future just got closer. In a bold move, a consortium of ten European banking giants, including UniCredit, ING, and BNP Paribas, has announced a joint venture named Qivalis. Their mission? To launch a regulated, euro-based stablecoin by late 2026. This initiative represents a strategic push to build a European-led payment infrastructure and reduce reliance on foreign digital currencies."

Industry

Unlimit Launches Stable.com, the First Platform Purpose-Built to Act as a Decentralized Stablecoin Clearing House

PR Newswire

"Unlimit announced the launch of Stable.com, a decentralized stablecoin clearing house designed to seamlessly integrate stablecoins into the global financial system. Purpose-built for stablecoins, Stable.com combines the security and efficiency of a decentralized exchange with the convenience of a global payments network."

Industry

Sony Bank Plans to Launch Dollar-Pegged Stablecoin in the US by 2026

ForkLog

"Sony Bank, a subsidiary of Sony Financial Group, intends to issue a US dollar-pegged stablecoin in 2026, according to Nikkei. The token is expected to be used for payments related to video games, subscriptions, and anime content. This initiative targets American customers, who account for approximately 30% of the Japanese corporation’s external sales of entertainment products. The use of the “stablecoin” aims to reduce payment processing costs compared to existing solutions like credit cards."

Industry

U.S. FDIC Chief Says First GENIUS Act Regulations Heading for Proposal This Month

CoinDesk

"The acting chief of the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said the banking regulator expects to start proposing rules for stablecoin issuers before the close of December, according to testimony Travis Hill is preparing to deliver Tuesday before the House Financial Services Committee. First up on the regulator's agenda for implementing the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act: issuing a proposal for how the agency will handle issuers that apply for federal oversight."

Industry

CBDC Rollout Slows as Countries Hit Pause, Reevaluate Risks

Crypto News

"The rollout of CBDCs has hit a series of roadblocks in 2025, as several countries press pause or slow their efforts to introduce state-backed digital currencies. The South African Reserve Bank has published a position paper on the viability of a retail CBDC and concluded that these plans could be sidelined for now as it continues to focus on broader national payment reforms. South Korea: The Bank of Korea has officially suspended its ambitious CBDC project, “Project Han River”."

Industry

Bolt Launches Bolt ID to Help Counter $35 Billion Synthetic Fraud Crisis

PR Newswire

"Bolt announced the introduction of Bolt ID, a network identity system that helps merchants and shoppers reduce the growing risks associated with synthetic identity fraud and account takeover attacks. The system operates across Bolt's checkout network and strengthens shopper identity without requiring users to create an account or opt into a marketing program. It verifies key elements of identity during checkout so that merchants and consumers can complete transactions with greater confidence."

Industry

Target Embraces Agentic Commerce With New ChatGPT Experience

Progressive Grocer

"Just in time for the holiday shopping season, Target now has an app available directly in ChatGPT that lets customers search for products and purchase them with their Target account. The app, part of the retailer’s recently announced partnership with OpenAI, is now live and can help shoppers find personalized options for any occasion within given price parameters."

Industry

PayPal and Perplexity Launch Instant Buy Ahead of Black Friday

PayPal Newsroom

"PayPal today announced that it has enabled PayPal merchants to become discoverable within Perplexity, giving consumers the ability to checkout in chat. As of today, U.S. users exploring Perplexity's new shopping experience can seamlessly transition from research to purchase, leveraging PayPal’s identity verification, Purchase and Seller protection, and trusted payment processing, without leaving the answer engine."

Industry

Goodbye MT Format—SWIFT Retires Legacy Payments in Favor of Blockchain-Friendly ISO 20022

CCN

"SWIFT sunsetted the MT (Message Type) format for financial messaging on Saturday, Nov. 22. Having migrated to ISO 20022, global banks are now positioned to accelerate blockchain adoption. ISO 20022 enables interoperability between different CBDCs, tokenized deposits, and blockchain solutions like Ripple and Stellar."

Industry

US Considers Allowing Bitcoin Tax Payments

Digital Watch Observatory

"Americans may soon be able to pay federal taxes in Bitcoin under a new bill introduced in the House of Representatives. The proposal would send BTC tax payments straight into the US strategic reserve and spare taxpayers from capital gains reporting."

Industry

The Quiet Rise Of A New Global Payments System

Eurasia Review

"The BRICS countries’ SWIFT alternative, CIPS, is now operational—a profound change that the West apparently overlooked and ignored to its own disadvantage. Last week, one of the most important geopolitical shifts of 2025 unfolded with almost no Western media attention: the BRICS bloc—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—officially launched a new global payments system that enables more than 180 countries to conduct trade in Chinese currency, bypassing the US dollar entirely."

Industry

TerraPay Launches Xend - A Global Payments Interoperability Network to Power Borderless Payments for Billions of Wallet Users

PR Newswire

"TerraPay announced the launch of Xend, a Payments Interoperability Network designed to unify the fragmented world of wallets, banks, and cards into one seamless, borderless financial ecosystem. Xend serves as a universal infrastructure layer, enabling wallet users to transact with 11,500 banks via the Swift network and access 150 million acceptance locations, all from their existing wallet apps."

Industry

European Collaboration Amid Changing Global Standards

Trade Finance Global

"With much of the world currently preparing for the 22 November deadline to adopt ISO 20022, some nations have had to navigate some choppy waters to get there.  Financial cost is a hindrance for small banks in comparison to the larger banks they often rely on .  The deadline of VOP – the layer of verification for ISO 20022 messages – is the real deadline that banks need to be thinking about. "

Industry

Agentic Commerce and the New Checkout Imperative for Banks

ABA Banking Journal

"The checkout experience has taken on new meaning. A new layer of complexity is also rising fast: agentic commerce, where AI agents act independently on behalf of users. According to a 2025 market report, the agentic commerce market is projected to reach $5.19 billion by 2033, growing at a compound annual rate of more than 32% from 2021. Financial institutions must now design experiences that serve real people and the AI acting on their behalf. This shift will reshape payment flows, risk models and the infrastructure that banks must build to support them."

Industry

Education: Beyond Bitcoin: The Blockchain Story

Barclays

"Blockchain is a digital ledger that securely records and verifies transactions in a distributed network. The system’s decentralised structure ensures transparency, security and trust without the need for intermediaries. Given blockchain’s close association with cryptocurrencies, blockchain companies offer indirect exposure to crypto markets. However, as the technology expanded into new sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing and artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain companies now deliver more than just crypto exposure."

Industry

Auditing Payment Stablecoins Under the Genius Act

The Regulatory Review

"Congress enacted the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act in 2025, mandating monthly audits, public disclosures, and certifications by executives for “permitted payment stablecoin issuers.” The Act’s auditing requirements, particularly monthly reconciliations and personal executive accountability, are indispensable to safeguarding financial stability and ensuring market confidence."

Industry

Binance Pay Surges Past 20 Million Merchants as Stablecoins Take Over

Coinpaper

"Binance Pay has surpassed 20 million merchants worldwide, marking a 1,700-fold increase since early 2025. The announcement highlights that stablecoins are increasingly driving financial inclusion. Low fees, instant settlement, and global accessibility are helping crypto payments gain momentum among individuals, merchants, and entire regions. According to Binance Pay, the rising use of stablecoins is now influencing traditional finance as well. "

Industry

EU Crackdown Uncovers €47M in Digital Piracy Payments as Criminals Turn to Crypto

Finance Magnates

"A Europe-wide enforcement effort has traced more than EUR 47 million in cryptocurrency flowing through accounts tied to illegal streaming and digital piracy operations, marking one of the largest financial mapping exercises yet against online IP crime. According to the agency, the team identified 69 sites with a combined estimated annual traffic of nearly 12 million visitors."

Industry

TECH5 Integrates AI Voice Assistant into Digital Wallet

Mobile ID World

"Digital identity innovator TECH5 has announced the integration of a generative AI voice assistant into its T5-OmniTrust platform, moving the company toward what it calls agentic identity. The new assistant, named NISA, was developed in partnership with Ajari Technologies and is embedded directly into the digital wallet interface.  The integration addresses a major hurdle in the adoption of digital IDs: complexity. Instead of navigating confusing menus to find specific credentials (like a driver’s license or health record), users can now issue natural language commands to the NISA assistant."

Industry

OCC Allows Banks to Hold Crypto for Gas Fees

Ledger Insights

"The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) published an interpretative letter allowing banks to hold sufficient crypto-assets in order to pay blockchain transaction charges such as gas fees. Examples in the letter hint at potential expansion of crypto holdings beyond gas fees."

Industry

Stablecoin Boom Forces Basel Committee to Rethink Punishing Bank Rules

Crypto News

"The explosive rise of stablecoins has triggered pressure from U.S. banks and regulators on the Basel Committee to reconsider its stringent capital requirements for crypto assets. Despite being marketed as lower-risk digital currencies, stablecoins remain subject to the same harsh regulatory treatment as volatile cryptocurrencies under current Basel rules. The existing regulations mandate that banks maintain substantial capital reserves against potential crypto losses. Following resistance from the U.S. and U.K. to adopt these standards, the stablecoin surge has intensified demands for reform."

Industry

Another Merchant Lawsuit Settlement Is Reached, This One on EMV-Related Chargebacks

Digital Transactions

"The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York announced a $231.7 million settlement was reached Oct. 17 in the class action lawsuit B & R Supermarket, Inc., et al. v. Visa, Inc. et al., Case No. 1:17-cv-02738-BMC-JAM (E.D.N.Y.). The suit alleged that American Express Co., Discover Financial Services, Mastercard Inc., and Visa Inc. violated antitrust laws by acting in concert to shift the liability for what it said are “certain fraudulent charges” to merchants when a card was enabled with EMV technology and the merchant’s point-of-sale terminal was not enabled for it. The next court date is on April 27 for a hearing to consider any objections and whether to approve the settlements. The notification period for the settlements will end Dec. 16."

Industry

Slope and Samsung Bring Net 60/90 to Samsung Business Checkout, Powered by Real-Time AI Underwriting

Business Wire

"Slope, the AI-powered credit and risk infrastructure provider backed by J.P. Morgan and Samsung Electronics America, announced a partnership to offer U.S. business buyers flexible payment options directly within Samsung Business checkout. Eligible buyers will see both Net 60 and Net 90 options with instant credit decisions powered by Slope’s real-time underwriting, giving buyers greater control over their working capital."

Industry

The Shift to Consumer Fraud in the Digital Age

Bank Info Security

"Digital transformation accelerated by the pandemic created multiple entry points for fraudsters to exploit, shifting their focus from institutions to individual consumers. Fraud-as-a-service platforms have democratized sophisticated attacks, allowing anyone to buy software that executes phishing campaigns, ransomware or other malware with just a click. Combined with AI-driven data mining, fraudsters can now launch hyper-realistic, personalized attacks using publicly available information from social media and digital footprints."

Industry

Wirex and Stellar Go Live with Dual-Stablecoin Visa Settlement in USDC and EURC for 7 Million+ Users

PR Newswire

"Wirex, a global leader in digital payments and principal member of Visa, has announced that dual-stablecoin settlement using USDC and EURC on the Stellar blockchain is now live, marking a major milestone in blockchain-powered finance. This rollout, in partnership with the Stellar Development Foundation (SDF), enables on-chain settlement of card payments using USDC and EURC."