Industry

PIX and Stablecoins Are Not Rivals, Says Visa’s Digital Currencies Chief for Latin America

Yahoo Finance

“Stablecoins did not arrive to fight PIX. That was the message from Antônia Souza, Visa’s Director of Digital Currencies for Latin America and the Caribbean. “We are not here to fight against PIX”, she said, pushing back on a framing that has become common across the region. In her view, the two serve different jobs. […]

Global

China-Dominated Central Bank Digital Currency Platform Touts Largest Transactions to Date

South China Morning Post

“A leading Chinese bank has processed the largest cross-border transactions yet via mBridge, a multilateral central bank digital currency (CBDC) platform, marking a major milestone for the emerging payment network as well as Beijing’s global yuan ambitions. Two transactions, worth more than US$1.7 billion each, were carried out by the Bank of China’s Shenzhen and […]

Tags: China

Global

Stripe, SumUp and Revolut Among Firms Chosen to Test ‘Digital Euro’

“Stripe’s European arm and Irish fintech SumUp are among 36 firms chosen to test the eurozone’s first online currency. The year-long pilot will begin next year and will see staff from the European Central Bank and national central banks test run payments between each other and with selected shops and restaurants. Other firms in the […]

Tags: Europe

Companies

Visa’s CFO Views Stablecoins and AI Commerce as a Long-Term Bet: ‘They Won’t Pay off in the Next Six Months, but Could over the Next Six Years’

Yahoo Finance

“Payments giant Visa is growing at its fastest rate in years, but it’s not because of some of its latest innovations in digital currencies and agentic AI.  Visa first started offering stablecoin settlements in 2023 and now has 130 stablecoin-linked card issuing programs across 40 countries. It’s also experimenting with agentic commerce, or allowing AI agents to […]

Tags: Visa

Global

China Readies Commercial Launch of mBridge Digital-Currency Payments Network

Bloomingbit

“China is preparing a commercial launch of mBridge, a digital currency-based cross-border payments network. mBridge includes the central banks of Hong Kong, Thailand, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and aims to cut fees to about half those of existing international payment systems. mBridge uses blockchain technology to enable direct transactions in central bank digital currencies, reducing the dollar’s intermediary role and strengthening use of the digital yuan.”

Tags: China

Artificial Intelligence Blockchain Card Networks Fast Payments Payments Fraud Regulatory Environment Stablecoins

Episode 295 - Fanning the Flames - 2026 Mid-Year Payments Industry Trends Update

The Glenbrook team is taking stock in June 2026 to see how the predictions from our January episode are holding up. Tune in for updates on trending topics in payments, including agentic commerce, stablecoins, cross-border and instant payments, risk and fraud, and the regulatory landscape. We also share insights on the “hot off the presses” news on tokenized deposits and the Visa/Mastercard interchange settlement.

Companies

MoonPay Launches MoonPay Trade: One Platform for Institutions and Enterprises to Access 200+ Chains and Protocols

PR Newswire

“MoonPay has launched MoonPay Trade, a technology platform that lets any application, financial institution, or enterprise access digital assets and move value across 200+ blockchains and protocols through a single API. Onchain liquidity is fragmented across hundreds of chains, venues, and protocols. Building direct connectivity to all of it is a massive engineering undertaking for […]

Tags: MoonPay

Industry

WeChat Statistics by Revenue, Users and Usage (2026)

Bitcoin World

“WeChat Statistics: WeChat, developed by WeChat, is one of the world’s most popular apps with over a billion users. It is not just a messaging tool but a complete digital platform for chatting, payments, shopping, and services. WeChat Pay supports payments across 78 countries and 36 currencies. India banned WeChat and 58 Chinese apps in […]

Companies

Cryptocurrencies How Mastercard Plans To Process Card Payments Through Stablecoins

CoinSpot

“Mastercard is integrating stablecoins into card settlements. Banks will be able to use digital dollars like SoFiUSD. A partnership with SoFi Technologies will allow SoFi Bank to settle in SoFiUSD. The Galileo platform will open up this model to other banks and fintech companies as well. This is specifically about the post-payment settlement stage. Nothing […]

Tags: Mastercard

Blockchain Digital Currency Global Payments Stablecoins

Episode 289 - Stablecoin Infrastructure in Emerging Markets, with Chris Maurice, Yellow Card

In this episode, Chris Maurice, the CEO and co-founder of Yellow Card, joins Drew Edmond to explore how stablecoins are transforming global payments, especially in emerging markets, by addressing liquidity issues, reducing costs, improving compliance transparency, and enabling faster cross-border transactions. Listen in as they highlight the challenges of legacy infrastructure, regulatory evolution, interoperability, and the evolving role of banks and technology platforms in this ecosystem.

Companies

Mastercard to Acquire BVNK to Connect On-Chain Payments and Fiat Rails

Mastercard

“Mastercard announced a definitive agreement to acquire BVNK, a leader in stablecoin infrastructure, for up to $1.8 billion, including $300 million in contingent payments. The deal further expands Mastercard’s end-to-end support of digital assets and value movement across currencies, rails and regions.”

Tags: Mastercard

Glenbrook Innovation

Episode 288 - The First 25 Years of Glenbrook - Fanning the Flames with our Founders

For Glenbrook's 25th Anniversary, we speak with the three founding partners - Carol Coye Benson, Scott Loftesness, and Allen Weinberg - to celebrate the progress of the industry and the firm. Listen in as they recall the early days of the firm, discuss how Glenbrook’s strategy work expanded to form our education and global practices, consider the evolution of the “payments professional”, and reflect on payments industry shifts over their years both in and out of Glenbrook.

Blockchain CBDC Digital Currency Regulatory Environment Stablecoins

Episode 287 - Fanning the Flames - State of Stablecoins 2026

Join Glenbrook’s Russ Jones and Ashley Lannquist for a detailed discussion on the state of stablecoins, focusing on market developments, regulatory and policy impacts, usage patterns, and competition from other improved payments systems.

Industry

IMF Warns Stablecoins Are Just Private Dollar Warehouses

Cryptopolitan

“The IMF says stablecoins are becoming more closely tied to the US dollar system rather than replacing traditional banks. Dollar-backed stablecoins dominate the market, with USDC and USDT making up most of the total supply. The IMF warns that these Digital fiat tokens could weaken local currencies in fragile economies, but says proper regulation could […]

Industry

Stablecoin Usage Statistics 2026: Explosive Growth

SQ Magazine

“Stablecoins have emerged as a cornerstone of digital finance, blending the speed and accessibility of blockchain with the stability of fiat currencies. Stablecoin transaction volumes reached unprecedented heights, with on-chain activity underscoring their expanding role across global markets. Corporations are using stablecoins to settle cross-border payments instantly, reducing costs and delays vs traditional banking rails. […]