Blockradar, the wallet-as-a-service provider, says it has officially crossed the $1 billion milestone in total transaction volume. This achievement highlights the platform’s rapid rise as a critical infrastructure layer for stablecoin payments in emerging markets. While the company has not disclosed additional information around the milestone, previous coverage of its growth on BitKE point to a rapid growth in its uptake. In December 2025, BitKE reported that Blockradar had crossed $300 million in total transaction volume, having processed nearly 500, 000 […]
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Ghana’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC Ghana) has expanded its virtual asset regulatory sandbox to 20 firms, up from 11 when the programme launched in March 2026. The SEC added nine companies in an updated list published on August 19 2026, broadening the sandbox to cover crypto trading, brokerage, tokenisation, trade finance and commodities markets. REGULATION | SEC Ghana Announces 11 Participants in Virtual Asset Regulatory Sandbox The 20 participants are: Africoin The Blue Penguin Company Limited (Blu […]
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MasterCard’s $1.8 billion acquisition of stablecoin infrastructure firm, BVNK, followed years of growth, competition from major payments and crypto companies, and a closely contested process in which cultural fit ultimately mattered as much as price. The deal offered a rare glimpse into the path taken by the London-based stablecoin company with early investor, Concentric, providing insight into BVNK’s journey from a startup valued at just $4 million to a $1.8 billion acquisition. STABLECOINS | The MasterCard $1.8 Billion BVNK […]
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South Africa’s stablecoin market shows why emerging-market regulators need to move beyond simply deciding whether to allow or ban digital dollars. The country has seen rapid growth in stablecoin use alongside the emergence of multiple rand-pegged alternatives. Yet the regulatory framework remains incomplete, creating uncertainty over issues such as consumer protection, redemption rights, reserves and the treatment of foreign-currency stablecoins. EXPERT OPINION | The South African Stablecoin Landscape The key policy lesson is that regulatory ambiguity can be […]
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Efforts by emerging markets to develop local-currency stablecoins could inadvertently increase demand for U.S. dollar-backed tokens, the IMF said, as users may favor dollar stablecoins because of their deeper liquidity, stronger network effects and wider acceptance. The issue is particularly relevant in emerging markets where stablecoins can provide easier access to foreign currency while also weakening traditional controls over capital flows and increasing dollarization. South Africa offers an early case study. Stablecoins: Promise, Risks, and Policy Choices for […]
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Africa-focussed DeFi startup, Fonbnk, is expanding beyond stablecoin payments and digital-asset transactions through a partnership with digital lender, Tala, that will bring embedded, onchain credit to its platform. The partnership will allow Fonbnk users to access stablecoin-based credit lines directly through the platform combining Fonbnk’s digital-asset infrastructure with Tala’s lending and underwriting capabilities. The companies say the integration is intended to reach users who already transact through digital assets while creating the possibility of developing onchain credit histories for individuals […]
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Japanese stablecoin issuer, JPYC, has raised 6 billion Yen ($38 million) in an extended Series B funding round bringing its total funding since 2021 to about $106 million as it seeks to accelerate adoption of its regulated Yen-backed stablecoin. The latest round added Japanese logistics firm, AZ-COM Maruwa Holdings, as a strategic investor. The companies plan to integrate JPYC into logistics and payment operations with AZ-COM expected to use the stablecoin to settle payments with about 2,300 contractors and business […]
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Nigeria has issued its first comprehensive guidelines on the taxation of virtual assets, providing long-awaited clarity on how cryptocurrency transactions and Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) will be taxed under the country’s new regulatory framework. The guidance, released by the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), sets out how taxes will apply to crypto users, exchanges, brokers, custodians and other digital asset businesses operating in the country. The guidelines classify virtual assets broadly to include cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, security tokens, utility tokens and […]
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VISA has unveiled the VISA Stablecoin Platform (VSP) designed to help financial institutions, fintechs, and crypto natives issue, manage and integrate stablecoins. The initiative builds on VISA’s broader crypto strategy that gives institutions and payment providers a simple way to access, store, and redeem stablecoins, beginning with Open USD, a new stablecoin recently introduced by Open Standard. This includes onchain wallet infrastructure through a newly introduced Wallet-as-a-Service offering and connectivity for minting and burning Open USD. The enterprise platform provides […]
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The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has urged countries to accelerate enforcement of anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CTF) rules for the crypto industry, warning that stablecoins are increasingly becoming the preferred digital asset for illicit activity. In its July 2026 review of virtual asset regulations, the global watchdog said jurisdictions have made progress in implementing its standards for virtual asset service providers (VASPs), but enforcement remains uneven. The FATF warned that regulatory gaps continue to create opportunities […]
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The European Central Bank (ECB) has selected 36 payment service providers to participate in a year-long pilot of the digital euro marking another step toward the potential launch of the central bank digital currency (CBDC) by 2029. The 12-month pilot, scheduled to begin in the second half of 2027, will use a beta version of the digital euro to test payment functionality, operational processes and user experience across the ECB and 19 euro area national central banks. Participants will include […]
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For years, discussions around stablecoins have focused on regulation, reserves, and adoption. But as stablecoins mature into global payment infrastructure, another challenge is emerging as the industry’s biggest bottleneck: Liquidity. Tanzanian fintech, NALA, offers one of the clearest examples of why liquidity, not blockchain technology, is increasingly becoming the limiting factor in scaling stablecoin payments. The company recently secured an initial $25 million credit facility, with the option to increase it to $50 million, from private credit firm Liquidity […]
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The Bank of Tanzania (BoT) has completed a comprehensive study on cryptocurrencies and is now awaiting government guidance before moving ahead with a regulatory framework for digital assets marking the country’s latest step toward formal oversight of the sector. Speaking at the BoT pavilion during the 50th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF), BoT Governor, Emmanuel Tutuba, said the legal framework is intended to strengthen oversight of digital assets while protecting investors from potential risks associated with the fast-evolving […]
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Japan’s financial conglomerate, SBI Holdings, has launched a lending service for its Yen-pegged stablecoin, JPYSC, offering customers a 3% annualized return as it expands regulated digital asset products in one of the world’s most developed stablecoin markets. The 12-week lending product, available through crypto exchange SBI VC Trade, allows customers to lend JPYSC to the platform in exchange for interest payments. Applications open on July 16 2026 with the advertised annual yield translating to about 0.69% over the fixed-term period […]
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Nigerian travel fintech, Timon, has expanded into Kenya after surpassing 100,000 users, alongside securing an undisclosed investment from crypto and Web3 accelerator, Alliance, as it bets on stablecoins to power cross-border travel payments across Africa. This Alliance DAO Nigerian Alumni Wants to Cut the Cost of Cross-Border Business Payments to as Little as 0.1% via Stablecoins The company said most of its growth has come through referrals and word of mouth, with Kenya emerging as one of its […]
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Reports of fintechs and financial institutions in Kenya restricting or blocking financial services among users is emerging following a recent review of the country by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) which retained Kenya on its grey-list. Restrictions from compliant stablecoin service providers have also reportedly began. HuruPay, a stablecoin service provider with roots and presence in Kenya, has reportedly told its users that it will ‘no longer support USD banking services for customers in Kenya,’ thereby restricting ‘any payments […]
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Robinhood’s newly launched Ethereum layer-2 network has attracted more than $70 million worth of Ether bridged from Ethereum within its first week of operation, according to on-chain data, signaling strong early demand for the brokerage’s blockchain infrastructure. INTRODUCING | Leading Retail Investing Platform, Robinhood, Launches Public Blockchain, Robinhood Chain The network, which uses ETH as its native gas token, has also seen the supply of USDG stablecoins grow rapidly as users move liquidity onto the chain. Data shows […]
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Global financial messaging network SWIFT has launched a blockchain-based shared ledger and is preparing to begin live pilots with 17 major banks marking one of the banking industry’s biggest moves toward tokenized cross-border payments. The pilot will allow participating institutions, including HSBC, Citi, BNP Paribas, UBS, Standard Chartered, DBS, ANZ, BNY, Wells Fargo and others, to move tokenized bank deposits across borders 24 hours a day, including nights and weekends, while continuing to settle transactions through existing banking infrastructure. […]
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Sony Bank has received preliminary approval from U.S. banking regulators to establish a national trust bank that will oversee the issuance and management of U.S. dollar-denominated stablecoins marking the latest move by a global financial institution into regulated digital assets. The approval signals Sony’s entry into regulated U.S stablecoin issuance. Sony Bank is part of the broader Sony Group, the same Japanese conglomerate behind PlayStation, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sony Music, Sony Electronics, and Sony Semiconductor. Electronics Giant, Sony, to […]
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MoneyGram is accelerating its stablecoin strategy with plans to roll out its newly launched MGUSD stablecoin across its global network of more than 60 million customers, marking a major shift in how one of the world’s largest remittance companies intends to move money. Speaking on The Converge podcast, MoneyGram CEO, Anthony Soohoo, said the company has spent more than five years rebuilding its payments infrastructure around blockchain technology. The effort has already resulted in over $2 billion in stablecoin settlements, […]
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