The move comes as crypto projects increasingly position themselves as offering payment platforms that resemble traditional digital banks, but operate on blockchain rails.
The firm said it has agreed to acquire Distributed Technologies Research, a blockchain-based payment infrastructure provider.
The Trump family–backed crypto venture has rolled out World Liberty Markets, a new DeFi app built on Dolomite. DOLO rose by 57% following the announcement.
In a world where financial systems are becoming fragile, XRP stands out as the intersection of a financial infrastructure designed for instant global value transfer, speed, reliability, and global accessibility. XRP’s ability to move value instantly across borders, with minimal cost and without reliance on fragile banking systems, positions it as both a long-term wealth tool and a potential life-saving instrument. XRP should be considered as part of life-saving plans. An analyst known as Bird on X has pointed out that most people keep their money in the bank, earning around 4-6% a year, and feel comfortable with it, but they rarely factor in the impact of inflation. Over time, the purchasing power of currencies like the US dollar and the British pound has been quietly eroded to the point where your money can grow on paper while losing value in the real world. XRP’s Role In The Next Phase Of Global Payments Although savings accounts are safe, many people are actually standing still or falling massively behind without even realizing it, which is why XRP comes in as a long-term life-saving strategy. XRP has spent years held back by legal uncertainty, and during that time, the technology continued to mature. Currently, there’s clarity, and what was being built has become visible. Related Reading: XRP Ledger May Get A Tokenized Gold Upgrade, Web3 Founder Reveals Real-world usage is arriving in cross-border payments, institutions are engaging, stablecoins like RLUSD are being introduced, and real-world assets are being tokenized on the chain. As the utility is increasing, capital is flowing into the ecosystem. More usage creates more demand, and sustained demand is what drives long-term value growth. According to Bird, XRP is to be trusted more than fiat, which is why it is a long-term savings vehicle rather than a short-term trade. XRP can be reserved for self-custody, stored on a cold wallet, removing reliance on banks altogether. Instead of earning a few percentages while fighting inflation, you’re holding a digital asset positioned at the centre of growing global financial infrastructure, which is more likely to increase in value over time. In comparison, it is unclear whether inflation will ever pause to make cash worth more. The analyst views this scenario as a long-term wealth investment and believes that XRP will become one of the most utilised digital assets in the world. Thus, building a savings position now could prove to be one of the smartest financial decisions someone could make over the long run. A Bridge Between Old Money And New Rails ChartNerd noted that Ripple is not built to be a traditional crypto company that aims to destroy the old money. Instead, Ripple acts as the bridge between the old and new financial worlds, and this will be a more successful long-term strategy. Related Reading: XRP Whale Deposits To Binance Ease: Data Points To Lower Distribution Risk A sustainable financial change will emerge gradually, not through a knee-jerk move or total disruption in just one cycle. XRP is clearly the long-game asset, while 2025 was the most productive year for Ripple, nothing is priced in yet. Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com
A major U.S. crypto market structure bill, known as the CLARITY Act, is heading into a critical Senate Banking Committee markup session this week. At the center of the debate is whether stablecoin issuers should be barred from offering rewards through crypto exchanges and other platforms. According to reports, Coinbase is signaling that it may …
For years, stablecoins have been crypto’s most useful invention and its most awkward dinner guest. Useful because they turn blockchains into 24/7 dollar rails, and awkward because while the promise is simple, securing trust rarely is. A digital token worth exactly a dollar sounds reassuring to non-crypto folk right up until someone asks where the […]
The post One US location just banned CBDCs, but its new state token is doing something even more surprising appeared first on CryptoSlate.
The era of the hooded hacker hoarding Bitcoin in a dark web wallet is over. In 2025, the center of gravity in the illicit cryptocurrency economy shifted decisively away from the volatility of the original cryptocurrency and toward a dense, dollar-linked shadow system. According to new Chainalysis data shared with CryptoSlate, stablecoins accounted for 84% […]
The post Stablecoins just replaced Bitcoin for crime on the dark web – and the reason why is a $154 billion nightmare appeared first on CryptoSlate.
On Jan. 7, Donald Trump’s World Liberty Financial (WLFI) formally applied for a national banking charter to establish the “World Liberty Trust Company.” This is a proposed national trust bank specifically designed to handle USD1 stablecoin issuance, custody, redemption, and reserve management. USD1 is WLFI's flagship product, with more than $3.3 billion in supply across […]
The post Why is Donald Trump’s World Liberty Financial (WLFI) is applying for a banking license right now? appeared first on CryptoSlate.
The system will bring together various elements of the payment stack, including liquidity, orchestration, and regulatory controls.
Comments from Galaxy Digital’s leadership have looked into what ultimately sustains value in the crypto market. In a recent YouTube discussion centered on 2026 expectations for Bitcoin, crypto, and artificial intelligence, Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz and Head of Research Alex Thorn singled out XRP and Cardano, questioning whether even the strongest communities can survive if real usage fails to expand when users have a vast number of alternatives to choose from. Galaxy Digital Leadership Raises Questions About Community Versus Utility During the YouTube discussion, Mike Novogratz presented the utility debate through the lens of capital allocation. He explained that the real question is what an investor chooses when presented with many viable options. If capital can flow into something like SpaceX, then crypto assets must compete on similar grounds. Related Reading: Charles Hoskinson Reveals What XRP And Cardano Are Already Doing 100x Better He acknowledged that XRP and Cardano both have deeply committed communities, but questioned whether that loyalty can be sustained if users do not see any real utility with those ecosystems. “Can Ripple hold it together? Can Cardano hold it together?” Novogratz said. In drawing comparisons, Novogratz referenced Charles Hoskinson, noting his success in maintaining Cardano’s community over time despite it being a “blockchain that people don’t really use a lot.” He made similar observations about XRP’s following, which has a strong community. However, he posed a direct question about sustainability: “Can you keep it together when there are more and more options?” Recent crypto market dynamics have caused capital flows to become more selective. Developers and teams behind blockchain ecosystems all know this, and this is why there has been a race to demonstrate usage, revenue models, or clear value flows tied directly to their tokens. According to Novogratz, that doesn’t happen overnight. It’s probably a year-long process, not a one to three-month process. Cardano And XRP Proving Real-World Relevance The questions raised during the Galaxy Digital discussion arrive at a time when both Cardano and XRP are actively trying to strengthen their utility narratives. Recent events have seen Cardano attempting to reinforce its practical relevance through initiatives like the Midnight sidechain. Midnight is a privacy-focused Cardano sidechain network designed to support confidential smart contracts and selective data disclosure. Related Reading: Flare Launches New Way For XRP Investors To Earn Midnight is intended as a way to attract enterprise and institutional use cases that require compliance-friendly privacy, an area where public blockchains have traditionally struggled. XRP, on the other hand, is taking a different path through Ripple’s hard work to increase the utility of the XRP Ledger. Ripple has been expanding utility around Ripple USD (RLUSD), its US dollar-backed stablecoin, including broader deployment across multiple Layer-2 networks. Ripple has also been on a partnership spree this year in moves to strengthen the utility of the XRP ecosystem, with about $4 billion spent on major acquisitions in 2025. The company also recently partnered with Doppler Finance to explore collaboration in XRP-based yield infrastructure and real-world asset (RWA) tokenization on the XRP Ledger, which is another added utility. Featured image from Pxfuel, chart from Tradingview.com
World Liberty Financial has put forward a proposal to tap a portion of its token treasury to grow USD1, the dollar-pegged stablecoin linked with the project. The plan would free up about $120 million to back listings, liquidity programs and partner incentives. Related Reading: UK Crypto Ownership Takes Biggest Hit Since 2021, Regulator Says Treasury Move Could Add Firepower To USD1 Based on reports, WLFI’s proposal would unlock roughly 5% of its unlocked treasury — a fund slice drawn from a multi-billion dollar reserve — for strategic use to expand USD1’s reach. The move has split the community, with some holders supporting rapid expansion and others warning about tokenomics and governance risks. According to the stablecoin’s custodial partners, USD1 is backed by short-term US government treasuries, US dollar deposits and other cash equivalents and is redeemable at one-for-one for US dollars. Independent pages from the custodian outline monthly attestation reporting and a conservative reserve mix. Reports have disclosed that USD1 has grown quickly since launch and sits among the larger USD-pegged tokens, with circulating supply and market cap figures showing meaningful traction on trading platforms. Exchange listings and deeper integrations have raised visibility, and some market trackers put USD1’s market cap in the multi-billion dollar range. Political Links Add A Layer Of Scrutiny World Liberty Financial is widely described in news reporting as a project backed by the Trump family, and that political link has drawn extra attention from regulators, lawmakers and media. Coverage has noted how the family’s involvement makes governance decisions more visible and politically sensitive. The proposal is now subject to a WLFI governance vote. Supporters argue the $120 million allocation could accelerate integrations with both centralized exchanges and decentralized finance venues, improving liquidity and on-ramp options for users. Opponents point to the size of the spend and question whether deploying a large treasury sum for adoption incentives could push short-term token price moves that do not reflect long-term utility. Related Reading: Russia Rejects Crypto As Legal Tender, Finance Official Confirms What To Watch Next Observers will track the governance tally, any formal rollout plans for the funds, and reserve attestations tied to USD1. Market metrics such as circulating supply and exchange flows will also offer clues about how the push affects liquidity and peg stability. Recent exchange pages already show USD1 circulating supply figures and listing details that analysts use to measure adoption. In short, the proposal could widen USD1’s footprint quickly if approved. But it raises clear governance and market questions that WLFI holders and outside watchers now want answered before any large sums are moved. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
Welcome to The Block’s 2026 Digital Assets Outlook Report, a comprehensive analysis of the past year’s developments in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space. This report leverages insights from our research team and is designed to provide insights to stakeholders across the digital asset ecosystem, from institutional investors and developers to policymakers and enthusiasts. To access […]
The new protocol offers instant swaps between tokenized money market funds and stablecoins as regulators scrutinize yield-bearing stablecoin models.
The banking regulator began its formal rulemaking process to set up the procedures by which depository institutions can start stablecoin subsidiaries.
Sanctions, capital controls and Russia’s improvised financial plumbing helped create A7A5, a ruble stablecoin built on a currency rarely used in global commerce, allowing it to appear legally at major events even as its presence leaves compliance teams panicked.
Young sparked a new category of digital assets, yieldcoins, that sits at the intersection of DeFi rails and TradFi basis trades.
Singapore’s regulated crypto ecosystem is preparing for another major step forward. StraitsX, a Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)-licensed stablecoin issuer, has announced plans to bring its Singapore dollar-backed XSGD and U.S. dollar-backed XUSD stablecoins to the Solana blockchain by early 2026. The move signals growing confidence in high-performance blockchains as demand for real-world, regulated stablecoin …
The debut will enable instant swaps between SGD and USD on Solana, facilitating digital forex trading.
Ripple said it's testing its U.S. dollar stablecoin on Optimism, Base, Ink and Unichain with more blockchains to be added next year pending regulatory review.
The firm has begun offering stablecoin account funding for U.S. retail clients, joining a growing list of brokerages racing to keep pace with crypto-native rivals.
Do Kwon, the South Korean co-founder of Terraform Labs, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on December 11, 2025 in a Manhattan federal court after pleading guilty to fraud tied to the collapse of the TerraUSD stablecoin and its sister token, Luna. Related Reading: Is Dogecoin Waking Up? Critical On-Chain Metric Explodes Higher According to court documents and news reports, the judge described the scheme as a massive fraud that left thousands of investors facing heavy losses. Sentence And Court Ruling Judge Paul A. Engelmayer handed down the 15-year term after prosecutors urged for a sentence of up to 12 years and the defense asked for a much lighter term. Do Kwon pleaded guilty in August 2025 to conspiracy to defraud and wire fraud, and as part of the plea he agreed to forfeit roughly $19 million. The US Attorney’s office says the guilty plea admits he misled investors about how the stablecoin kept its $1 peg. Scale Of The Losses Reports have placed the market fallout from the Terra collapse at about $40 billion in erased value. Many ordinary investors lost life savings and some victims gave emotional testimony at sentencing, describing real financial ruin. News outlets and court filings tie the crash in May 2022 to a sudden loss of confidence that cascaded through markets and hurt other crypto firms. Civil Penalties And Settlements Before the criminal case reached this point, Kwon and Terraform faced a major civil action from the US Securities and Exchange Commission. According to the SEC, Terraform Labs and Kwon agreed to pay more than $4.5 billion in disgorgement, interest and penalties, while Kwon personally faced an $80 million civil fine and a ban from crypto trading. That civil judgment was filed in 2024 and has been used by regulators as part of the overall effort to make investors whole. International Arrest And Extradition Kwon was arrested in Montenegro in March 2023 after leaving Singapore; authorities say he was using forged travel documents when detained. He fought extradition in Montenegrin courts but was eventually transferred to the US late in 2024 to face federal charges. Reports outline a long legal fight across borders that ended with his return to New York to answer criminal counts. Related Reading: American Bitcoin Makes Big Buy, Adds 416 BTC To Its Stack What The Sentence Means Legal analysts say a 15-year term signals the court’s view that the fraud caused wide damage and that punishment should deter similar schemes. Victims’ statements at sentencing appear to have weighed heavily. Kwon still faces separate probes and possible charges in other countries, and the civil judgment means substantial sums are earmarked for recovery efforts tied to Terraform’s bankruptcy. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from TradingView
YouTube’s recent move highlights a bigger trend: mainstream platforms are choosing stablecoins, not Bitcoin or Ethereum, for real-world payments. When money actually needs to move, volatility isn’t an option—speed and predictability are. Stablecoins, which were once backend tools for traders, now process trillions and increasingly power creator payouts, gig work and cross-border commerce. YouTube isn’t …
A cross-party coalition of U.K. lawmakers is urging Chancellor Rachel Reeves to step in and reshape the Bank of England’s proposed stablecoin framework, warning that the current approach threatens to undermine Britain’s fintech leadership and drive capital out of the country. In a joint letter dated Dec. 11, 2025, MPs and peers, including Sir Gavin …
The group calls for a forward-looking framework to maintain the U.K.'s fintech leadership and attract international investment.
The exchange is adding new USD1 trading pairs and replaces BUSD collateral with the token.
The USDGO token will be issued under U.S. federal oversight and backed 1:1 by U.S. dollar assets.
The team behind the Celo-based app is joining Stripe, while the intellectual property is returned to cLabs.
Tempo, built by Stripe and Paradigm, has started testing payment-focused blockchain and has onboard a slew of institutional partners.
The new fiat-pegged token arrives as Asia leads global stablecoin use, with over 50% of institutions in the region already on board.
One possible solution is a new kind of stablecoin whose value is pegged to a real-world, physical stockpile of gold, argues Algoz’ Stephen Wundke.