Two Democratic senators, Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden, have launched an inquiry into Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over alleged financial ties between Tether and a trust linked to his children. Lawmakers are seeking loan documents to examine possible conflicts of interest and whether policy decisions could be influenced. The probe matters because it could affect …
Western Union’s decision to build on Solana isn’t just another stablecoin integration, but a signal that the foundations of global payments may be starting to shift. For decades, Western Union has been synonymous with cross-border money movement, built on a network of intermediaries, settlement layers, and regional constraints. Behind the surface, this move suggests a potential shift in how global payment infrastructure is being built, upgraded, and ultimately replaced. How Solana Could Fit Into The Future Of Global Money Movement Western Union’s decision to build USDPT on Solana is more than just another stablecoin headline; it’s a signal that the role of stablecoins is moving from crypto narrative to real payment infrastructure. The CEO of MEXC and Honorary Chairman of MVenturesLabs, Vugar Usi, has pointed out on X that for years, stablecoins have mainly been seen as trading tools, and were a way for traders to move capital faster, manage liquidity, and reduce friction in crypto. Related Reading: Solana Prepares For The Quantum Era: Foundation Details Step-By-Step Transition However, when a global remittance giant begins building a dollar-based payment token on SOL, the narrative shifts from trading utility to real-world infrastructure. This is no longer about traders optimizing capital flow, but about real-world settlement, treasury management, and cross-border payments operating on new rails. Furthermore, it’s about replacing slow, fragmented financial rails with infrastructure that operates seamlessly in the background. In Vugar Usi’s view, SOL is validated as a payment rail, and stablecoins as a real financial infrastructure. Thus, exchanges should be ready with liquidity, access, education, and simple user journeys. For platforms like MEXC, this shift carries clear implications, because adoption does not always arrive loudly. Sometimes, it arrives through better rails, faster settlement, and fewer reasons for users to care about the backend. If these rails disappear, that’s when crypto will win. Is Solana Entering The Kind Of Zone Where Reversals Begin? Solana is going through one of those moments that tend to define the market cycle. Crypto analyst Robert revealed that SOL price has taken a severe hit, down 71% from its 2025 all-time high (ATH). At the same time, Solana’s Net Unrealized Profit/Loss (NUPL) is sitting deep at 0.67 in full capitulation territory, a level that typically reflects that holders are sitting on heavy unrealized losses. Related Reading: Solana Foundation President Explains Why SOL Is Built For Unified Liquidity Data from Fidelity Investments suggests that historically, similar conditions have preceded strong rebounds, with a median of over 516% the following year. Meanwhile, they’re quick to emphasize the limitations of a small sample size, weak correction, and that past performance may not repeat itself. On the bright side, network usage is rising, with monthly active addresses up 50%, new addresses growing over 35%, and stablecoin flows are holding steady. However, this shift shows that real utility is building even as the price is down, but on-chain activity tells a more resilient story. Featured image from Freepik, chart from Tradingview.com
Crypto pundit SMQKE has shared an important thing that XRP holders have to remember when it comes to the altcoin’s price. He alluded to the token’s historical price appreciation and noted that XRP is better positioned to record more significant gains following Ripple’s recent acquisitions. What To Remember About XRP’s Price In an X post, SMQKE reminded XRP holders that the token delivered nearly 350x returns between 2017 and 2018, while Bitcoin and Ethereum gained 14x and 100x, respectively, during that period. He noted that this means XRP’s price increase was roughly 24x steeper than Bitcoin’s. Related Reading: XRP Ledger Hits New RWA Milestone, But Will This Have Any Impact On The Price? The pundit remarked that this occurred before Ripple completed any of its major institutional acquisitions, with XRP recording those gains simply due to early network momentum. Now, the fundamentals are believed to be more bullish as Ripple has completed strategic acquisitions of over $3 billion since 2017 to build institutional-grade infrastructure. SMQKE stated that these key moves include Ripple’s 2023 acquisition of Metaco for $250 million, which now provides bank-grade custody used by G-SIBs. In 2024, the crypto firm acquired Standard Custody, which is a New York-regulated trust services provider. Most of its acquisitions came last year, which have been bullish for XRP. Ripple acquired Hidden Road, which is now Ripple Prime, for $1.25 billion. SMQKE noted that this is a prime brokerage that clears trillions annually. Ripple also acquired the stablecoin payments platform Rail, the corporate treasury management platform GTreasury, and the wallet and custody provider Palisade last year. The pundit stated that these acquisitions create a much stronger foundation for durable price appreciation in XRP. He also alluded to the potential integration of XRP into SWIFT, FedNow, and DTCC. Based on this, SMQKE remarked that the altcoin’s past returns may have only been a preview of what its future network value could become. Why Price Is Still Low SMQKE alluded to a statement from former Ripple executive Marcus Treacher, who noted that XRP isn’t a speculative currency but rather a long-term play for the future. He highlighted how the altcoin could grow massively in value over the long term as a result of what Ripple is building with XRP. Related Reading: XRP OI Z-Score Just Dropped To Levels Seen Before Its 600% Rally In 2024 Treacher noted that transforming how payments work worldwide is a big deal and that once they achieve this with the XRP Ledger, everything else will start to fall into place. Meanwhile, SMQKE mentioned that news doesn’t move prices and that utility does. As such, he suggested that the focus should be on expanding XRP’s use cases and that the price will rise significantly as the altcoin continues to gain adoption. At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.39, up in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com
The XRP Ledger (XRPL) has achieved a new milestone, hitting $3 billion in total tokenized value on the network. Crypto pundit X Finance Bull highlighted the significance of this milestone, although it looks unlikely to have any impact on price for now. XRP Ledger Hits $3 Billion In Total RWA Value According to data from RWA.xyz, the XRP Ledger has reached $3 billion in total RWA value, representing a 59% increase over the last 30 days. The network currently has 291 RWA projects on the network. Crypto pundit X Finance Bull noted that in a market where people keep acting like utility does not matter, money is still finding its way to chains built for real finance. Related Reading: XRP Ledger Transactions Are Surging Again, Here Are The Numbers The crypto pundit reiterated that institutions are not guessing but moving toward infrastructure they can actually use. In another X post, X Finance Bull cited Ripple executive Luke Judges, who said that the total tokenized RWA value on the XRP Ledger is already closer to $3.75 billion. The pundit remarked that the goal is for the XRP Ledger to rank first in total RWA value, while the network currently ranks 5th. Ripple is currently one of the projects tokenizing on the XRP Ledger with its RLUSD stablecoin, which has a total value of almost $382 million on the network. Ondo Finance has also tokenized its short-term government treasuries on the XRP Ledger, with a total value of $323 million. Justtoken’s JMWH is the largest tokenized asset on the XRP Ledger with a total value of $1.76 billion. The token represents real-world energy-backed transactions. Justtoken also focuses on tokenizing several commodities. Milestone Unlikely To Impact XRP Price For Now Crypto analyst Egrag Crypto stated that XRP’s wave 2 move to the downside is not done yet, signaling that this XRPL milestone is unlikely to impact price for now. The analyst also mentioned that the market is not done shaking out weak hands, with XRP’s momentum still stalling and the structure weakening. Related Reading: The Crash Is Over? XRP Price About To Hit ‘Significant Bottom’ Commenting on the current price action, Egrag Crypto stated that XRP is sitting inside the red flag zone between $1.46 and $1.80. The key levels to watch are $1.46 (immediate support), $1.13 (confirming a breakdown), and $0.90 to $0.73 (likely the wave 2 completion). The analyst noted that the bearish path is preferred for now. As such, XRP losing $1.46 is likely to trigger a continuation lower toward $1.13, then a drop below $1. This is expected to trigger a deep Wave 2 reset before expansion. Meanwhile, a bullish invalidation will occur if XRP reclaims the $1.80-$2 range and closes weekly above it. This will then lead to a Wave 3 expansion, with targets of $5, $8, and $13. At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $1.39, down over 2% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com
A wave of crypto hacks hitting decentralized finance platforms in April has renewed an old argument: should stablecoin companies step in when stolen money passes through their systems? That question is now front and center again after Tether, the world’s largest stablecoin issuer, revealed it froze over $340 million in dollar-pegged tokens at the direct request of US law enforcement officials. Related Reading: Shariah-Compliant Stablecoin PUSD Moves Into MidEast Institutional Arena Community Divided Over Stablecoin Control The freeze targeted two separate wallet addresses. Tether said the funds were linked to unlawful conduct but gave no further detail about what the accounts were suspected of doing or who controlled them. The company coordinates freezes when it finds credible ties to sanctioned entities, criminal networks, or other illegal activity, according to its published policy. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino defended the action in a statement released alongside the announcement. “When credible links to sanctioned entities or criminal networks are identified, we act immediately and decisively,” he said. The company did not respond to further requests for comment. The freeze was carried out in coordination with the Office of Foreign Assets Control, a US Treasury agency responsible for enforcing economic sanctions. That makes this more than a routine compliance move — it signals active cooperation between a major crypto firm and federal authorities at a time when regulatory pressure on the industry continues to mount. Not everyone welcomed the news. Crypto media outlet Truth for The Commoner pushed back sharply. “Your stablecoins are not your stablecoins. They never were,” the outlet posted on social media. The reaction reflects a tension that has existed since centralized stablecoins became widely used — the tokens may sit on a blockchain, but the company behind them holds a master switch. 3/ On April 1, 2026, Drift Protocol was exploited for $280M. The exploiter used CCTP to bridge 232M+ USDC from Solana to Ethereum across 100+ transactions over six consecutive hours. 10+ additional DeFi protocols across the Solana ecosystem were indirectly impacted. Despite the… https://t.co/RLDwKghzjo — ZachXBT (@zachxbt) April 3, 2026 A Debate Rekindled By A $280 Million Hack The announcement comes weeks after one of the month’s most damaging incidents — the Drift Protocol exploit, which drained $280 million from the platform. That attack put Circle, the issuer of the USDC stablecoin, under a different kind of scrutiny. Onchain analyst ZachXBT publicly criticized Circle for failing to freeze USDC funds after the attacker routed stolen money through Circle’s own native bridge over six consecutive hours. Related Reading: Consistent XRP Buys Could Deliver Outsized Gains By 2030: Finance Expert “No USDC was frozen,” ZachXBT noted, arguing that centralized issuers have a responsibility to act quickly when hacks are in progress. The criticism drew wide attention across the crypto community and intensified calls for clearer standards around when and how stablecoin issuers should intervene. Featured image from MetaAI, chart from TradingView
A dollar-linked stablecoin built to meet Islamic finance standards is now operating on a new blockchain network anchored in the Middle East, adding a second digital currency to a settlement platform backed by some of Abu Dhabi’s biggest financial names. Related Reading: Consistent XRP Buys Could Deliver Outsized Gains By 2030: Finance Expert Backed By Gulf Currencies, Not Just The Dollar PUSD, issued by Palm Azgar Finance, holds reserves in Saudi riyals and UAE dirhams — both pegged to the US dollar — rather than holding US dollars directly. That structure is central to its Shariah-compliant design, which is aimed at institutions operating under Islamic finance rules that prohibit interest and require asset backing. The stablecoin has roughly $2.3 billion in circulation and runs on several major blockchains, including Ethereum, BNB Chain, Solana, and Tron. ADI Chain is its newest addition. ADI Chain was built as a settlement layer for a dirham-backed token that came out of a partnership between International Holding Company and First Abu Dhabi Bank. The Central Bank of the UAE licensed it. With PUSD now on board, institutions using the network can settle transactions in either a dollar-linked or dirham-denominated token operating on the same platform. The ADI Foundation says the network is designed to support payment corridors across the Gulf, broader Middle East, and parts of Africa. A $3 Trillion Market In The Crosshairs Islamic finance assets are estimated at more than $3 trillion worldwide, according to the ADI Foundation. That market has traditionally been served by conventional banks and funds operating under Shariah guidelines, but blockchain-based alternatives have struggled to break through at scale. Sharia Law At A Glance Shariah law forbids interest, limits speculation, and requires financial instruments to be backed by real assets — rules that disqualify most crypto products outright. For a stablecoin to meet that standard, it must hold verifiable reserves and generate no interest-based returns. Certification from a board of qualified Islamic scholars is typically required, though the report does not confirm whether PUSD has obtained one. PUSD’s move onto ADI Chain is a bid to change that, targeting corporate treasuries, exchanges, and payment processors looking for compliant digital settlement tools. The UAE has become one of the more active regulatory environments for stablecoins. Several frameworks have been put in place by the Central Bank and the Abu Dhabi Global Market, covering both dirham-pegged and dollar-denominated tokens. Related Reading: A New Phase For XRP? Integrations Keep Rolling In Across The Ecosystem Global Players Already In The UAE Space Approvals have also been extended to established names. Tether, Ripple USD, and Circle have all been cleared to operate within the ADGM financial zone by its Financial Services Regulatory Authority. That puts PUSD in a field that includes some of the largest stablecoin issuers in the world, competing for a share of institutional transaction flow in one of the region’s most active financial hubs. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
US banking groups are pressing regulators to slow parts of the federal rollout of the GENIUS Act, opening a new front in their broader fight over how far stablecoins should be allowed to move into territory long dominated by bank deposits. On April 22, the American Bankers Association (ABA) and three other banking trade groups […]
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As global payment systems face pressure to become faster, cheaper, and less dependent on legacy intermediaries, attention is returning to blockchain-based alternatives. While countries explore alternatives to traditional systems, digital assets are increasingly entering the conversation, and XRP is drawing attention. Recent reports around early testing in Russia have sparked fresh discussion about whether XRP could play a larger role in the future of international payments. Connections between Ripple’s technology and Russia have surfaced through a mix of central bank experimentation and academic research. SMQKE, a market commentator on X, has revealed that in 2018, the Bank of Russia conducted a test on the Ripple platform in its Novosibirsk innovation laboratory, evaluating its potential for cross-border settlements. This outcome suggests it could serve as the basis for such a system pending resolution of organizational, legal, and technical barriers. What Russia’s Early Tests Could Mean For XRP Adoption Beyond central bank trials, Ripple and XRP have also been highlighted in institutional circles. A report from JPMorgan Chase, reportedly shared exclusively with Mihail Turlakov at Sterbank of Russia, mentioned Ripple for its speed, low cost, and liquidity advantages. This positions it as a compelling digital asset for financial institutions at scale and a potential disruptor in global cross-border payments. Related Reading: How XRP Ledger Positions Itself At The Center Of Institutional Capital Flows Academic interest further reinforces this narrative. A 2020 paper from Southern Federal University presented at the FETDE 2020 conference examined blockchain adoption in Russia, giving specific attention to XRP’s role as a bridge currency for payments. Meanwhile, the paper also referenced the spam protection tool on the Ripple network. Coverage from CoinDesk points to a deeper strategic shift at Ripple centered on vertical integration across the financial stack. BankXRP mentioned a series of 2025 acquisitions involving Hidden Road for prime brokerage with $3 trillion in annual clearing, GTreasury for treasury management with $13 trillion in payments volume, and Rail for stablecoin payments infrastructure. These moves create end-to-end control over custody, liquidity, and settlement. This enables Ripple to integrate its RLUSD stablecoin, which is designed to enable near-instant cross-border payments with fewer intermediaries than traditional correspondent banking systems. Furthermore, this approach positions Ripple as an institutional financial stack provider rather than just a payments or stablecoin company, as detailed in the CoinDesk Data report commissioned by Ripple. A New Institutional Execution Tool Arrives For XRP Coinbase is set to introduce a Trade at Settlement (TAS) feature for XRP futures on May 1, 2026, marking a major step forward for regulated institutional execution. Related Reading: A Collection Of Ripple Developments That Suggests XRP Is A Solid Buy BankXRP has also mentioned that this new TAS mechanism tool allows institutional participants to execute block trades at the official settlement price, rather than being exposed to unpredictable intraday volatility. Featured image from iStock, chart from Tradingview.com
“Pay attention. FOMO.” That was the blunt message from XRPL validator Vet, posted to X this week, as a string of major platforms moved to add XRP and XRP Ledger support across payments, exchanges, and self-custody tools. Related Reading: Consistent XRP Buys Could Deliver Outsized Gains By 2030: Finance Expert He was not talking about Ripple’s own products. He was pointing to independent adoption — and the list is getting harder to ignore. Binance And Bitget Expand Their XRPL Footprint Binance completed its integration of RLUSD — Ripple’s enterprise stablecoin — directly on the XRP Ledger back in February. Since then, trading pairs including RLUSD/USDT and RLUSD/XRP have gone live on the exchange, giving users faster and cheaper ways to move funds within the ecosystem. I’m not talking about Ripple products. I’m referring to XRPL integrations on Binance, Bitget, Rakuten Wallet, Exodus etc Pay attention, Fomo. — Vet (@Vet_X0) April 21, 2026 Bitget Wallet has since followed, adding the XRPL mainnet to its platform and enabling XRP and RLUSD transfers alongside cross-chain options. Reports indicate the wallet is also working with Ripple’s ecosystem to push RLUSD adoption further, including through real-world payment options like QR code transactions, crypto card payments, and bank transfers. Non stop wave of XRP integrations on various platforms, payment providers, exchanges and what not. Sometimes with XRPL issued asset support when it makes sense. Focus is on having XRP front and center. This will pay off when decades start happening in weeks again. — Vet (@Vet_X0) April 21, 2026 Exodus Movement expanded its own XRP Ledger support on April 16, rolling out upgraded tools for managing and moving XRP within its self-custody wallet. The update also brought RLUSD support to the platform for the first time. According to Exodus, XRP is already among the most actively used assets on its platform — and the new features were built in direct response to user demand. Rakuten Opens XRP To 44 Million Users In Japan Perhaps the single biggest development came from Japan. On April 14, Rakuten — one of the country’s largest e-commerce companies — brought XRP into its payment network through its subsidiary, Rakuten Wallet. Users can now spend XRP at more than 5 million merchant locations, trade it within the app, and convert Rakuten loyalty points into XRP. That last feature connects the token to one of Japan’s most widely used rewards systems, where trillions of points are already in circulation. The move puts XRP in front of more than 44 million users at once. These developments span a range of functions — trading, payments, transfers, and asset storage — across platforms that serve users well beyond the core crypto audience. Related Reading: Bitcoin Set For Stronger Week, Eyes $88K On Stable Macro Backdrop: Analyst A Pattern Building Toward The Next Market Cycle Vet, who runs a validator node on the XRP Ledger, framed the current stretch of activity as something to watch closely before market conditions shift. His post did not forecast a price move. It simply pointed to the pace of adoption and suggested that its full weight may not be felt until trading volumes pick up again. Featured image from Meta, chart from TradingView
David Schwartz, the former Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Ripple, has addressed recent concerns over DeFi bridge security, reassuring XRP Ledger (XRPL) users that the network is not exposed to attacks like those linked to the Kelp DAO exploit. He emphasized that vulnerability in cross-chain bridge systems largely depends on how they are designed and implemented, as well as on the level of reliance on external bridge infrastructure. How XRP Users Remain Protected From Kelp DAO-Related Exploits In an X post on April 20, Schwartz provided context on how users in the XRP Ledger (XRPL) ecosystem are positioned differently from those exposed to cross-chain risks in Kelp DAO exploits. The discussion follows concerns in the DeFi space after Kelp DAO suffered a major security breach tied to vulnerabilities in its bridging infrastructure. This hack resulted in approximately $292 million in rsETH tokens being stolen from the protocol and immediately used as debt collateral on Aave, a lending protocol. Related Reading: What’s Really Going On With Ripple’s XRP Ledger And Are Investors Coming Back? Schwartz noted that his past evaluations of DeFi bridging systems, including those considered for Ripple’s stablecoin RLUSD, were heavily focused on security design. According to his assessment, many of these systems already had strong mechanisms to prevent the type of fraudulent cross-chain message manipulation observed during the Kelp DAO attack. However, he noted that actual protection depends on whether projects fully activate those safeguards. The ex-Ripple CTO also pointed to a recurring issue in DeFi infrastructures, where security features exist but are often practiced optionally. He noted that most bridge providers tend to promote their systems as “super safe,” while also emphasizing ease of use and fast deployment across different blockchains. In reality, some of these stronger security settings are left optional or disabled. As a result, Schwartz noted that many developers sometimes choose simpler configurations instead of fully enabling the full set of available security options. He added that, due to the trade-off between convenience and the costs of operational complexity, some teams avoid more robust setups. In his view, this creates a serious gap and can leave systems exposed to attacks that the underlying design was intended to prevent. For XRP Ledger users, Schwartz noted that the blockchain’s reliance on bridge security systems is significantly reduced. As a result, exposure to vulnerabilities similar to the Kelp DAO incident is structurally limited. How XRP Ledger Design Reduces Reliance On Bridge Systems Schwartz has noted a structural difference in how the XRP Ledger operates compared to many DeFi ecosystems that depend on external bridges. In systems like Kelp DAO’s rsETH setup, assets move across chains through third-party bridge protocols, which introduce additional points of failure if verification rules are not strictly enforced. Related Reading: Pundit Says This Chart Paints The Clearest Macro Picture For XRP In contrast, the XRP Ledger is designed with built-in transaction finality and does not rely on the same type of external cross-chain messaging infrastructure for its core functions. This significantly reduces the ledger’s exposure to security breaches and exploits that target tricking bridge validators or falsifying cross-chain instructions. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
A White House digital assets official has slammed the traditional banking sector's continued opposition to the proposed stablecoin yield compromise in the CLARITY Act. On April 17, Patrick Witt, the executive director of the White House Presidential Advisory Committee on Digital Assets, accused the financial institutions of “greed or ignorance” due to their intensified lobbying […]
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Stablecoin supply climbed to a record $320 billion this week, extending the continued surge in dollar-linked digital assets. This comes as one of the biggest questions hanging over the sector remains unresolved in Washington: whether the income generated by the reserves backing those tokens should stay with issuers or be shared with users. Nonetheless, the […]
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As the global financial system moves toward greater efficiency, interoperability, and real-time settlement, the infrastructure behind domestic payments is undergoing a profound transformation. Governments and institutions are setting ambitious 2030 targets to modernize payment systems. In this evolving landscape, Ripple Payments is increasingly being positioned as a technology capable of supporting the next generation of domestic financial rails. Where Ripple Payments Is Already Being Implemented Ripple payments are positioned to support the domestic payment standards set by the G20 for 2030. A technical analyst known as ChartNerd on X has noted that the G20 overview for those standards requires cost, speed, efficiency, and access. Meanwhile, these are the same areas where Ripple technology and XRP are designed to thrive and deliver. Related Reading: Ripple Pushes XRP Global With Multi-Continent Expansion Drive By 2027, the G20 aims for 75% of cross-border transactions to be completed within one hour, while reducing the global average transaction cost to not more than one cent. At the same time, 90% 0f individuals worldwide are expected to have access to cross-border remittance payments, and at least with one service provider. Transparency is also a major requirement. All payment providers must clearly disclose the total transaction costs, enable payment tracking, and specify the exact time to deliver funds. In 2025, both RippleNet and Stellar were recognized by the Faster Payments System (FPS) as innovative payment solutions. Pioneering Korea’s First Tokenized Government Bond Settlement Ripple and Kyobo Life Insurance are stepping in to pioneer Korea’s first tokenized government bond settlement. According to Chad Steingraber’s post, Kyobo Life and Ripple will actively assess the technical and regulatory feasibility of tokenized treasury settlement in Korea’s financial ecosystem. Related Reading: Ripple Makes A $13 Trillion Bet With This Move, And XRP Price Could Be Set To Explode At the core of this initiative is Ripple Custody, which will provide a secure, compliant foundation for holding, transferring, and settling tokenized assets. Instead of relying on fragmented and manual bond settlement processes, the partner introduces transparent on-chain execution. Over time, this infrastructure can integrate with broader capabilities across payments, liquidity, and treasury management. Steingraber emphasized that this initiative provides a clear blueprint for how regulated financial institutions can adopt digital asset infrastructure. Starting with custody, the model expands into tokenization and on-chain settlement. This partnership demonstrates how blockchain technology can fundamentally modernize government bond settlement in Korea. By settling transactions simultaneously, settlement cycles can move from the typical two-day settlement timeline to real-time execution, thereby limiting counterparty risk and improving capital efficiency. Additionally, Ripple will support Kyobo in exploring stablecoin-based payment rails, enabling 24/7 transaction capability within a compliant, regulated framework. Steingraber views this move as an alignment with Kyobo Life’s broader strategy to accelerate digital transformation and enhance operational efficiency through next-generation financial infrastructure. Featured image from Peakpx, chart from Tradingview.com
The Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI) has released a new policy proposal for the United States aimed at establishing what it calls “stablecoin supremacy.” The proposal, published on Wednesday, is structured around five policy areas and comes on the heels of the already-enacted GENIUS Act. Bitcoin Policy Institute Warning At the center of BPI’s argument is the claim that regulated stablecoins can help extend US oversight over offshore dollar markets. In the institute’s view, doing so would not only reduce systemic risks but also blunt what it frames as China’s push into digital currency. The BPI describes how offshore banks can create dollar-denominated credit on their own, capture the profits from intermediation, and rely on the Federal Reserve (Fed) as a kind of implicit backstop when the system strains. BPI characterizes this setup as a serious vulnerability for the US economy. Because of that, the institute argues that regulated stablecoins offer the United States a tool for restructuring the underlying dynamic. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price Breaks Higher: What The Market Data Says Could Happen Next Under the GENIUS Act, signed into law in July 2025, BPI says stablecoin issuers must maintain 100% reserves in instruments such as Treasury bills, Treasury repo, or insured deposits. The law also prohibits issuers from lending against those reserves. BPI says the result is that when a foreign individual or corporation holds a GENIUS-compliant stablecoin instead of placing funds in a Eurodollar deposit, the relevant Treasury security sits on the balance sheet of a US-regulated entity rather than feeding the offshore system’s ability to multiply credit. In BPI’s framing, the dollar value can move around the world, but the reserve stays “home,” reducing what it calls the external vulnerability dimension of the Triffin Dilemma. Stablecoin Supremacy Blueprint BPI further links the stablecoin case to broader competitive pressures in digital assets. It notes that China’s digital yuan now pays interest to holders and that China’s Cross-Border Interbank Payment System processes transactions across 190 countries. The institute also points to Europe’s MiCA regime, arguing it provides a framework for euro-denominated stablecoins that is, in some respects, more advanced than current US implementation. Taken together, BPI says these developments weaken American influence over the “rails” where money actually moves—an area BPI calls both the most contested and most fragile part of dollar dominance. To respond, the institute proposes a framework to advance stablecoin supremacy across five policy areas. First, it calls for hardening GENIUS Act implementation by building a backstop architecture. BPI describes this as creating committed repo lines with primary dealers and establishing a path to Federal Reserve Standing Repo Facility access, with the goal of making compliant stablecoins more attractive than offshore alternatives. Second, BPI proposes that the United States export stablecoins rather than Eurodollar deposits in international trade settlement. The aim, according to the institute, would be to pull Treasury demand back onshore and eliminate what it describes as the offshore credit multiplier on marginal dollar flows. Related Reading: What Presidio Bitcoin Found About Quantum Computing: Threat Timeline And Next Steps Third, BPI argues for a fee and rewards approach that allows regulated stablecoins to compete with interest-bearing Eurodollar deposits and even China’s digital yuan—while still staying within the GENIUS Act’s statutory interest prohibition. Fourth, the proposal addresses decentralized finance (DeFi) risks. BPI warns about DeFi credit multiplication and calls for smart-contract-level restrictions and enforcement “chokepoints” to ensure unregulated protocols cannot replicate the Eurodollar multiplier on blockchain networks. Finally, BPI says the US should preserve foreign currency sovereignty by supporting local monetary systems alongside stablecoin adoption. The institute frames this as a way to ensure stablecoin integration acts as shared economic development rather than financial coercion. In the institute’s view, these goals can be achieved without issuing additional sovereign debt to foreign governments or expanding the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
On-chain data shows the Ethereum versions of USDT and USDC, the two largest stablecoins, have seen their active addresses fall to the lowest level of 2026. USDC & USDT Active Addresses Have Fallen On The Ethereum Network In a new post on X, on-chain analytics firm Santiment has talked about the latest trend in the Daily Active Addresses for the Ethereum versions of USDT and USDC. This indicator measures the daily total number of addresses participating in some kind of transaction activity on the network. Related Reading: Bitcoin Whales Ramp Up Accumulation: Holdings Hit 2-Month High When the value of this metric goes up, it means more addresses are coming online on the blockchain every day. Such a trend implies user interest in the cryptocurrency is rising. On the other hand, the indicator observing a decline suggests holders of the asset are reducing their transaction activity as fewer of them are making moves on the network. Now, here is the chart shared by Santiment that shows the trend in this metric for USDT and USDC on the Ethereum blockchain over the last few months: As displayed in the above graph, both the top two stablecoins have seen a drawdown in the Daily Active Addresses, suggesting activity related to them has declined. More specifically, the metric has dropped to 202,300 for USDT and 109,300 for USDC. Both these values are the lowest that they have been since December. Stablecoins occupy a different spot in the sector than volatile assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum; investors use them when they want to stash their capital away from the volatility associated with the other cryptocurrencies. Because of this reason, stablecoins are often considered to represent the “dry powder” sitting on the sidelines in the digital asset sector. Whenever these tokens are on the move, it means investors are either stashing away capital or injecting it into the volatile side. Given that the Daily Active Addresses has plunged for the Ethereum blockchain version of USDT and USDC recently, it would appear that there isn’t much demand for stablecoin-related swaps right now. Interestingly, this trend has come alongside a recovery surge in Ethereum and other assets. As such, it’s possible that the volatility could soon ignite fresh activity in the space. As Santiment explained: With Bitcoin making good momentum today and pushing toward $75K, expect for traders’ buying power to pick up a bit as they look to take more chances. More volatility means more ‘dry powder’ being moved. Related Reading: Huge XRP Bull Market Ahead? Analyst Flags ‘Ultimate’ Buy Zone In related news, USDT has seen its market cap reverse course recently, as CryptoQuant community analyst Maartunn has highlighted in an X post. The trend in the 60-day market cap change for USDT | Source: @JA_Maartun on X From the chart, it’s apparent that the 60-day change in the USDT market cap was negative earlier, but it’s just now starting to make its way back into the positive territory. ETH Price At the time of writing, Ethereum is floating around $2,300, up 10% in the last seven days. Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView.com
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has moved to translate the country’s first crypto bill for stablecoins, the GENIUS Act, into concrete regulatory guidance for banks and their fintech subsidiaries that wish to use or issue stablecoins. In a notice of proposed rulemaking approved by the FDIC Board, the agency lays out “a prudential framework” for FDIC‑supervised permitted payment stablecoin issuers (PPSIs) and for insured depository institutions (IDIs) that provide custodial or safekeeping services tied to payment stablecoins. FDIC Issues GENIUS Act Rules The proposal addresses several core areas required under the GENIUS Act, including the composition and treatment of reserve assets, redemption mechanics, capital considerations, and enterprise‑level risk management expectations. It also clarifies how deposit insurance will apply to funds held as reserves backing payment stablecoins: the FDIC would make clear whether pass‑through insurance applies in those circumstances. Related Reading: Ethereum Ascending Channel Puts Price At $5,700, Analyst Reveals When To Sell In addition, the rule states that tokenized deposits that meet the statutory definition of “deposit” will be treated under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act the same as any other deposits, removing uncertainty about whether digital‑native forms of deposits would face different treatment. The FDIC’s rulemaking is narrowly focused on entities subject to its supervision: subsidiaries of insured State nonmember banks and state savings associations, collectively described as FDIC‑supervised IDIs, that receive approval to issue stablecoins through a subsidiary. Last December, the agency published a prior notice of proposed rulemaking under section 5 of the GENIUS Act to establish application procedures for such IDIs seeking approval to issue payment stablecoins. AML Certification For Stablecoin Issuers On capital, the FDIC is not yet prescribing a specific minimum capital amount, ratio, or an objective framework for minimum capital requirements. Instead, the agency is soliciting feedback on whether to create such a framework in future regulations. The proposed rule would also require a permitted payment stablecoin issuer to certify that it has implemented anti‑money‑laundering (AML) and sanctions compliance programs reasonably designed to prevent the issuer from facilitating money laundering or the financing of terrorism. Related Reading: Forget XRP Price Weakness, Investors Are Still Pouring In, And Wallet Figures Just Hit An Impressive Target The 197-page proposal further addresses technical and supervisory questions that have been a source of concern among stablecoin issuers, while leaving open some of the more complex calibration issues, like minimum capital quantification, for further consideration through the public comment process. By proposing this package of rules, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is advancing the statutory mandate under the GENIUS Act to build a federal regulatory framework for payment stablecoins. The act requires the FDIC, alongside the other primary federal payment stablecoin regulators and the Department of the Treasury, to promulgate regulations establishing prudential standards for supervised entities that issue or materially support payment stablecoins. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
Circle’s USDC added roughly $2 billion in supply during the first quarter of 2026, pulling ahead of rival Tether at a moment when the broader crypto market was contracting. It marked the sharpest divergence between the two largest stablecoin issuers since the bear market of mid-2022. Related Reading: Bitcoin Stumbles Hard: The Worst Q1 In Years Raises Big Questions USDC Gains As Tether Loses Ground While USDC grew, Tether’s USDT shed approximately $3 billion over the same period. Reports indicate USDC has been gaining traction in trading and on-chain transactions, with transfer activity hitting a record high in February. The shift aligns with growing institutional preference for a US-regulated issuer as Congress moves closer to passing stablecoin legislation. Total stablecoin supply reached $315 billion by the end of March, up about $8 billion from the prior quarter, according to CEX.io data. Growth was slower than at any point since late 2023, but it was still growth — at a time when most other corners of the crypto market were shrinking. Stablecoins also captured 75% of all crypto trading volume in Q1, the highest share ever recorded. Data shows investors rotated into dollar-pegged assets as a defensive move, choosing to stay inside the crypto ecosystem rather than exit it entirely. Total stablecoin transaction volume for the quarter topped $28 trillion, extending a run that has seen stablecoins process more value annually than Visa and Mastercard combined. Yield-Bearing Products Fuel New Supply A significant portion of fresh issuance came not from USDC or USDT, but from yield-bearing stablecoins — products that pay returns similar to interest-bearing accounts. That segment is now valued at around $3.7 billion, with daily trading volumes exceeding $100 million, based on CoinGecko data. The growth has drawn pushback from traditional banks, which have been lobbying Congress against stablecoins that offer returns, arguing they function more like financial instruments than payment tools. The debate is unresolved, and its outcome could determine how much room yield-bearing products have to grow inside the US market. Related Reading: XRP Could Soon Enter Arizona’s Treasury — Here’s What’s Happening Retail Activity Drops As Automated Trading Rises Not all of the quarter’s numbers pointed upward. Retail-sized transfers — those associated with individual users — fell 16%, the steepest single-quarter decline on record. Automated trading and algorithmic activity filled much of that gap, accounting for approximately 75% of all stablecoin transaction volume during the period. CEX.io’s report frames the overall picture as one of structural growth under pressure — a market where institutional and automated flows are increasingly driving the numbers, even as everyday participation fades. Featured image from Meta, chart from TradingView
The StakeStone (STO) price has surged by over 500% in the past week, drawing attention to the token’s ecosystem. The altcoin’s rally comes ahead of a significant token unlock, which could put selling pressure on the token and drive its price down. Why The StakeStone (STO) Price Is Surging The StakeStone (STO) price has surged by over 500% in the last week amid bullish fundamentals in its ecosystem, as noted by market analyst Neel. One of these developments includes StakeStone’s launch of version 2.0 of its protocol earlier this year. The staking protocol version enables gasless transactions, social login, and AI-powered yield optimization across 20 blockchains. Related Reading: Greatest Wealth Transfer Is about To Happen For Altcoins, Analyst Warns Neel further mentioned that the StakeStone (STO) price has surged because of the protocol’s partnership with Trump’s World Liberty to provide cross-chain liquidity infrastructure for the USD1 stablecoin. This represents a huge positive for the token’s ecosystem as USD1 has a circulating supply of $4.3 billion. StakeStone will act as a liquidity rail that moves the stablecoin across different networks. Neel pointed out that another reason why the StakeStone (STO) price is surging is that the liquid staking and yield narrative is gaining momentum again this year. As such, smart money is rotating into this sector and investing in altcoins like STO. On-chain analytics platform Lookonchain drew attention to a fresh wallet that withdrew 25.5 million STO, 11.32% of the circulating supply, from Binance earlier this week. Activity in the futures market is also driving the StakeStone (STO) price surge. CoinGlass data show that top traders on Binance are currently bullish on StakeStone, with the traders’ long/short ratio above 1. The altcoin’s derivative volume has surged by over 500% to $3.44 billion, while open interest has climbed by almost 300% to $332 million. Price At Risk Of A Decline With Upcoming Unlock The StakeStone (STO) price is at risk of significant selling pressure due to an upcoming token unlock. Cryptorank data shows that 20.17 million STO tokens, 2.02% of the total supply, will be unlocked tomorrow. At current prices, these tokens are worth $18.22 million and represent 8.95% of the altcoin’s market cap. Meanwhile, it is worth noting that almost 70% of the token’s supply is yet to be unlocked. Related Reading: Signal That Led To Last 2 Altcoin Seasons Has Returned, And Here’s How Bitcoin Fits In Most of the tokens that will be unlocked tomorrow will go to investors, while the Foundation and Team also have some allocation from tomorrow’s unlock. Crypto analyst Anti-Moon opined that the team and investors were likely pushing the StakeStone (STO) price up since they will want to sell the altcoin at higher prices. At the time of writing, the StakeStone price is trading at around $0.8465, up over 285% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com
As of late March 2026, Ripple’s dollar-pegged stablecoin had 1.41 billion tokens in circulation, backed by roughly $1.57 billion in reserves — a surplus that points to a stablecoin holding more cash than it owes. Related Reading: Bitcoin ETFs Pull In $56B As CEO Pitches Crypto Over Gold Deloitte Steps In To Verify The Numbers The bigger validation came weeks earlier. On February 27, Deloitte — one of the world’s largest accounting firms — confirmed that RLUSD held $1.568 billion in reserves against 1.49 billion tokens. The Big 4 firm also checked an earlier snapshot from February 19, when the supply stood at 1.54 billion tokens, backed by $1.60 billion in reserves. Both figures showed the same pattern: more money in reserve than tokens outstanding. The attestation was not a full audit. It was a point-in-time check confirming that reported figures matched reserve assets on those two specific dates. Still, having Deloitte sign off carries weight, especially for a stablecoin still building its track record. What The Regulators Require RLUSD operates under a license from the New York State Department of Financial Services, which sets strict rules on how reserve assets can be held. Issuers must keep funds in segregated accounts and limit their holdings to low-risk instruments. Eligible options include short-term US Treasuries, overnight reverse repurchase agreements, insured bank deposits, and approved money-market funds. According to Deloitte’s report, RLUSD’s reserve structure meets all of those requirements. The NYDFS framework is considered one of the tougher regulatory regimes for stablecoins in the US. Passing that standard — and having it verified by an outside firm — gives institutional users a clearer picture of what backs the tokens they hold. Ripple Follows A Trend Already In Motion Ripple is not alone in going this route. Earlier this year, Tether selected KPMG to examine the reserves behind USDT, its own dollar-pegged token, as part of a push into the US market. Data shows that stablecoin issuers across the board are moving toward third-party verification, driven partly by growing regulatory pressure and in part by competition for trust among large financial institutions. Related Reading: Bitcoin Mining Nationalized? US Senators Float Bold New Reserve-Backed Bill RLUSD remains far smaller than USDT or USDC by market size. But consistent reserve surpluses and a clean regulatory record are exactly the kind of credentials that tend to attract banks and payment firms looking for a stablecoin they can rely on. The numbers check out — now Ripple needs the market to take notice. Featured image from Meta, chart from TradingView
Hong Kong’s first stablecoin issuer licenses have been delayed, even as regulators continue reviewing applications from major financial institutions. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) had targeted March 2026 for approvals, but authorities are now extending the timeline to ensure stricter compliance, risk checks, and transparency requirements. Hong Kong Stablecoin License Delay Raises Compliance Focus …
Crypto analyst Sweep has revealed that 20 Bitcoin indicators have flashed bullish at the same time, providing a bullish outlook for the leading crypto. Based on this development, the analyst has predicted that BTC could rally to $150,000, marking a new all-time high (ATH). 20 Bitcoin Indicators Hint At Rally To $150,000 In an X post, Sweep stated that 20 independent indicators are bullish at the same time. He noted that this has only happened three times in Bitcoin’s history, and each time was followed by a 300% rally. The first of this indicator is the Global M2 money supply, which just hit an all-time high (ATH) while BTC is still lagging. Related Reading: None Of The 30 Bitcoin Market Peak Indicators Have Been Hit, So Why Did The Price Crash? Sweep further revealed that the Dollar Index is at 100, the exact level that preceded 500% rallies twice before. Another bullish indicator is that BTC’s exchange reserves have fallen to a 7-year low, with only 2.1 million BTC remaining across all crypto exchanges. The drop in these exchange reserves has come as whales bought 270,000 BTC over 30 days, the largest accumulation wave since 2013. Another bullish indicator is that the Fear and Greed index has been stuck at extreme fear for 46 straight days, currently at 12. Bitcoin’s weekly RSI has printed 27.48, the third time in history that it has been this low. Furthermore, funding rates have been negative for weeks, with traders paying fees to short BTC. Meanwhile, Sweep also mentioned that the stablecoin supply has hit an all-time high of $320 billion, with supply sitting on the sidelines. Miners have been in capitulation for 4 months straight, the longest stretch this cycle. At the same time, the hash rate is recovering from a 22% decline. The Macro Angle For BTC Sweep mentioned bullish macro indicators, such as the Fed ending quantitative tightening, draining the reverse repo from $2.5 trillion to nearly zero, and resuming purchases of Treasury bills. Furthermore, Consumer confidence is in the second-lowest zone ever recorded in 70 years of data, while the ISM manufacturing is back in expansion for the first time in 40 months. Related Reading: The Last Time Bitcoin Sentiment Was This Bad Was 2022, But There Was A Silver Lining Another bullish indicator is that the Bitcoin ETF flows have turned positive in March, with $2.5 billion in inflows. SoSoValue data shows that the BTC ETFs are on course to end a streak of four consecutive months of outflows. Sweep mentioned that BTC has just printed 5 consecutive red monthly candles, which has happened only once and led to a 308% rally afterwards. Lastly, 92% of short-term holders are underwater. The analyst noted that the last time this many signals aligned was in November 2022, when Bitcoin was trading at $16,000. Since then, BTC has pumped to a new ATH of $126,000. At the time of writing, the Bitcoin price is trading at around $67,500, down in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com
Ethereum investor Stanley Druckenmiller has added his voice to the growing conversation around the future of digital finance, predicting that stablecoins could become the dominant force in global payment systems within the next few years. The veteran investor’s outlook reflects a broader shift among institutions and market participants toward viewing blockchain-based money as a critical financial infrastructure. Why Stablecoins Could Replace Traditional Payment Rails Stanley Druckenmiller, a prominent investor with exposure to Ethereum, is increasingly aligning his investment positioning with his outlook on the future of payments; one dominated by stablecoins and blockchain infrastructure. According to the Etherealize post on X, the veteran investor has publicly stated that stablecoins could power the entire payment system within the next 10 to 15 years. He further pointed to the clear advantages of blockchain-based money, such as greater efficiency, faster settlement, and significantly lower costs. Related Reading: Ethereum Remains The Top Network For Tokenized Assets As Adoption Grows This view is reflected in his exposure of the ETH ecosystem, in which Druckenmiller is listed among key backers of BitMine (BMNR), an Ethereum-focused treasury firm chaired by Tom Lee, which reportedly holds over $10 billion in ETH. Other notable supporters include ARK Invest and Bill Miller. Druckenmiller’s aligns with his recent bullish comments on stablecoins and blockchain payments. He frames blockchain and the use of stablecoins as highly practical tools for investors to invest their crypto and tokens, as they can significantly improve financial productivity. Ethereum As A Neutral Settlement Layer For Institutions The recent Cari announcement has reignited a critical debate around the future of institutional blockchain infrastructure, with much of the discussion focusing on architecture. Analyst Alex argued that the real issue lies in the business model of proprietary systems versus open standards. Related Reading: Ethereum Futures Volume Outruns Spot 6-to-1 As Macro Stress Weighs On Crypto The Government of propriety networks like Canton or Tempo will be controlled by a small group with disproportionate voting weight. They will be permissionless, but participants have to submit a Google form with opaque admission criteria to join. It’s unclear who decides this, but over time, the most influential participants will set the terms of access and pricing. From a bank’s perspective, this structure is familiar because it mirrors the early dynamics of legacy systems like SWIFT and Visa, locking in structural advantages while late joiners absorb the cost. As Alex noted, everyone wants to build the next SWIFT-killer, but nobody wants to join someone else’s SWIFT-Killer; a typical comment from banks. This is where Ethereum stands out as the only neutral settlement layer where that dynamic can’t take hold, because no single entity can capture it. The ETH network is the only place where every participant can permanently trust that no future coalition will rewrite the rules against them. From a game-theoretical standpoint, Alex concluded that ETH represents the only sustainable equilibrium as a global settlement layer for institutional finance that works long-term. Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com
Bitcoin is up 7.3% on the week, trading at $73,238. Ethereum has climbed 12.34% in seven days. The Fear and Greed Index, which was deep in Extreme Fear territory just weeks ago, has recovered to 39. Something is shifting, and the stablecoin market may have seen it coming. The Dry Powder Thesis Since the start …
A top White House official is pushing back against warnings that stablecoins will drain money from American banks — arguing the opposite is true. Related Reading: Crypto Thieves Pivot To Phishing As Protocol Hacks Decline In February Foreign Money, Domestic Gains Patrick Witt, executive director of the White House Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, posted on X this week that when foreigners convert local currencies into dollar-backed stablecoins issued by US companies, that capital flows into the American banking system, not away from it. Most US stablecoin issuers hold US dollars or Treasury securities as reserves, meaning the money lands in domestic institutions either way. “Global demand for USD is massive,” Witt wrote, calling it net new capital entering American banks. His comments came amid a heated congressional debate over the CLARITY Act and the GENIUS Act, both designed to give the crypto industry clearer regulatory ground to stand on. Lost in the rewards/yield debate is how GENIUS-compliant stablecoins will actually lead to deposit inflows. Global demand for USD is massive. Foreigners exchange local currency for stablecoins from a US-based issuer. That is net new capital entering the American banking system. — Patrick Witt (@patrickjwitt) March 12, 2026 The Fear Behind The Legislation Not everyone shares that view. Standard Chartered, in a recent research note, estimated that rising stablecoin adoption could shrink US bank deposits by roughly one-third of the total stablecoin market cap. For community banks that fund local mortgages and small business loans with those deposits, the figure is hard to ignore. Christopher Williston, president of the Independent Bankers Association of Texas, made that case bluntly last Friday. Giving ground in the CLARITY Act negotiations, he warned, would put local lending and community economic output at risk. The crypto industry hit back fast. Austin Campbell, founder of Zero Knowledge Consulting, argued that if small banks and the crypto sector fail to find common ground, the real winners will be large financial institutions — the ones with enough resources to outlast a regulatory standoff. Witt echoed that sentiment, writing on X that watching the two sides fight felt like watching “an arsonist threaten to burn down their own home.” Related Reading: Bitcoin Crosses 20 Million Coins Mined — And Only 1 In 20 Remains Dollar Weakness Adds Urgency The debate is playing out against a shaky backdrop for the US dollar. The US dollar index fell to 95.818 on January 28 — its lowest point in four years — before recovering to 99.468, a rebound of about 3.80%, according to TradingView data. It was up 0.46% over the five days before publication. Witt’s argument hinges on international demand holding strong. If foreign appetite for dollar-backed stablecoins keeps growing, he says, the inflows into US banks could outpace any domestic deposit shifts. Whether Congress finds that case convincing enough to act on it remains to be seen. Featured image from World, chart from TradingView
Funding will support product expansion, licensing and compliance as the company scales a platform for cross-border stablecoin payments.
Billions of dollars in fresh USDC were printed in just the first week of March — a minting pace that, if sustained, could push Circle’s total for the month past $12 billion. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s Brief Rally Isn’t The End Of The Bear Market, Analysts Say That surge is one sign of the momentum behind a broader milestone: total stablecoin transfer volume hit $1.8 trillion in February, the highest monthly figure on record. USDC Pulls Far Ahead Of Tether USDC, issued by Circle Internet Group, accounted for roughly 70% of all stablecoin transfers last month — about $1.26 trillion. Tether’s USDT logged $514 billion over the same period. That gap surprised some analysts, given that Tether holds the larger market cap by a wide margin — $184 billion compared to USDC’s $77.4 billion. According to Simon Dedic, founder of Moonrock Capital, USDC has “consistently flipped” Tether on transfer volume over the past several months. The disparity means each dollar of USDC is moving far more often than each dollar of USDT. Data from blockchain analytics firm Allium confirmed the February figures. Circle’s business has been growing fast. The company posted strong earnings for the fourth quarter of 2025, driven by rapid expansion of USDC’s payment operations. Partnerships with platforms such as Polymarket have added to that momentum. Tether’s supply, by comparison, has held relatively flat through the start of March while USDC continues to be printed at speed. What Rising Stablecoin Supply Means For Markets More stablecoins on exchanges generally means more money ready to buy crypto. On March 5 alone, roughly $5.14 billion in stablecoins flowed into exchanges — up from $1.14 billion just four days earlier on March 1. The total stablecoin supply sitting on exchanges climbed to a three-week high of $66.5 billion by Friday. Historically, big jumps in exchange stablecoin supply have preceded crypto price rallies, as sidelined capital gets redeployed into the market. Bitcoin briefly pushed toward $74,000 this week, partly lifted by that stablecoin inflow. The Stablecoin Supply Ratio — which measures Bitcoin’s market cap against total stablecoin market cap — has been recovering after a sharp drop in February. CIRCLE JUST MINTED $250M $USDC Circle just minted another $250M USDC on Solana. They’ve minted over $3 BILLION in just this first week of March. If Circle continue at this pace, they’re on track to mint over $12 Billion USDC by the end of the month. pic.twitter.com/aoQKi6zbFE — Arkham (@arkham) March 7, 2026 A Closer Look At The Numbers The February record was not just about USDC. Overall stablecoin adoption has been climbing. Florida’s state senate passed a stablecoin bill this week, which now awaits the governor’s signature. Related Reading: SEC Vs. Justin Sun Case Ends In $10M Settlement, Traders Eye TRX Price Reaction Regulatory movement at the state level, combined with growing institutional use of dollar-backed tokens for payments and settlement, has kept demand rising. USDC’s $1.26 trillion in February transfers marks the highest monthly total since the stablecoin launched in September 2018. Reports indicate Circle has already minted more than $3 billion in USDC in March’s first week, with Arkham data showing one single mint of $250 million on Solana. Featured image from Bitkub Academy, chart from TradingView
Tether has landed a Big Four accounting firm’s name on a reserve report tied to its US strategy. On Feb. 27, Deloitte issued an independent accountant’s report on Anchorage Digital Bank’s “USAT Reserve Report,” an attestation covering USAT, a US dollar token issued by Anchorage Digital Bank, National Association, in collaboration with Tether. The development […]
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Social media giant Meta is quietly plotting a return to stablecoins. This time, however, the primary beneficiary may not be Mark Zuckerberg’s metaverse, but the US Treasury market. On Feb. 24, Coindesk reported that Meta was exploring stablecoin-based payments for a possible rollout in the second half of 2026, likely through a third-party provider rather […]
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Stablecoin payments firm RedotPay is reportedly considering a U.S. stock market listing that could raise up to $1 billion. The company previously secured $107 million in a Series B round led by Goodwater Capital, with participation from Pantera Capital, Blockchain Capital and Circle Ventures. RedotPay says it serves over 6 million users across 100+ markets.
According to new research from Standard Chartered, the companies behind stablecoins are on track to become some of the biggest buyers of U.S. Treasury bills. Standard Chartered suggests that the U.S. government might start selling more short-term debt to keep up with this new demand. To make room for all those extra T-bills, the Treasury …