Digital currency stories
Corporate treasurers may gain faster cross-border cash transfers after HSBC and Standard Chartered tested live tokenised deposits on Swift's ledger.
New deposit tools aim to cut transfer errors and speed up on-chain funding, as users can now move Coinbase holdings into Kraken without wallet addresses.
Backers including SC Ventures and Sony Innovation Fund are betting USD $40 million will help widen access to dollar-based payments in emerging markets.
The connector should help finance teams reconcile stablecoin transfers and AI-driven payments as blockchain settlement strains older back-office systems.
Brussels' move could reduce reliance on non-EU tech, while London's new AI minister signals tighter oversight of a fast-growing sector.
Cross-border trading in tokenised assets and stablecoins could expand after regulators on both sides of the Atlantic agreed to align standards.
Seventeen banks will test whether tokenised deposits can speed cross-border payments and extend settlement beyond normal market hours.
Broader adoption could unsettle bank funding and monetary sovereignty if privately issued tokens fail to keep money redeemable at par.
Eligible Australians can now borrow against cryptocurrency without selling it, as the product sits under the country's consumer credit rules.
Banks can add stablecoin services without overhauling core systems under a new setup that keeps customer balances off-chain and controls in-house.
Travellers buying mobile data abroad can now check out with stablecoins, as Eskimo widens payment choices for its eSIM plans.
Expansion of PointsKash's kiosk and payments network will hinge on meeting milestones to unlock a further USD $65 million from Hawk Capital Advisors.
Eligible bitcoin holders in Canada can now access up to CAD $50,000 without selling coins, though collateral calls may follow price swings.
Smaller exporters could gain faster cashflow if the test proves digital pounds and stablecoins can settle trade finance in one flow.
Faster transfers are exposing a gap in Europe's payments systems, where firms still struggle to link money movement with data, controls and accountability.
The move gives institutional clients real-time cross-currency pricing and tighter risk controls as Australia's digital asset rules harden.
Existing banking systems can already deliver most of the promised benefits of tokenised deposits, according to a Loughborough University study.
Cross-border transfers and everyday checkout payments could become quicker and cheaper if digital records of assets are widely adopted.
The approval puts Circle's custody business under federal oversight and could later support reserve management for its USDC stablecoin.
Limits on systemic issuers aim to shield credit supply as the Bank prepares a new regime for sterling stablecoins used in payments.