Digital currency stories

Banks and multinationals trial tokens to slash cross-border settlement times, as clearer rules and backing bolster wider business use.

Tether invests USD $134 million in listed stablecoin platform as stablecoin use surges past USD $300 billion and eyes public market access.

Linux Foundation takes control of Coinbase's x402 protocol as Amazon, Visa and Mastercard back open payments standard for AI-driven web transactions.

Nium unveils a stablecoin card issuance platform that lets businesses spend digital dollar balances via Visa and Mastercard through one API.

Mastercard to acquire stablecoin platform BVNK in a deal worth up to USD $1.8 billion, deepening its push into on-chain payments.

PayPal widens access to its PYUSD stablecoin, rolling it out to accounts in 70 markets to speed up and cut the cost of cross-border payments.

Ripple seeks to secure an Australian Financial Services Licence via BC Payments deal, aiming to scale regulated cross‑border payments in APAC.

Finteum hits USD $1bn in weekly intraday FX swaps as Goldman Sachs joins its liquidity platform and NatWest Group, UBS ramp up trading.

Locate Technologies is the first New Zealand-listed firm to adopt Bitcoin as its main treasury asset after moving from the ASX to the NZX for a more supportive market.

Bitcoin's classic four-year halving cycle may be evolving, with institutional demand smoothing volatility and creating a more mature market phase.

Visa partners with Nium to pilot stablecoin settlement, enabling near-real-time cross-border payments and reducing traditional delays and costs.

Mastercard partners with Thunes to enable near-instant payouts to stablecoin wallets via Mastercard Move, enhancing global digital payment options.

By 2026, AI agents will streamline one-third of B2B payments, while stablecoins and biometrics reshape global payment security and standards.

Equals Money x Railsr teams up with BVNK to enable businesses to accept USDC stablecoin payments, settled in USD within 30 seconds, simplifying crypto transactions.

Swyftx signs landmark multi-year crypto sponsorship with New Zealand Warriors, marking the first crypto deal with a pro sports team in New Zealand.

Locate Technologies appoints Janine Grainger to its board as it plans to become New Zealand's first listed Bitcoin treasury firm on the NZX exchange.

Cloudflare launches NET Dollar, a US dollar-backed stablecoin, to enable fast, secure payments for AI-driven services on the emerging agentic web.

RYT will host a TOKEN2049 event in Singapore, highlighting blockchain's shift from pilot projects to core national systems like digital ID and payments.

Crypto adoption stalls near 20% in Australia amid regulatory fears, but clear rules could boost trust and unlock widespread growth and investment potential.

Localcoin ATM has paid Jolly Billboards in Bitcoin for a Christchurch campaign, marking a pioneering use of crypto in New Zealand's traditional advertising sector.