Fnality is partnering with the DTCC to potentially include its wholesale settlement system as a payment rail in the DTCC Digital Launchpad, the DTCC’s digital asset sandbox. The DTCC runs the world’s largest post trade settlement infrastructure processing $3 quadrillion in annual transactions. Fnality is backed by 20 global institutions, including the DTCC, and provides the Fnality wholesale payments system (FnPS), which facilitates the on-chain settlement of central bank reserves for institutional purposes. So far it is live in Sterling, with a US dollar version currently a work in progress. The availability of cash on chain is critical to enabling the full efficiencies of on-chain delivery versus payment (DvP) and payment versus payment (PvP). Institutions favor central bank money to minimize risk, which Fnality can provide. Fnality described the simulated transactions as involving, “earmarking funds in the Fnality testing environment, onboarding the investor’s account onto DTCC’s ledger, and executing a PvP test transaction that settled instantly.” It used Adhara’s DC Commander to integrate with the bank back office systems. Ownera’s FinP2P was used for routing transactions between separate DLT systems for DvP. Hypothetically, if Fnality adopted the Genius act model in the US, then $FnPS could be available to institutions that don’t have central bank access. Either way, within the next 18 months there’s a reasonable chance that tokenized central bank money will be available to institutions in the United States.
TikTok-alternative Own to enable creators to earn revenue without any minimum requirements for follower count and receive fully tradeable tokens in rewards based on engagement regardless of location
Own is the latest alternative to TikTok to emerge, featuring a swipeable feed for not just short videos but also text posts and images, as well as other features you’d expect, like direct messaging. However, the new app aims to disrupt the market by utilizing blockchain technology and a token economy. Most notably, content creators on the app can earn revenue without any minimum requirements for follower count or post count. Key highlights include the $OWN Token, which is rewarded to creators based on video engagement and is fully tradeable. Own operates on Base Layer 2 blockchain, ensuring secure transactions and content ownership. This will be a game-changer for creators, especially since they earn tokens regardless of their location. A portion of the platform’s cash revenue is used to buy $OWN Tokens from exchanges for distribution to creators. The app promises that creators can earn up to 50% more than on other platforms. Specifically, in the case of tipping, Own takes only 20% of the revenue, whereas TikTok takes 50%. For sponsorships, creators retain 90% of the earnings, with only 10% going to Own. Creators benefit most from Own Shops, keeping 95% of the revenue while Own takes just 5%. Viewers have the ability to interact with content by pressing the up or down arrows to cast their votes — upvoting or downvoting posts in a manner reminiscent of platforms like Reddit. Creators who receive a higher number of upvotes can climb the leaderboard, gaining greater exposure.
Card issuance platform Highnote partners BVNK to enable customers around the world make stablecoin-based funding for US-based card programmes in real-time and 24/7 basis
Card issuance and embedded finance platform Highnote has enlisted BVNK to launch real-time 24/7 stablecoin-based funding for card programmes. The partnership means that Highnote subscribers around the world can fund US-based programme accounts instantly in USD, without being constrained by standard banking hours. This, says the firm, streamlines a critical operational step for global fintechs and enterprises that need to move fast, letting them transfer programme funds using stablecoins, automatically converted to dollars, and deposited in sponsor bank accounts in real-time. “Our subscribers are building real-time financial products for a global user base, and until now, they have had to operate within the limits of U.S. banking hours,” says John Macilwaine, CEO, Highnote. “This new capability eliminates that barrier, giving them true around the clock control over how and when to move money.”
IBM offers unified security and governance risk solution for agentic AI use cases that validates compliance standards against 12 different frameworks and includes automated red teaming to help enterprises detect and fix vulnerabilities and misconfigurations
IBM is announcing the industry’s first software to bring AI security and AI governance teams together and provide a unified view of enterprises’ risk posture. The new capabilities enhance and integrate watsonx.governance and Guardium AI Security to help clients keep their AI systems, including agents, secured and responsible at scale. Watsonx.governance is IBM’s end-to-end AI governance tool and Guardium AI Security is IBM’s tool for securing AI models, data, and usage. IBM is enhancing the integration of IBM Guardium AI Security and watsonx.governance, providing enterprises with the first unified solution to manage security and governance risks associated with AI use cases. The integration supports users’ processes to validate compliance standards against 12 different frameworks. IBM is also introducing new capabilities to Guardium AI Security through a collaboration with AllTrue.ai, including the ability to detect new AI use cases in cloud environments, code repositories, and embedded systems –providing broad visibility and protection in an increasingly decentralized AI ecosystem. Once identified, IBM Guardium AI Security can automatically trigger appropriate governance workflows from watsonx.governance. IBM watsonx.governance can now monitor and manage AI agents across their entire lifecycle, from development to deployment. Evaluation nodes can be built directly into agents, allowing users to carefully monitor metrics like answer relevance, context relevance, and faithfulness – and help identify the root cause of poor performance. IBM watsonx.governance Compliance Accelerators provide select pre-loaded regulations, standards, and frameworks from around the globe, enabling users to identify relevant obligations and map them onto their own AI use cases. IBM Consulting Cybersecurity Services is introducing a new set of services that brings together data security platforms, like IBM Guardium AI Security, with deep AI technology and domain consulting.
Mantle launches UR, world’s first fully blockchain-based neobank- offering IBAN accounts, 1:1 backed deposits and spend through a Mastercard debit card
Mantle has launched UR, a neobank that runs entirely on the blockchain, allowing users to manage their daily finances securely and effortlessly across fiat and crypto finances. UR is part of Mantle’s modular finance products, blending traditional finance access with blockchain-native architecture. Users can open Swiss International Bank Account Number (IBAN) accounts supporting EUR, CHF, USD, and RMB, with 1:1 backed deposits and spend through a Mastercard debit card. UR is designed to become the everyday interface between traditional and decentralized finance, combining the intuitive simplicity of neobanking with the transformative power of decentralization. UR’s phased rollout will begin with an early contributors’ release in June, followed by full public access later this year in Q3. Mobile applications for iOS and Android are also in development. UR reflects Mantle’s broader vision to reshape the financial stack, from base-layer infrastructure to consumer-grade applications, creating a unified ecosystem where users and institutions can transact, save, invest, and build in ways that were not previously possible under siloed legacy systems.
Coinbase debuts Stablecoin payment stack following Shopify partnership supporting around-the-clock USDC transactions without requiring blockchain knowledge
Coinbase has launched Coinbase Payments, a service built on Ethereum layer-2 network Base, which is already live with ecommerce platform Shopify. The service aims to bring stablecoin payments to merchants, supporting around-the-clock USDC transactions without requiring blockchain knowledge. Coinbase shares rallied 16% following the announcement, while Circle, the issuer of the USDC stablecoin, surged 25%. The move aligns with the growing trend of stablecoins reshaping the global payments market, with companies like Stripe and PayPal introducing blockchain-based products. Coinbase said stablecoins facilitated $30 trillion in transactions last year, tripling the volume year-over-year. The service integrates three modular components: Stablecoin Checkout, Ecommerce Engine, and Commerce Payments Protocol.
Eicol Exchange allows users to control self-sovereign credentials, which can function seamlessly across DeFi platforms by using decentralized identity protocols, on-chain signature validation and advanced cryptography
Eicol Exchange has introduced its Web3 Identity System, a decentralized authentication infrastructure designed to improve trust mechanisms and interoperability in the digital finance ecosystem. The system, developed using decentralized identity protocols and on-chain signature validation, allows users to hold and control self-sovereign credentials, which can function seamlessly across DeFi platforms, decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), NFT marketplaces, and other Web3 services. Eicol’s system employs advanced cryptography to ensure confidentiality and integrity, reducing dependence on centralized data repositories and aligning the platform with global data privacy regulations. The system also streamlines user access to internal and external digital services, enabling simplified interaction with trading functions, staking pools, DeFi gateways, and tiered services. Eicol plans to provide users with a comprehensive dashboard to manage their identity profiles, aiming to establish the system as a universally accepted credential for interoperability and trust across multiple blockchain environments.
Deutsche Bank’s next-gen tokenization platform for RWAs to support issuance across multiple public blockchains using zero-knowledge proofs and permissioned protocol and feature user-friendly interface to access smart contracts
Deutsche Bank, Memento Blockchain and Axelar Network developer Interop Labs today published a litepaper describing the Digital Asset Management Access (DAMA) 2 project in detail. The paper provides a blueprint for a next-generation tokenization platform, built on public blockchains with regulatory alignment and privacy as core design principles. Designed to accelerate the adoption and servicing of tokenized funds, stablecoins and other real-world assets (RWAs), the platform will enable asset and wealth managers, token issuers, and investment advisors to easily create and service tokenized assets, distributing them securely and compliantly across connected blockchain ecosystems and financial networks. The litepaper captures extensive research with potential asset issuers, led by Deutsche Bank, and lays out the unique design of DAMA 2, including: Blockchain-as-a-Service model that minimizes up-front investment; User-friendly application interface layer with an app store to access fund smart contract designs; Privacy-enabled Layer 2 smart contract environment, built by Memento Blockchain with zkSync’s ZK Chain technology. Managed token issuance across multiple blockchains via Axelar Network. “DAMA 2 represents how public chains have evolved for institutional finance’s use, and how leading applied technologies can meet operational resilience and regulatory goals via one platform,” said Boon-Hiong Chan, Innovation Lead, Securities & Technology Advocacy at Deutsche Bank.
Digital asset operations platform Utila integrates Chorus One’s staking infrastructure to allow institutional clients to delegate digital assets across various Proof-of-Stake (PoS) networks in a secure environment
Utila, a leading digital asset operations platform for institutions, has announced a strategic integration with Chorus One, a leading staking infrastructure provider in the Web3 ecosystem. This collaboration enhances Utila’s staking capabilities, allowing users to delegate digital assets across various Proof-of-Stake (PoS) networks in a secure environment. The partnership simplifies staking for institutional clients, reducing operational friction and improving accessibility and transparency. Utila’s enterprise-grade wallet and Chorus One’s proven validator performance provide a powerful toolkit for participating in network consensus and earning rewards without compromising security or compliance. The platform offers in-depth visibility into validator performance, network conditions, and staking rewards, empowering portfolio managers, risk teams, and operations personnel to make informed decisions. Chorus One’s partnership reflects its mission to make staking accessible and safe for professional investors and institutions. The integration enables institutional users to access Chorus One’s trusted infrastructure seamlessly within a unified platform that combines custody, compliance, and performance.
Fiserv-Circle partnership to offer banks and fintechs seamless access to regulated and interoperable digital dollar infrastructure for launching stablecoin-based solutions with real-time settlement and expanded global reach
Circle Internet Group announced a strategic collaboration with Fiserv to jointly explore and develop stablecoin-enabled solutions for financial institutions and merchants within the Fiserv ecosystem. This collaboration will bring together Circle’s comprehensive stablecoin platform, including its regulated USDC infrastructure and Circle Payments Network, with Fiserv’s industry-leading digital banking and payment capabilities. The initiative aims to equip banks and fintechs leveraging Fiserv’s digital asset platform and branded stablecoin with seamless access to digital dollar infrastructure, enabling enhanced payment experiences, real-time settlement, and expanded global reach. Through this integration, Fiserv clients adopting stablecoin-based solutions will gain access to the power of interoperable, regulated digital dollars. Leveraging Circle’s infrastructure, Fiserv intends to offer capabilities that connect domestic and cross-border payment use cases to a modern internet-native financial layer, providing high-speed, low-cost transactions that move at the speed of the internet. By integrating with Circle’s infrastructure, Fiserv is positioned to extend the benefits of stablecoin-based payments and open internet finance to thousands of financial institutions. This effort builds on Circle’s longstanding commitment to partnering with a wide range of fintechs, payment processors, and regulated banks to unlock new opportunities in the digital asset economy. As part of this initiative, the companies will work together to design and deploy scalable solutions that harness the liquidity, interoperability, and compliance frameworks that underpin USDC and the Circle platform.