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.
NetXD’s full-stack DeFi platform unifies programmable ledger, global payments hub including stablecoins and built-in FX, and zero-trust self-custodial wallet to enables FIs to launch tokenized assets without replacing legacy cores
NetXD, has announced its full-stack infrastructure platform which unifies its programmable ledger, global payments hub including stablecoins with a proof of reserve, bank-grade HD wallet (for self-custody), Large Action Model (LAM) and an AI engine allowing institutions to launch and manage tokenized products, move money safely, and streamline middle- and back-office workflows without replacing legacy cores. Key benefits delivered to financial institutions: XD Ledger: Enterprise-grade, programmable, immutable ledger with smart contract support that runs as a sidecar core alongside existing infrastructure. Institutions can tokenize deposits and other digital assets, settle transactions in real time across both fiat and stablecoin rails and enforce Zero Trust, auditable governance; all without ripping out legacy systems. XD Payments: A unified payments API that lets financial institutions move money through every major rail. Instead of juggling separate integrations and settlement rules, institutions route all payment types through one cloud-native platform with real-time tracking, automated compliance checks, and built-in FX. XD AI: Transform institutional operations by turning complex contracts and policies into executable workflows powered by our Large Action Model (LAM). Running on NetXD’s programmable ledger, XD AI eliminates manual middle- and back-office work, enabling Zero Ops automation. From encoding vendor agreements as smart contracts to settling payables in fiat or stablecoins with full audit trails, XD AI delivers cost savings, speed, and compliance at scale. Enterprise HD Wallet Suite: Self-custodial wallet secured by Zero Trust architecture and hierarchical-deterministic key management to access multiple chains and tokens including stablecoins. NetXD’s HD Wallet is further secured by asymmetric cryptography, enterprise-grade real time risk controls and 360 degree review of all transactions and protected by killswitches.
Fintech Money Guard Service converts various informal, everyday financial transactions into legally binding digital contracts such as mobile IOUs, securely stores them on blockchain and auto-converts defaults into bonds linked to collection procedures
Fintech startup Money Guard Service is expanding into domestic and international markets through its digital contract service that covers everything from personal monetary transactions to credit transactions by small business owners. Money Guard Service converts various informal financial transactions in everyday life into simple digital contracts such as mobile IOUs. These are securely stored on a blockchain and carry legal force. Beyond contract signing, the platform is a comprehensive contract management system that includes tracking execution, converting contracts into bonds, and linking to collection services. The company targets three main segments: individual users can use the service to resolve unpaid debts between acquaintances or for labor. In contrast, small business owners can use it to prevent disputes over credit transactions or wage payments. Financially vulnerable groups with limited financial history can build alternative credit information based on digital contract data, improving practical access to finance. Key features of the service include the ability for anyone to easily create legally binding IOUs via mobile, the ability to track contract fulfillment digitally, and an automatic system that converts defaults into bonds linked to collection procedures.
BIS says a tokenized unified ledger developed by public authorities offers a superior alternative to stablecoins, as ‘sound money’ through trust in central bank money that delivers acceptance for payment at par, and safeguards against financial crime
A tokenized unified ledger developed by central banks and public authorities will enhance efficiencies without the shortcomings of stablecoins, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) said. Stablecoins “fall short” as a form of sound money and “without regulation pose a risk to financial stability and monetary sovereignty,” BIS said. Because stablecoins do not deliver acceptance for payment at par, timely discharge of obligations or safeguards against financial crime, “their future role is unclear.” A tokenized unified ledger would maintain these “key principles of sound money” based on trust in central bank money while enhancing efficiency and opening new opportunities in cross-border payments, securities markets and other use cases. This solution includes tokenized central bank reserves, commercial bank money and government bonds. As a digital representation of assets on programmable platforms, tokenization integrates messaging, reconciliation and settlement into one operation and ushers in “a new era for the financial system.” BIS called on central banks and public authorities to pave the way for this new era. It added that BIS is already working with central banks to develop tokenization through Project Agorá and Project Pine.
Anthropic just made every Claude user a no-code app developer
Qualcomm is releasing an update to its AI Hub that will support the Snapdragon X processor series. App builders can now tap into Qualcomm’s newest chips that power on-device AI, optimizing their programs to work efficiently on the next generation of Windows computers and laptops. In addition, the Qualcomm AI Hub is opening up to more models. Moving forward, developers will no longer be constrained to what Qualcomm has—they can bring their own. The support for Snapdragon X is a bid to stay one step ahead of the competition. Developers can run models on the Snapdragon X Series Platforms to build AI-powered Windows applications, thanks to integrations with ONNX Runtime, Hugging Face Optimum and Llama.cpp. This potentially means developers could see their app be used on a host of computers from Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung and OEM7—all companies with scheduled PCs powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite or X Plus chips.
Digital Asset’s public, permissionless DeFi platform is built from the ground up on Layer-1 blockchain to enable integration of real world assets (RWAs) and allows institutions to tailor privacy settings to their specific needs
Digital Asset has raised $135 million in its strategic funding round. This funding accelerates institutional and decentralized finance adoption on the Canton Network, the only public, permissionless Layer-1 blockchain that offers configurable privacy and institutional-grade compliance at scale. The capital will rapidly expand the integration of hundreds of billions of real-world assets (RWAs) onto Canton, building upon its already substantial deployment of diverse asset classes, including bonds, money market funds, alternative funds, commodities, repurchase agreements (repos), mortgages, life insurance, and annuities. The raise also deepens the relationship with several firms already part of the Canton Network and its Global Synchronizer Foundation, including, BNP Paribas, DRW, Goldman Sachs, Liberty City Ventures, QCP, and Tradeweb, all of whom have played various roles in either the testing, governance, infrastructure, or app development on the Network since its inception. This funding highlights the market’s recognition of Digital Asset’s vision and the pioneering design of the Canton Network, the only network built from the ground up with configurable on-chain privacy. By allowing institutions to tailor privacy settings to their specific needs, Canton overcomes the primary barrier to blockchain adoption: the conflict between transparency and financial confidentiality. As the first comprehensive solution of its kind, Canton bridges the gap between blockchain innovation and real-world financial compliance.