Major European fintech firm Revolut is teaming with Ethereum scaling network Polygon to power crypto remittances and stablecoin payments via the Revolut app, the network announced on Tuesday.  First integrated last December, the network has facilitated more than $690 million in trading volumes via Revolut thus far.  "This integration with Revolut represents exactly the kind of real-world utility for everyday people we've been building toward," said Polygon Labs CEO Marc Boiron, in a statement. "By making bl ...

Market Overview - Bitcoin fell below $100,000 for the first time since July, with $1.7 billion in liquidations occurring within 24 hours [1] - Ethereum dropped nearly 5% in the last 24 hours, trading below $3,200 [1] - Solana experienced a 20% decline over the past week [1] Institutional Investment Trends - Bitwise Asset Management launched the Bitwise Solana Staking ETF (NYSE:BSOL), attracting $417 million in inflows within a week, marking it as the fastest-growing new ETF of the year [3][4] - The BSOL ETF stakes 100% of its underlying Solana holdings, offering yields of approximately 7% [4] Factors Driving Solana's Popularity - Solana is benefiting from the growth of stablecoin payments and asset tokenization, with a recent partnership with Western Union to issue a stablecoin on its network [5] - The blockchain is compared to the early Internet boom, noted for being user-friendly and scalable, although Ethereum remains the dominant platform [6] Market Sentiment - The current market is described as a "tale of two markets," where retail traders are facing leverage unwinds while institutional investors maintain a positive outlook [7] - Predictions suggest that retail sentiment may bottom out before a potential rebound into 2026, as professional investors accumulate assets at lower prices [7] Future Outlook - Bitwise anticipates more spot crypto ETFs in the coming months, including products linked to XRP and diversified crypto-index funds, pending regulatory approvals [8]

Core Insights - The use of stablecoins for real-world purchases and payments is accelerating following the passage of US legislation regulating the cryptocurrency sector [1][3] - In August, over $10 billion was transacted through stablecoins, a significant increase from $6 billion in February and more than double the volume from August 2024, indicating a potential annual transaction volume of $122 billion [2][4] Regulatory Impact - The growth in stablecoin usage follows the signing of the Genius Act on July 18, which established federal regulations for stablecoin issuers, mandating that tokens be backed by highly liquid assets like Treasury bills [3][5] Market Dynamics - Despite the rapid growth of stablecoin payments, they still represent a small fraction of traditional payment volumes, highlighting the potential for future growth in this sector [4] - Business-to-business transfers account for the majority of stablecoin payments, totaling $6.4 billion monthly, which is nearly two-thirds of the total and has increased by 113% since February [6] Operational Efficiency - Companies are increasingly using stablecoins to circumvent traditional international banking delays, with an average business payment of $250,000, emphasizing the importance of speed in larger transactions [7]

Core Insights - Coinbase Business is launching a new B2B payments suite aimed at simplifying the transfer of USDC, a U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin, making it as easy as sending an email [1][2] - The new global payouts feature allows companies to send USDC to any on-chain address or directly to an email recipient, with automated onboarding for recipients without crypto wallets [2][4] - The launch represents a significant evolution in Coinbase's merchant services, merging Coinbase Commerce into Coinbase Business to enhance operational capabilities for enterprise-scale finance [4][5] Payment Automation - The new Payouts API enables businesses to automate payment workflows, allowing for on-demand, batch, or scheduled disbursements [3] - Coinbase's payment links allow businesses to generate shareable links for specific amounts in USDC, facilitating instant transactions without network fees or waiting periods [7][8] Market Positioning - Coinbase's entry into business payments reflects a strategic bet on the future of global commerce, emphasizing instant, interoperable, and programmable money [5] - The company aims to address the inefficiencies of traditional payment processors, which charge around 3% per transaction and delay payouts [6] User Experience Focus - The forthcoming Payment Links API is designed to automate payment processes at scale, potentially integrating into various platforms [8] - Industry experts highlight that improving user experience is crucial for crypto adoption, with a vision for payments to be simple enough for anyone to use [8][9]

Market Disruption - SWIFT processes $2800 billion daily, but its infrastructure is outdated, leading to high costs and long settlement times, creating opportunities for disruption [1] - Stablecoin payments experienced a significant surge, increasing by 806 times from $335 thousand in 2022 to $28 billion in 2025 [1]

Core Insights - Stripe has introduced the ability for consumers to pay for AI subscriptions, SaaS tools, and creator content using stablecoins, currently in private preview for US-based businesses [1] - The integration allows users to pay with Circle's USDC stablecoin through popular wallets, enhancing payment options at checkout [2] - A smart contract has been developed to facilitate stablecoin subscriptions, eliminating the need for manual transaction signing and allowing for recurring payments [3] Business Impact - Since the launch of stablecoin payments, Stripe has enabled rapid global expansion for fast-growing companies, with 60% of revenue for the top 20 AI companies coming from outside the US [4] - AI companies are shifting approximately 20% of their payment volume to stablecoins due to their near-instantaneous settlement and lower processing costs [4] - Stripe's subscription capabilities are designed for the 30% of businesses on its platform with recurring models, although there are transaction limits of $10,000 per transaction and $100,000 per month [5] User Benefits - Stablecoin payments via Stripe help companies reduce payment costs globally and attract tech-savvy users, including those without access to traditional payment methods [6] - The launch of Open Issuance allows businesses to create and manage their own stablecoins, further enhancing payment flexibility [6]

Stablecoin Market - Stablecoin market capitalization reaches a new all-time high of $280 billion [1] Cryptocurrency Performance - Ethereum experiences a 20.6% increase in value during August [1] Partnerships and Expansion - Circle collaborates with Mastercard & Finastra to broaden stablecoin payment options in Europe & Africa [1]

Technology Integration - Plasma testnet 集成，这是一个为全球稳定币支付而构建的 L1 区块链 [1] - 用户现在可以添加 Plasma testnet 并开始与 $XPL 互动/交易 [1] Upcoming Features - Faucet Center: $XPL 测试网代币（下周推出）[1] - Plasma 活动和任务即将推出 [1]

Group 1 - Coinbase is acquiring Liquifi, a platform that assists digital asset firms in managing token ownership [1] - Liquifi helps teams like Uniswap Foundation and OP Labs to launch and manage their tokens, addressing challenges such as legal, tax, and compliance hurdles [2] - The acquisition will enable Coinbase to work more effectively with builders earlier in their lifecycle, enhancing token launch processes [2][3] Group 2 - Coinbase recently introduced a stablecoin payments stack aimed at eCommerce platforms to facilitate faster market entry for stablecoin payments [4] - A significant portion of Fortune 500 companies are building on-chain, and a third of small businesses are already utilizing crypto, indicating growing demand for stablecoin payments [5] - User experience remains a critical barrier to wider adoption of stablecoin payments, as average users find the process complex and cumbersome [5][6]

Group 1 - Bakkt Holdings, Inc. is conducting its Q1 2025 earnings conference call, highlighting its strategic transformation towards becoming a pure play crypto infrastructure company [1][2] - The company is expected to finalize a cooperation agreement with Distributed Technologies Research (DTR) and a commercial agreement by Q3 2025, which will integrate DTR's stablecoin and AI payment infrastructure with Bakkt's regulated platform [3] - Bakkt is divesting its custody business to ICE and is in ongoing discussions regarding its loyalty business, indicating a shift in focus towards the stablecoin payments market and regulatory environment [3]