Core Viewpoint - Stablecoins are rapidly growing, with a 49% increase last year and a combined market cap of $250 billion for Tether and USDC [1] Group 1: Industry Perspective on Stablecoins - Executives at Visa and Mastercard express skepticism about the demand for stablecoins, stating there is limited utility beyond cross-border payments [2][3] - They argue that in developed markets, stablecoins lack a "product-market fit" as consumers prefer existing payment options [3] Group 2: Advantages of Stablecoins - Stablecoins offer 24/7 settlement and faster payment finalization compared to traditional methods, which can take days [4] - Some stablecoins provide attractive yields, appealing to consumers looking for better returns than traditional bank accounts; Standard Chartered predicts $500 billion in bank deposits will shift to stablecoins by 2028 [6] Group 3: Investment Landscape - There are currently nine stablecoins with market caps exceeding $1 billion, including Tether, USDC, a stablecoin from PayPal, and one from Ripple [7]

中国人民银行、国家发展改革委、工业和信息化部、公安部、市场监管总局、金融监管总局、中国证监 会、国家外汇局等八部门联合发布《关于进一步防范和处置虚拟货币等相关风险的通知》（以下简称 《通知》）。2月6日晚间，中国人民银行、中国证监会有关负责人就《通知》相关问题回答了记者提 问。 （全2365字，阅读需要8分钟） 记者｜蔺丽爽 摄影｜蔺丽爽 编辑｜蔺丽爽 实习生｜王恋齐 出台背景 当有记者问《通知》的出台背景时，两部门相关负责人回答说，2021年，虚拟货币交易炒作活动盛行， 严重扰乱经济金融秩序，危害人民群众财产安全。按照党中央、国务院决策部署，中国人民银行联合有 关部门发布《关于进一步防范和处置虚拟货币交易炒作风险的通知》，坚决打击相关炒作行为，整顿行 业乱象，取得明显成效。 近期，受多种因素影响，虚拟货币交易炒作死灰复燃，现实世界资产代币化（RWA）相关投机活动也 时有发生，风险防控面临新形势、新挑战。为进一步完善监管政策体系，防范化解相关风险，切实维护 国家安全和社会稳定，八部门会同中央网信办、最高人民法院、最高人民检察院，在总结前期工作经验 的基础上，结合新的风险特征，对原文件进行修订完善，形成了本次发 ...

近期，受多种因素影响，虚拟货币、现实世界资产(RWA)代币化相关投机炒作活动时有发生，风险防控 面临新形势、新挑战。为进一步完善监管政策，防范和处置相关风险，中国人民银行、中国证监会等八 部门联合发布《关于进一步防范和处置虚拟货币等相关风险的通知》(以下简称《通知》)，明确在境内 虚拟货币相关业务活动属于非法金融活动，禁止境内开展现实世界资产代币化活动。 关于现实世界资产代币化，上述负责人介绍，近年来，现实世界资产代币化发展较快，相关国家和地区 纷纷通过加强立法、健全规则等多种方式强化监管。《通知》明确，在境内开展现实世界资产代币化活 动，以及提供有关中介、信息技术服务等，涉嫌非法发售代币票券、擅自公开发行证券、非法经营证券 期货业务、非法集资等非法金融活动，应予以禁止；经业务主管部门依法依规同意，依托特定金融基础 设施开展的相关业务活动除外。境外单位和个人不得以任何形式非法向境内主体提供现实世界资产代币 化相关服务。根据《通知》，相关部门还将对境内主体赴境外开展现实世界资产代币化相关业务实行严 格监管，加强对金融、中介、信息技术服务机构的管理。 与此同时，《通知》重申了境内对于虚拟货币"挖矿"的禁止性政策， ...

The world's largest cryptocurrency fell to a low of $63,295.74, its weakest level since October 2024, a month before Republican Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election, having signaled his intention to support crypto on the campaign trail. It was last down 12.6% at $63,525, on track for its largest one-day fall since November 2022.Roughly $1 billion in bitcoin positions have been ‌liquidated in the past 24 hours, ‌according to data from CoinGlass.Crypto TrackerTOP COINS (₹) Tether90 (-0.02%)Bitcoin ...

The crash wasn’t caused by manipulation or panic. It revealed something more troubling: Bitcoin had already become the very thing it promised to destroy.This wasn’t random. Coinbase serves Wall Street institutions. Binance serves global retail. When the premium goes deeply negative for 21 consecutive days (its worst streak in a year) it means one thing: America’s biggest money was selling into offshore bids.Meanwhile, hedge funds quietly closed their favorite Bitcoin bet, the basis trade that once paid 17% ...

BBVA, Spain’s second-largest bank, joined the Qivalis consortium, bringing the European stablecoin project to twelve member banks. BBVA now sits alongside BNP Paribas, UniCredit, ING, CaixaBank, Raiffeisen Bank International, SEB, Danske Bank, KBC, Banca Sella, DekaBank, and DZ BANK in the Amsterdam-based venture. These institutions are building what they hope becomes a credible euro alternative to Tether and Circle‘s dominance. Those two US issuers control $256 billion in stablecoin market value, accord ...

A new tranche of heavily redacted Jeffrey Epstein files has reopened an uncomfortable chapter in crypto history. Emails attributed to Epstein claim he discussed Sharia-compliant digital currencies with unnamed Bitcoin founders in 2016, who he said were “very excited.” The assertion is self-reported and unverified. Yet, Epstein’s personal logs list “satoshi (bitcoin)” as a guest for a UN Climate Week event, alongside heavyweights like Larry Summers and Peter Thiel. The Timing is Terrifying: Reportedly ...

Today, crypto markets are stuck in an awkward pause with so much fud-toned news. Bitcoin USD price is holding its breath, the gold chart keeps running, and each one of us is glued to the incoming FOMC news. With the dollar losing altitude, risk assets are recalibrating. Under the surface, Polymarket bettors are assigning nearly a 76% probability to a US government shutdown by January 31. And legislative momentum around the US Crypto Clarity Act has slowed, keeping institutions cautious. Now, is there even ...

Group 1: Market Developments - Polygon Labs is acquiring Coinme and Sequence for $250 million to enter the stablecoin-based payments market, aiming to become a leading avenue for stablecoin transactions globally [1] - The year 2026 is anticipated to be pivotal for stablecoins, transitioning from a trading tool to a payment mechanism, with several new stablecoin projects launched since December 2025 [2][3][5][6] Group 2: New Stablecoin Projects - SoFi Bank launched SoFiUSD, a fully reserved U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin, on December 18, 2025, marking it as the first national bank to issue such a stablecoin [3] - The Pakistani government announced a partnership to integrate the USD1 stablecoin into its digital payment infrastructure on January 14, 2026 [4] - Wyoming's official Frontier stablecoin began its public launch in early January 2026 after testing phases [6] Group 3: Market Dynamics and Competition - The stablecoin market is currently dominated by Tether (USDT) and U.S. Dollar Coin (USDC), which account for most of the market cap, despite the emergence of new stablecoins [6] - Experts suggest that while the market does not need numerous stablecoins, there is a demand for niche stablecoins tailored for specific use cases, such as DeFi yields and local regulations [7][19] - Competition is expected to increase with new entrants like PayPal's PYUSD and World Liberty Financial's USD1, which may erode USDT's market share [18] Group 4: Adoption and Integration - Merchants are likely to prefer stablecoins with deep liquidity and clear compliance, focusing on those that can seamlessly integrate into existing payment systems [7][9] - Stripe has introduced stablecoin-based accounts for clients in over 100 countries, allowing customers to pay with stablecoins while merchants settle in fiat [8][9] - The integration of stablecoins into payment systems is seen as a way to reduce foreign exchange costs and enable faster settlements for merchants [15][16] Group 5: Regulatory Environment - Regulatory clarity from the U.S. and Europe is fostering bullish sentiment and adoption of stablecoins [17] - A new draft bill from the Senate Banking Committee may impose restrictions on digital asset service providers regarding interest payments on stablecoins, potentially affecting yield-bearing coins [11] Group 6: Investment Opportunities - Investment opportunities are emerging in startups focused on distribution, compliance, and workflow integration within the stablecoin ecosystem [13] - Venture capital is expected to flow into companies that facilitate merchant acceptance of stablecoins for payroll and treasury management [20]

On Monday night, hours after announcing his “NYC Token” at a press conference in Times Square, former New York City Mayor Eric Adams launched his cryptocurrency. The purpose of the token was unclear—beyond a vague promise by Adams that it would combat antisemitism—but investors bought it up anyway, briefly sending its market cap to $600 million. Then it crashed. It didn’t take long for crypto observers to declare NYC Token had all the hallmarks of a dreaded rugpull—a common scam where someone launches a ...