liquidy providers crypto web3 bullish markets. Photo by BeInCrypto HumidiFi’s token WET experienced a double-digit price surge after South Korea’s leading exchanges, Upbit and Bithumb, announced simultaneous listings. Access to South Korea’s crypto market opens new opportunities for WET. Upbit and Bithumb both set trading to begin at 18:30 Korean Standard Time (KST) on December 15. Dual Exchange Listing Fuels Price Rally For HumidiFi (WET) According to Upbit’s announcement, WET will be available for t ...

CoinShares head of research James Butterfill has dismissed insolvency concerns surrounding Tether following warnings from BitMEX founder Arthur Hayes, who claimed a 30% drop in the stablecoin issuer’s Bitcoin and gold holdings could wipe out its equity. Butterfill’s December 5 market update affirmed that Tether maintains over $181 billion in total reserves against roughly $174.45 billion in liabilities, leaving a surplus of approximately $6.78 billion. The dismissal comes as crypto markets navigate turbu ...

IMF Stablecoins. Photo by BeInCrypto Cross-border stablecoin flows have reached new 2025 highs, surpassing those of Bitcoin and Ethereum for the first time. This has prompted a sharp warning from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The Fund says the explosive rise of digital dollars could accelerate currency substitution, disrupt capital flows, and pressure emerging-market financial systems. IMF Sounds Alarm as Stablecoin Flows Hit Record Highs and Outrun Bitcoin, Ether The IMF’s latest departmental ...

PayPal USD (PYUSD), the stablecoin launched by PayPal, has recorded 216% growth in under 90 days, with new data from DeFiLlama showing a sharp increase in the stablecoin’s circulation and on-chain usage. The expansion comes at a moment when sentiment around stablecoin issuers is shifting, especially as Tether faces renewed regulatory scrutiny. PayPal USD surges to sixth-largest stablecoin As of September 2025, PayPal USD had a market capitalization of $1.28 billion. In less than three months, increased ...

A Bitcoin bounceback? Tether troubles? Fed fluctuations? These and more occupy this edition of Web3 Thoughts of the Week.Fed response key to Bitcoin bounceback“The scale of this pullback is the market’s response to uncertainty, not a collapse in underlying demand. Many investors have been reducing exposure because they lack clarity on the Federal Reserve’s next move, among other reasons. Once that clarity arrives, positioning will likely shift quickly.“More than $19 billion in long positions have already be ...

Global payments app Oobit has announced its launch in South Africa, allowing users to make purchases at over 100 million Visa-accepting merchants globally by connecting any self-custody wallet. This service is available for both in-store and online transactions, as well as for cross-border payments. Oobit’s decentralised settlement layer, dubbed DePay, is said to support gasless, on-chain payments from user-controlled wallets directly, and once authorised, payments are executed by a smart contract. With ...

Group 1 - Stablecoins are considered safer alternatives to volatile cryptocurrencies, typically pegged to fiat currencies like the U.S. dollar, allowing for faster and cheaper cross-border transfers [1][2] - They can earn higher yields than traditional savings accounts and are used for payments on decentralized applications across various blockchains [2] - The largest stablecoins are pegged to the U.S. dollar but differ in backing assets and ecosystem integration [3] Group 2 - Tether is the most valuable stablecoin with a market cap of $183.5 billion, launched in 2014, and is widely accepted across multiple blockchains [4] - Ripple USD, with a market cap of $1 billion, ranks ninth among stablecoins and was launched in 2024, primarily used within Ripple's payment platform [5] - Tether is more broadly utilized on DeFi platforms compared to Ripple USD, which is mainly used for money transfers within its own ecosystem [6] Group 3 - Ripple USD serves as a "bridge currency" for fiat transfers, simplifying the conversion process between different fiat currencies [7] - Tether is widely used across major blockchains, while Ripple USD operates mainly within its own blockchain, making Tether a safer investment option [8]

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) has come a long way when it comes to crypto. At one point, they used to look at anything blockchain or digital assets with skepticism. CEO Jamie Dimon, who famously called Bitcoin a “fraud” in 2017, has since softened his stance, acknowledging that “the blockchain is real.” Analysts view the move as a full-circle moment for Wall Street’s largest bank, signaling crypto’s acceptance in mainstream finance. But the bank has now made another milestone move that reinforces the ...

Core Viewpoint - Global banking regulators are considering revisions to capital requirements for banks handling crypto assets, particularly stablecoins, in response to evolving market conditions and pressures from major economies and industry groups [1][4]. Group 1: Current Regulatory Framework - The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) established stringent capital rules in 2022, requiring banks to hold capital equal to the entire value of unbacked crypto assets, imposing a 1,250% risk weight on assets like Bitcoin [2][6]. - These measures were intended to protect banks from potential losses but have discouraged institutions from offering crypto-related services [2][5]. Group 2: Shift in Market Dynamics - The rapid growth of stablecoins and changing perceptions of digital assets have sparked renewed discussions about the appropriateness of existing regulations [3][4]. - The U.S. is advocating for updates to the Basel standards, arguing that they are outdated and do not align with the current crypto market structure [4]. Group 3: Impact on Financial Institutions - Current Basel rules impose the same heavy capital charges on permissionless stablecoins as on highly volatile cryptocurrencies, limiting banks' ability to meet institutional demand for digital asset services [5][6]. - A report indicated that the high-risk classification has rendered it "economically unviable" for banks to hold crypto on their balance sheets, pushing trading activities towards unregulated platforms [6]. Group 4: Future Developments - The BCBS framework categorizes crypto assets into two groups: Group 1 includes tokenized traditional assets and stablecoins with reliable backing, while Group 2 encompasses all other crypto assets subject to punitive capital treatment [6]. - The global implementation of these standards has been postponed to January 2026 [7]. - Although the Basel Committee's guidelines are non-binding, they are typically adopted by its 45 member jurisdictions [8].

Core Insights - Mark Cuban's unconventional celebration after selling his startup involved purchasing a lifetime flight pass from American Airlines for $125,000, which he later upgraded [1][2] - Cuban discussed the potential of buying a similar flight pass today, considering payment options in Bitcoin or stablecoins, noting that the marginal cost could be lower with stablecoins [2][3] Stablecoins Overview - Stablecoins, which are cryptocurrencies pegged to fiat currencies like the U.S. dollar, are gaining traction in the financial services industry due to their ease of use for global dollar transfers [4] - The stablecoin market is currently valued at $312 billion, with daily trading volumes exceeding $135 billion [7] - Tether (USDT) leads the stablecoin market with a market cap of $183 billion, followed by USD Coin (USDC) at $76 billion and Ethena's USDe nearing $10 billion [8] Financial Implications - Paying with stablecoins could be more cost-effective as they can earn yield through decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols or savings products, unlike traditional fiat currency [5] - If stablecoins generate higher yields than money market funds, the effective cost of spending them decreases, enhancing purchasing power [5]