For the past few years, stablecoins have been defined by a narrow reality: essentially a two-horse race between Tether's USDT and Circle's (CRCL) USDC, with most activity concentrated on crypto-native exchanges. What comes next looks materially different, Alchemy co-founder and President Joe Lau told CoinDesk in an interview. The near-term trajectory for stablecoins has lots of directions, Lau said, but one theme dominates: stablecoin adoption is “exploding.” The reason, he argued, is that stablecoins de ...

Czech National Bank Governor Aleš Michl says the country’s Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) $1 million purchase is meant to "touch reality" as he warns the asset could soar or collapse.Governor Says Goal Is Real-World Experience, Not ModelsMichl said on Nov.25 the CNB created the portfolio to gain hands-on experience with digital assets instead of depending on theoretical models.He described the initiative as an experiment aimed at understanding tokenization, custody processes, and the operational mechanics of digital ...

Group 1: Investment Preferences - The company favors certain investment banking plays, highlighting Deutsche Bank, UBS, and Barclays as attractive options due to their cost measures and valuation, with Barclays trading at approximately seven times earnings compared to Goldman Sachs at 15 times earnings [1] - Net West is noted for its strong performance as a pure retail bank in the UK, achieving an 18% return, indicating a healthy operating environment [1] - Southern European banks like Inasa are also included in the list of preferred stocks, suggesting a broader regional interest [1] Group 2: Concerns on Swedish Banks - The company expresses a lack of enthusiasm for Swedish banks, citing their high valuations and limited total yields, which contribute to constrained earnings growth [2] - There is a perception that the quality gap between Swedish banks and their European counterparts has significantly declined since the global financial crisis [3] Group 3: M&A Activity - The company anticipates limited M&A activity in European banks moving forward, despite some successful transactions this year, with Italy being a potential area for future M&A [3][4] - Acknowledgment of the high failure rate of past M&A transactions suggests skepticism about the viability of future deals in the sector [4] Group 4: Digital Banking and Cost Management - European banks are perceived to be lagging in digital banking advancements, raising concerns about their competitiveness against American banks over the long term [5][6] - The company notes that European banks are managing cost growth more effectively, with increases of 2-3%, compared to 5-10% in American banks, indicating a disciplined approach to cost management [5]

🔥 LATEST: HSBC will roll out tokenized deposits for corporate clients in the US and UAE in H1 2026.It'll offer 24/7 instant transfers as banks lean into tokenization over stablecoins. https://t.co/5zTVLNYUs5 ...

HSBC will start offering tokenized deposits to its corporate clients in the US and the United Arab Emirates in the first half of next year, as banks expand their push into blockchain technology for payments https://t.co/RglZfpQTJO ...

Core Viewpoint - Alibaba's global business-to-business platform is transitioning to streamline cross-border payments using tokenized currencies, indicating a significant shift towards blockchain-based settlement in global commerce [1]. Group 1: Tokenized Currency Implementation - Alibaba.com plans to utilize tokenized deposits backed by fiat currencies like the U.S. dollar and euro, in collaboration with JPMorgan, to enhance transaction speed and reduce intermediaries in international payments [2]. - The current cross-border trade process involves multiple banks and currency conversions, which increases time and costs; tokenized currency aims to simplify this by enabling direct transfers over a blockchain system [3]. Group 2: Blockchain Infrastructure - The platform will leverage JPMorgan's blockchain-based JPMD infrastructure to facilitate the movement of tokenized deposits among institutional clients, ensuring a more efficient payment process [4]. - Unlike stablecoins, which are typically issued by non-banks, tokenized deposits will be maintained on a regulated bank's balance sheet, providing regulatory and operational clarity [4].

Core Insights - Custodia Bank and Vantage Bank Texas have launched a live platform for tokenized deposits, transitioning from a pilot to a nationwide network for U.S. banks [1] - The tokens issued are compliant with U.S. banking laws and recognized as deposit instruments under the GENIUS Act [2] Functionality - The tokens function as digital dollars, fully insured by the FDIC when held by participating banks, and behave like stablecoins when transferred to other institutions or wallets [3] - The platform utilizes a patent-pending protocol that combines on-chain and off-chain controls for managing token conversions [4] Infrastructure and Philosophy - The new platform is designed for real-world transactions and operates on a permissionless network, with initial tests conducted on Ethereum and future plans for Bitcoin [5] - The approach emphasizes open access and interoperability, contrasting with major stablecoin issuers that often create proprietary systems [6] Market Impact - The initiative creates a compliant settlement layer that facilitates the movement of insured dollars at blockchain speed while maintaining safety [7]

Group 1 - The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (BK) is recognized as a must-buy dividend stock due to its strong dividend payments and ongoing investments in digital assets and blockchain technology [1][2]. - BNY Mellon has $55.8 trillion in assets under custody or administration, making it one of the largest custodians globally [2]. - The company has partnered with Goldman Sachs to utilize blockchain for maintaining ownership records of money market funds, showcasing its commitment to innovation [2][3]. Group 2 - BNY Mellon is exploring tokenized deposits to facilitate blockchain-based payments, enhancing its infrastructure for real-time and cross-border payment capabilities [3]. - The company currently offers a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, which was raised by 13% in July, extending its dividend growth streak to 15 years [4]. - As of October 9, BNY Mellon supports a dividend yield of 1.98%, making it attractive for income-focused investors [4].

Core Insights - Ripple has announced the acquisition of GTreasury, a leader in corporate treasury management, which aims to unlock idle corporate capital and enable real-time cross-border payments [1][5] - The acquisition is expected to integrate blockchain technology into enterprise financial operations, opening access to the multi-trillion-dollar corporate treasury market [3][5] - This marks Ripple's third major acquisition in 2025, following significant purchases of a stablecoin platform and a brokerage firm [4] Company Overview - GTreasury, founded in 1986, provides solutions for cash, risk, and compliance management to Fortune 500 clients [5] - The merger is described as a "watershed moment for treasury management," shifting the focus from passive capital management to active deployment [5] Industry Context - Ripple's CEO, Brad Garlinghouse, highlighted the inefficiencies of traditional payment systems, emphasizing the potential of blockchain technologies to address these issues [2] - The partnership with GTreasury will also provide access to the global repo market through prime broker Hidden Road, enhancing Ripple's service offerings [1]

Core Insights - The Bank of England (BoE) is prioritizing tokenization in its digital finance strategy while limiting the use of stablecoins [1][7] - Governor Andrew Bailey has shifted his perspective on stablecoins, recognizing their potential but still advocating for tokenization as a superior innovation [5][7] Tokenization Strategy - The BoE is focusing on tokenized bank deposits rather than stablecoins, with major UK banks like HSBC, NatWest, Lloyds, and Barclays piloting tokenized deposits for various applications [7][8] - The central bank's approach aims to keep money within the regulated banking system, enhancing financial stability [5][7] Stablecoin Regulation - The BoE plans to impose limits on stablecoin holdings, allowing individuals to hold between £10,000 and £20,000 ($13,400–$26,800) and companies up to £10 million [2] - Exemptions for certain crypto firms, such as exchanges and custodians, are expected, indicating a more flexible regulatory stance [3] Digital Securities Sandbox - The BoE intends to modify its Digital Securities Sandbox to permit limited use of regulated stablecoins for settlement, allowing for real-world testing of these assets [3][4]