Author: Oliver Torsney

The international monetary system is entering a period of structural change, driven by digital innovation and growing geopolitical tension. That was the message from François Villeroy de Galhau, governor of the Banque de France, in a speech delivered this week at a G7 conference in Paris. For Europe, the warning was also an opportunity: the choices made now on digital money could shape monetary sovereignty for decades. Villeroy de Galhau described two overlapping disruptions. The first is technological. Tokenisation, digital settlement and new payment rails promise faster, cheaper cross-border transactions, an area where today’s financial system remains inefficient. Yet the…

Crypto-linked payment cards running on Visa’s global network saw a sharp rise in real-world usage in 2025, with net spending increasing more than fivefold over the year. The figures suggest that crypto cards are no longer just a bridge for enthusiasts, but an increasingly practical way to spend digital assets at the point of sale. According to analysis cited by Cointelegraph, net spend across a group of Visa-linked crypto cards rose by around 525 percent during 2025. Aggregate monthly net spending climbed from roughly $14.6 million at the start of the year to more than $90 million by December, based…

Brazilian fintech PicPay has filed confidentially for an initial public offering in the United States, signalling renewed confidence in fintech listings as market conditions improve. The company is seeking to list on the Nasdaq, according to regulatory filings cited by US media. The move comes after a strong rebound in financial performance. PicPay reported a significant increase in profits over the first nine months of 2025, driven by higher financial income and growing use of its credit and banking products. Revenues also rose sharply, reflecting both user growth and deeper engagement across its expanding product suite. Founded in 2012, PicPay…

The European Central Bank’s digital euro project is entering its most politically sensitive phase, with a decisive vote in the European Parliament expected in the first half of 2026. While EU governments have largely backed the initiative, parliamentary support remains uncertain, turning the coming months into a critical test for Europe’s first attempt at public digital money. The project cleared a key institutional hurdle in late December, when the Council of the European Union agreed its negotiating position on legislation that would allow the ECB to issue a digital version of cash. The proposed digital euro would function alongside physical…

European financial institutions are under growing pressure to adopt artificial intelligence, with senior executives increasingly viewing the technology as a competitive necessity rather than an optional innovation. According to a new survey published by Bloomberg, three-quarters of finance leaders in Europe fear that failure to keep pace with AI could damage profitability or even make their organisations obsolete. The findings underline how quickly AI has moved from experimentation to strategic priority across banking, asset management, and market infrastructure. While early discussions around AI often focused on efficiency gains, the survey suggests competitive pressure is now the dominant driver, with executives…

Concerns raised by US lawmakers about central bank digital currencies evolving into tools of state surveillance are sharpening the contrast between American and European approaches to digital public money. The debate resurfaced this week after renewed warnings from Washington that digital currencies and digital identity systems could erode civil liberties, even as Europe presses ahead with the digital euro project. In a recent interview reported by Cointelegraph, US Congressman Warren Davidson argued that legislative efforts around digital payments risk laying the foundations for a permissioned financial system with built-in monitoring. Davidson framed the issue as one of constitutional principle, warning…

The UK has taken its most decisive step yet toward comprehensive crypto regulation. In December, the Financial Conduct Authority published a trio of major consultation papers that together spell out how cryptoasset markets, firms and products would be regulated once new legislation comes into force. The package, CP25/40, CP25/41 and CP25/42, sits beneath the draft Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2025, laid by the government earlier this month. Taken together, they amount to a full regulatory framework covering conduct, market integrity and financial resilience for cryptoasset activity in the UK. From AML to full market regulation Until…

Trust Wallet says it has received thousands of compensation claims that do not match verified victims of its recent browser extension security incident, complicating efforts to reimburse affected users. According to a public update from chief executive Eowyn Chen, the company has identified around 2,600 wallet addresses impacted by the breach, while total compensation submissions have approached 5,000. The gap suggests a large number of duplicate or false claims. Trust Wallet said it is prioritising strict on-chain verification over speed to ensure funds are returned only to legitimate victims. The episode highlights the operational challenges crypto wallet providers face when…

Crypto treasury companies that built their business models around holding large balances of Bitcoin or other digital assets are facing an increasingly uncertain future, with industry executives warning that many may disappear by 2026. According to reporting by Cointelegraph, the rapid expansion of crypto treasury firms during the recent market cycle has left the sector overcrowded and vulnerable to a weaker price environment. As crypto prices stagnate or fall, several publicly listed treasury companies are now trading below the value of the assets they hold, undermining their ability to raise capital or justify their valuations. Executives cited in the report…

China is preparing a major shift in the institutional role of its central bank digital currency. From January 1, 2026, the digital yuan will move beyond a cash-like instrument toward a form of digital deposit money, according to an announcement by the country’s central bank. The change marks a deepening integration of the e-CNY into China’s banking system. Under a new management framework, balances held in digital yuan wallets at commercial banks will be treated as bank deposit liabilities, aligning the digital currency more closely with traditional deposit money. According to the Xinhua News Agency, the upgraded framework introduces new…