Author: Oliver Torsney

Visa has launched stablecoin settlement in the United States, enabling banks and fintechs to settle transactions using dollar-backed digital tokens directly on its network. The move marks a significant step toward integrating stablecoins into mainstream payment infrastructure and adds pressure on European policymakers debating the role of a digital euro. The payments giant said the new service allows eligible partners to settle obligations in regulated U.S. dollar stablecoins rather than relying solely on traditional card settlement processes. Visa described the launch as a breakthrough that brings stablecoins closer to real-world payment flows. By enabling on-chain settlement, Visa is positioning itself…

The Banque de France has warned that Europe’s growing reliance on non-European payment technologies risks undermining monetary stability and strategic autonomy. Speaking in Paris on 11 December 2025, First Deputy Governor Denis Beau said rapid digitalisation, tokenisation and geopolitical tensions are reshaping euro payment systems in ways that require urgent policy action. In a keynote address at the Assises des Technologies Financières, Beau argued that the decline of cash and the dominance of international card networks such as Visa and Mastercard have increased Europe’s dependence on foreign players. While digital payments have improved efficiency and convenience, he said they also…

Germany’s payments landscape is changing rapidly, with contactless card payments and instant credit transfers gaining ground, according to the Bundesbank. The trend highlights how consumer behaviour is moving toward faster, more digital forms of money, a shift that is central to the European Central Bank’s digital euro project. In a recent analysis, the Bundesbank said card payments have become the dominant electronic payment method in Germany, driven largely by the widespread adoption of contactless technology. Debit cards account for the largest share, reflecting their role in everyday retail transactions. Instant credit transfers are also growing, allowing funds to be settled…

JPMorgan Chase has launched a tokenized money market fund on the Ethereum blockchain, marking a significant step in Wall Street’s shift toward onchain financial infrastructure. The new product allows institutional investors to hold and transact money market fund shares as blockchain tokens rather than through traditional fund registers. The fund, called the My OnChain Net Yield Fund, is issued using JPMorgan’s in-house digital assets platform, Kinexys. It tokenizes shares in a conventional money market fund that invests in short-term, low-risk instruments, offering daily yield while enabling blockchain-based settlement and transfers. JPMorgan has seeded the fund with its own capital and…

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued a new Investor Bulletin aimed at helping retail investors understand the basics of crypto asset custody. The guidance focuses on how digital assets are stored, who controls them, and why custody decisions carry significant risks. According to the SEC, crypto wallets do not actually hold crypto assets. Instead, they store private keys, which are secret codes that allow investors to access and transfer their holdings. Losing these keys usually means losing access to the assets permanently, with no recovery mechanism. The bulletin highlights the difference between hot wallets and cold wallets.…

Five major crypto and fintech firms have moved a step closer to becoming regulated banks in the United States after receiving conditional approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). The decision signals a shift in how US regulators are integrating digital asset companies into the traditional financial system. According to CoinDesk, the firms are Ripple, Circle, Fidelity Digital Assets, BitGo, and Paxos. Each has received preliminary approval to establish a national trust bank, a specialized banking charter that allows custody and fiduciary services but not retail deposits or lending. The OCC confirmed that the approvals are…

Netflix has greenlit a new comedy film centered on cryptocurrency mishaps, with Jennifer Garner set to star and produce, according to a report by Decrypt. The movie, titled One Attempt Remaining, uses the loss of access to a crypto wallet as the core driver of its story. The film follows a divorced couple who realize that the cryptocurrency they acquired years earlier is now worth a fortune. Their problem is that they cannot remember the password, and they have only one remaining attempt to unlock the wallet before the funds are permanently lost. Jennifer Garner will play one of the…

The Nordic countries already operate some of the most advanced digital payment systems in the world, according to a new report by the region’s central banks, underscoring the challenge facing the European Central Bank as it designs a digital euro. Cash is rarely used, cards dominate retail payments, and instant bank transfers are widely available, leaving little room for a public digital currency that does not offer clear additional benefits. The report, Payments in the Nordics, published on 11 December 2025 by the central banks of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland, provides a detailed comparison of how consumers and…

The UAE Central Bank says its Digital Dirham is ready for phased deployment, following the country first national and cross border transactions using the new central bank digital currency.

The Central Bank of Russia has addressed common questions about the digital ruble on its official Telegram channel, explaining why commercial banks will remain intermediaries and why no separate app is planned.