76 stories about Payments from across the crypto press, curated and summarized daily. Most recent: Oct 23, 2026.
HSBC is beginning to offer its Hong Kong dollar stablecoin, RedCoin, through PayMe, its payments app with more than 3 million users. Users will be able to activate an in-app wallet for payments between people and at participating merchants; HSBC also plans to support tokenized investment subscriptions and institutional uses.
Fireblocks has denied an Axios report that Visa was in talks to acquire the crypto custody company for around $2.5 billion. A second outlet also described the report as alleging late-stage negotiations, but the available reporting does not establish that a deal exists.
Dogecoin Labs has launched with backing from the Dogecoin Foundation, bringing MyDoge, DogeOS and Such App under one effort. The group says it wants to expand DOGE beyond meme-driven interest into payments and decentralized finance, though the announcement gives no specific launch dates or product targets.
Zcash developers have agreed on Nov. 5 as the target activation date for NU7, an upgrade that would shorten the time between blocks from 75 seconds to 25. The date is not yet a finished rollout: developers still need to add the chosen block height to the specification and deliver it in node software.
Polygon CEO Marc Boiron says the Coinme acquisition is a move into payments, where companies such as Visa and Stripe dominate. He says the deal could help Polygon build direct customer relationships and keep more of the revenue that typically goes to payment intermediaries.
Visa Direct has moved its USDC prefunding service into commercial production, naming Inyo Global as its first commercial enabler. The announcement signals that the stablecoin-based payment option has moved beyond a trial phase, though the details provided do not specify which customers or payment corridors can use it yet.
Coinbase will provide infrastructure for stablecoin-backed cards offered to Marqeta customers, expanding a partnership that previously supported Coinbase's U.S. debit card in 2020. The announcement signals a move from a card built for Coinbase users toward enabling other Marqeta clients to offer similar ways to spend stablecoin balances.
Borderless.xyz data indicates that stablecoin transfers for cross-border business payments cost 84% less than traditional transfers and settle faster than international bank wires. The figures point to a potential cost advantage for companies moving money across borders, though the provided report summary gives no methodology or exact settlement times.
Circle plans to bring its USDC stablecoin into about 40 emerging and developing markets, CEO Jeremy Allaire told Reuters. The company points to growing demand across Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East, but no specific countries or launch dates were disclosed.
Sweden’s central bank, the Riksbank, has recommended that lawmakers prepare for a possible digital krona. Its stated concerns include the growing role of stablecoins tied to foreign currencies and the future resilience of payments in Sweden, but the recommendation is not an announcement that a digital currency will launch.
Circle is targeting expansion into 40 new markets as demand for stablecoins grows among banks and payment companies. CEO Jeremy Allaire told Reuters that interest in digital dollars is rising across Asia, Africa and Latin America, though the report does not specify which markets Circle plans to enter or when.
Mastercard and BVNK have launched Global Money Platform, a service that lets banks, fintechs and businesses manage traditional currencies and stablecoins through one API. Nuvei and Marqeta are among the first adopters, in the first major integration since Mastercard acquired BVNK for $1.8 billion.
Payments through Coinbase’s x402 protocol grew from about 1,500 in mid-2025 to more than 138 million by Q3 2026, according to Chainalysis. The report also found that U.S.-linked wallets accounted for just over 88% of tracked spending on AI models, while China accounted for 0.1%.
Stripe is expanding its stablecoin card services to more than 100 countries by the end of 2026. The company is also exploring tokenized deposits and DeFi applications, signaling a broader push into crypto-based financial services. This move could make stablecoins more accessible globally, particularly in regions with underdeveloped banking infrastructure.
Citi and Coinbase are expanding their partnership to provide businesses with infrastructure that connects traditional fiat payments and stablecoins. This move aims to make stablecoin payments more accessible for corporate clients.
Ripple announced that asset managers are preparing for the XRP Ledger’s Batch V1.1 upgrade, which ensures linked asset and payment transfers either succeed or fail together. This follows an extensive security review, and commercial projects are already being developed around the feature.
Velocity, a London-based payments infrastructure firm, has extended its Series A funding round to $48 million, valuing the company at $200 million. The round includes investments from Visa, Circle, and Ripple, highlighting growing interest in payments infrastructure.
MoneyGram has introduced its first stablecoin-backed Visa card in collaboration with Rain, initially available in Colombia. This card allows users to spend stablecoins for daily transactions, marking a significant step in mainstream crypto adoption. The card is designed to simplify crypto payments and bridge the gap between digital assets and traditional finance.
Coinbase and Moov are partnering to integrate stablecoin payment infrastructure into community banks and credit unions. This will allow these institutions to offer stablecoin-based transactions using Coinbase's Payments API and custodial wallets.
Circle has agreed to acquire Tazapay, a cross-border payments firm, for $400 million. This deal aims to bridge stablecoins like USDC with traditional banking systems, potentially improving last-mile infrastructure. The acquisition is expected to enhance Circle's ability to facilitate seamless cross-border transactions using stablecoins.
Uzbekistan's Humo Digital has launched a pilot program for HUMO stablecoin payments, backed by government bonds. The test involves over 20 merchants and is conducted under a sandbox jointly overseen by the National Agency of Project Management (NAPP) and Uzbekistan's central bank.
A consortium of global banks and asset managers, including Citi and Goldman Sachs, is launching a stablecoin venture. The project will initially focus on a U.S. dollar stablecoin for payments and digital asset settlement, with plans to expand into a euro token.
Crypto executives claim new blockchain payment systems could replace Swift, but bankers argue Swift’s 11,500-institution network is too powerful to be replaced. The debate centers on whether traditional finance can adapt to decentralized technology.
Solana Router AI has partnered with Circle to enable USDC payments on its platform. This integration allows users to send and receive USDC directly through the Router AI service, enhancing usability for Solana-based transactions.