Stablecoins
Stripe and Swift race to control the next generation of global payments infrastructure
Crypto and blockchain experts say this week's moves show the two established finance companies are increasingly competing for control of the infrastructure behind digital payments.
Sen. Hagerty says Warren tried to 'destroy' GENIUS, warns CLARITY faces political headwinds
CoinDesk's The Policy Protocol host Rebecca Rettig is joined by guest co-host Ryan VanGrack, Coinbase's newly appointed Vice Chairman, to unpack the week's biggest crypto policy developments. They begin with the escalating legal standoff between Kalshi, the state of Michigan and the CFTC, before turning to the U.S.-U.K.'s new joint recommendations on stablecoins and tokenized assets. On the one-year anniversary of the GENIUS Act, Rebecca sits down with the bill's architect, Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), who reflects on the legislative battle to pass the landmark stablecoin law and explains why the CLARITY Act now faces an even more challenging political path. The episode closes with Hero of the Week Harry Jung, Patrick Whitt's deputy who is stepping into a leading White House role on crypto policy while Whitt takes military leave, and Zero of the Week Sam Bankman-Fried, after the Senate unanimously passed a resolution opposing any pardon or commutation for the former FTX founder.
Stripe’s $53 billion PayPal bid is a high-stakes play to own the future of digital payments
If Stripe acquires PayPal, the real prize could be consumer wallets, stablecoin issuance or the infrastructure powering the next generation of digital payments.
Visa backs Open USD with new stablecoin platform as Circle faces fresh competition
Visa launched a stablecoin platform that lets banks and fintechs issue, manage and settle digital dollars through its payments network.
Galaxy targets institutional stablecoin yield with new DeFi vaults
The crypto financial services firm launched Galaxy Curator, a Morpho-based platform that gives Fireblocks' 2,400 institutional clients access to onchain yield strategies.
Open USD poses biggest threat yet to Circle's USDC, CoinShares says
The consortium-backed stablecoin would share reserve income with partners instead of the issuer, pressuring Circle's margins if it debuts in 2026.
Stripe mounts blockbuster $53 billion bid to buy PayPal
The bid, made together with Advent, follows an earlier expression of interest. PayPal has been reluctant to engage with the offer thus far.
Mizuho downgrades Circle to underperform, cuts price target to $50 on Open USD threat
The Japanese investment bank said Open USD's yield pass-through model could pressure Circle's margins by shifting more reserve income to distributors.
JPMorgan says Hyperliquid's rise threatens Circle's USDC economics
Hyperliquid's deal with Circle and Coinbase creates a "prisoner's dilemma" that puts pressure on earnings from the dollar-pegged stablecoin.
Japan’s biggest card network taps Circle to bring stablecoins to 40 million merchants
JCB and Circle will explore using USDC for cross-border payments and merchant transactions as Japan ramps up efforts to bring stablecoins into everyday commerce.
