USDC, the second-largest stablecoin by market capitalization, has been losing market share against its main rival, Tether’s USDt, on the major payment platform BitPay in 2025. After dominating stablecoin transactions on BitPay in 2024, Circle’s USDC saw its transaction share plummet against Tether’s USDt, according to BitPay data shared with Cointelegraph. In January 2024, USDC’s transaction…
The European Central Bank (ECB) has approved a two-track plan to settle distributed ledger technology (DLT) transactions using central bank money, which could pave the way to modernizing Europe’s financial system. The first track, dubbed Pontes, will focus on a short-term solution by linking blockchain-based DLT platforms with TARGET Services, a suite of financial services developed and…
Crypto firm Ripple Labs is applying for a banking license in the US, following a similar move by stablecoin issuer Circle Internet Group as crypto firms look to be regulated to deepen ties with traditional finance. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse confirmed on X on Wednesday that the company is applying for a license with the US Office…
Germany’s biggest bank, Deutsche Bank, is reportedly planning to allow its clients to store cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin next year. Deutsche Bank plans to launch a digital assets custody service in 2026 in collaboration with the technology unit of Austria-based Bitpanda crypto exchange, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. The crypto custody service’s development will also involve Deutsche Bank-backed Swiss technology…
Asset manager Grayscale received approval from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Tuesday to convert its Digital Large-Cap Fund into an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The fund consists of the five biggest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization featured in the CoinDesk Five Index. Roughly 80.2% of the weighted fund is Bitcoin (BTC), followed by Ether…
Cryptocurrency regulations are increasingly aligning with global standards; 73% of eligible jurisdictions have now passed laws to implement the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) Travel Rule. The Travel Rule mandates crypto service providers to collect and share users’ transaction data, similar to traditional finance requirements. On June 26, the FATF released its annual report that outlines how…