MoonPay Brings AI Crypto Agents to Telegram
MoonPay has launched AI-powered crypto agents on Telegram, bringing autonomous digital asset capabilities directly into one of the world’s largest messaging platforms. The integration enables users to interact with AI agents that can assist with crypto-related tasks within the Telegram ecosystem, further blurring the line between messaging, finance and artificial intelligence. The move reflects a growing trend toward embedding financial services into platforms consumers already use every day rather than requiring dedicated apps. It also highlights the rapid convergence of AI agents, crypto infrastructure and conversational interfaces as the next evolution of digital finance. With Telegram becoming an increasingly important hub for Web3 activity, the partnership could accelerate mainstream adoption of AI-powered financial services. The launch positions MoonPay at the forefront of one of fintech’s fastest-growing trends, where autonomous AI agents are beginning to reshape how consumers interact with financial products.
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Project Agorá
Have you heard of Project Agorá? It is a shared programmable platform for wholesale cross-border payments.
Project Agorá – Greek for “marketplace” – is a public-private collaboration convened by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) and the Institute of International Finance (IIF) to explore how tokenisation and programmability can enhance wholesale cross-border payments.
The BIS and IIF just published the results of Project Agorá — two years of work with 7 central banks and 40+ regulated financial institutions testing whether tokenisation can actually improve wholesale cross-border payments.
The core finding: tokenised commercial bank deposits can settle atomically against tokenised central bank reserves on a shared platform, across currencies, potentially 24/7.
What makes this significant is the scope. This is correspondent banking running on a programmable platform. Smart contracts embed compliance logic, conditional triggers, and workflow rules directly into transactions. That reduces reconciliation overhead, manual intervention, and the operational friction that makes cross-border payments slow and expensive today.
The project also tackled the hard regulatory questions: settlement finality, AML/CFT treatment, data privacy across jurisdictions. Those gaps have historically been the graveyard for cross-border infrastructure experiments.
Agorá did not replace correspondent banking. It used programmability to make it work better. That is a more credible path than most proposals in this space.
The prototype is not production-ready. The team deliberately prioritised foundational architecture over optimisation. But the proof of concept is there.
Curated News
💳 Payments
Xendit Integrates Dragonpay into Regional Payments Network
Xendit has integrated Dragonpay into its regional payments network, giving merchants broader access to payment methods across Southeast Asia. The partnership strengthens cross-border payment capabilities for businesses.
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Paytm Expands Soundbox to Indonesia
Paytm is bringing its Soundbox payment solution to Jakarta through a partnership with Flip. The expansion marks another step in Paytm’s international growth strategy and supports Indonesia’s rapidly growing digital payments market.
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Mangopay Expands Multi-Currency Virtual Accounts
Mangopay has expanded the currency coverage of its virtual accounts to better support global platforms and marketplaces. The enhancement gives businesses greater flexibility when managing international payments.
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🏦 Banking
Swift Launchs Blockchain Ledger with 17 Banks
Swift has launched a blockchain-based ledger with an initial group of 17 banks, marking a significant step in connecting traditional banking infrastructure with digital asset technology. The initiative aims to improve interoperability and streamline cross-border financial transactions.
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Revolut Restructures Lithuanian Operations
Revolut is reorganizing parts of its Lithuanian business as it continues refining its European operations. The changes reflect the company’s ongoing efforts to improve governance and operational efficiency.
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ABN AMRO Fined Over AML Shortcomings
Dutch regulator DNB has imposed a fine on ABN AMRO for deficiencies in parts of its anti-money laundering framework. The enforcement action underscores continued regulatory scrutiny of financial crime controls.
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💼 Fintech
Tangos Raises $20M for AI Financial Crime Investigations
Tangos has secured a $20 million seed round to expand its autonomous AI platform for financial crime investigations. The funding will accelerate development of AI tools designed to improve fraud detection and compliance workflows.
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Aria Raises €7M and Secures €240M Financing Facility
Embedded finance company Aria has raised €7 million alongside a €240 million financing facility to expand its invoice financing platform. The capital will support growth across European B2B payments.
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Hong Kong AI Startup GIM Raises $20M
AI fintech startup GIM has raised $20 million in Series A funding to accelerate product development and expansion. The investment highlights continued demand for AI-powered enterprise software across financial services.
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Eltropy Opens Agentic AI Platform to Fintechs
Eltropy has launched an early access program that opens its agentic AI platform to fintech companies. The initiative enables firms to deploy AI agents for customer engagement and operational workflows.
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🪙 Crypto
Sony to Launch U.S. Stablecoin Trust Bank
Sony is preparing to establish a U.S. trust bank dedicated to stablecoin services. The move signals growing interest from major global corporations in regulated digital asset infrastructure.
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Nium Acquires Crypto Wallet Firm Cypher
Nium has acquired crypto wallet and card issuing company Cypher to strengthen its digital asset capabilities. The acquisition expands Nium’s infrastructure for blockchain-enabled financial services.
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Nodu Secures MiCA and Payment Institution Licences
Nodu has received MiCA and Payment Institution licences from the Bank of Latvia, enabling the company to expand regulated crypto services across Europe. The approvals strengthen its position in the EU market.
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Binance Pursues Additional Asian Licences
Following regulatory setbacks in Europe, Binance is focusing on securing additional licences across Asia. The strategy reflects the exchange’s effort to strengthen its regulatory footprint in key growth markets.
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Kraken Continues Push for European Banking Licence
Kraken is working toward becoming a licensed bank in Europe as it expands beyond cryptocurrency trading. The move highlights continued convergence between crypto platforms and traditional banking.
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Paradigm Raises $1.2B Fund for Crypto and AI
Crypto venture capital firm Paradigm has raised a $1.2 billion investment fund that will focus on both blockchain and artificial intelligence startups. The fund is one of the largest recent investments in the digital asset ecosystem.
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Ethereum Foundation Uses AI to Find Security Bugs
The Ethereum Foundation is deploying AI tools to identify software vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by attackers. The initiative aims to strengthen network security as AI becomes increasingly important in cybersecurity.
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Gemini Launches Commission-Free Stock Trading
Gemini has introduced commission-free stock trading as it continues expanding into a broader financial super app. The launch reflects growing convergence between traditional investing and crypto platforms.
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⚖️ Regulation
European Parliament Advances Digital Euro
The European Parliament has backed legislation supporting the digital euro, paving the way for final negotiations. The vote represents another major milestone in the EU’s central bank digital currency initiative.
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Cash App Parent Pays $45M to Settle Fraud Investigation
Block has agreed to pay $45 million to settle a multi-state investigation into fraud protections on Cash App. The settlement highlights increasing regulatory scrutiny of consumer payment platforms.
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🌍 Other
CaixaBank Turns Recycled Bank Cards into Public Benches
CaixaBank has launched a sustainability initiative that transforms recycled bank cards into public benches. The project promotes circular economy principles while reducing plastic waste.
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