MoonPay Brings Crypto Payments to Claude and Codex
MoonPay has launched MoonAgents, a new desktop application that enables users to conduct cryptocurrency transactions directly through AI assistants such as Claude and Codex. The launch represents a major step toward turning AI agents from information tools into transaction-capable financial assistants. By combining conversational AI with crypto payment infrastructure, MoonPay is helping create a future where users can instruct AI systems to execute financial actions on their behalf. The development highlights the growing convergence of artificial intelligence, digital assets, and embedded finance. As competition intensifies to build agentic commerce ecosystems, enabling AI agents to move money securely is becoming a critical piece of infrastructure. The launch could accelerate adoption of both AI-powered financial services and cryptocurrency payments by making transactions more intuitive and accessible. If successful, MoonAgents may offer an early glimpse into how consumers interact with financial products in the AI era.
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State of Stablecoin & Crypto Payments 2026
In 2025, Stripe, PayPal, Visa, and JPMorganChase all moved from evaluating stablecoin payments to running them in production.
Three drivers converged:
Infrastructure readiness — Major PSPs and banks went live with stablecoin payments. The rails no longer felt like an experiment.
Regulatory clarity — The US, EU, and Asia-Pacific now have frameworks in force or taking effect. The uncertainty that held institutions back is clearing.
Market demand — User adoption signals are strong, and stablecoins now dominate crypto payment volume.
If 2025 was the year stablecoins scaled, 2026 is the year they must prove their utility.
Key findings from the data are explored in detail across Sections 4–9.
Highlights include:
Stablecoin ownership is surging — surpassing Solana in the WalletConnect user base, with 51% of users aged 18–34 holding stablecoins (Section 5)
USDT and USDC dominate — held by 82% and 80% of survey respondents; onchain data shows USDC leads globally by holder count (759K) while USDT dominates Asia (Section 5)
The market is concentrated but fragmenting — two issuers control 94% of supply, but bank-issued and DeFi-native stablecoins are emerging fast (Section 5)
1.11 million WalletConnect wallets hold $36.3 billion in stablecoins — but the top 0.4% of wallets hold 98% of all value, revealing extreme concentration beneath the surface (Section 5)
Funds remain locked on exchanges — 49% of users hold their largest balance on a CEX, creating a structural challenge for wallet-native payments (Section 5)
Multi-chain behavior is the norm — WalletConnect users average 2.82 chains and 2.65 tokens per wallet, confirming fragmentation is structural, not anecdotal (Section 7)
Merchant acceptance is the #1 barrier — not technology, not regulation. One in three users would pay more if more places accepted crypto (Section 7)
76% of users have abandoned a crypto payment — in the past six months, with gas fees, slow confirmations, and confusing errors as top causes (Section 8)
Regional patterns diverge sharply — Asia accounts for 50.6% of holders but only 27.6% of value; Africa leads stablecoin preference at 74%; North America’s top barrier is token/chain fragmentation (Section 9)
Curated News
💳 Payments
Mastercard Expands Settlement Beyond Banking Hours
Mastercard has expanded its settlement capabilities to support stablecoins, intraday settlement, and weekend and holiday processing. The enhancement gives financial institutions greater flexibility and reflects growing demand for always-on payment infrastructure.
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OpenFX Acquires Embed to Boost European Payments Reach
OpenFX has acquired Embed to strengthen its regulated payments capabilities across Europe. The deal expands OpenFX’s footprint and supports growing demand for compliant cross-border payment services.
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XTransfer and SocGen Team Up on Trade Payments
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ING Brings Wero Payments to German E-Commerce
ING is expanding Wero payments into online shopping in Germany, helping accelerate adoption of Europe’s emerging account-to-account payment network. The move strengthens competition against traditional card-based payment methods.
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🏦 Banking
Marechale Capital Builds a Digital Merchant Bank
Marechale Capital has completed a series of acquisitions aimed at creating a digital-first merchant banking platform. The strategy reflects continued modernization efforts across investment and merchant banking services.
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CFPB Reviews Bilt Credit Card Migration Issues
The CFPB has met with Bilt following customer concerns linked to a recent credit card switchover. The discussions highlight the operational challenges that can emerge during large-scale financial platform migrations.
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Ant Bank and Alibaba Back Macau Fintech Platform
Ant Bank and Alibaba are supporting a fintech platform in Macau designed to strengthen the region’s digital financial ecosystem. The initiative highlights continued investment in fintech infrastructure across Greater China.
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💼 Fintech
Paypercut Raises €5M to Fuel Regional Expansion
Bulgarian fintech Paypercut has secured €5 million to scale its payments platform and launch new checkout solutions. The funding will support expansion across Central and Eastern Europe as digital commerce adoption accelerates.
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WeRize Secures $28M to Drive Financial Inclusion
Indian fintech startup WeRize has raised $28 million to expand its offerings in underserved markets. The funding highlights investor confidence in digital financial inclusion opportunities across India.
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AlphaSense Lands $350M at $7.5B Valuation
AlphaSense has secured $350 million in fresh funding while surpassing $600 million in annual recurring revenue. The raise underscores strong demand for AI-powered market intelligence and research platforms.
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🪙 Crypto
UK Lawmakers Push Back on Stablecoin Restrictions
A House of Lords committee has urged the Bank of England to reconsider proposed restrictions on stablecoins. The recommendation could influence the future regulatory framework for digital assets in the UK.
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Citi Flags Bitcoin’s Investor Growth Problem
Citi analysts argue that Bitcoin’s lack of fresh investor participation poses a greater long-term challenge than recent selling activity by large holders. The report highlights concerns about sustaining market momentum.
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Bitcoin Drops to Three-Month Low as Oil Surges
Bitcoin fell to its lowest level since March as rising oil prices weighed on broader risk assets. The decline highlights how macroeconomic factors continue to influence crypto market performance.
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Franklin Templeton Says Blockchain Threatens Wall Street’s Business Model
Franklin Templeton argued that traditional financial institutions remain cautious about blockchain adoption because it could disrupt existing revenue streams. The comments add to the ongoing debate around tokenization and market modernization.
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📈 WealthTech
Clearwater Analytics Embeds AI Into Investment Workflows
Clearwater Analytics has integrated AI capabilities directly into institutional investment workflows. The enhancement is designed to improve decision-making, streamline research, and boost productivity for asset managers.
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🌍 Other
Blackstone Explores $626M Exit From Japanese Payments Firm
Blackstone is reportedly considering a sale of Japanese payments company Splinks valued at approximately $626 million. The potential transaction highlights continued investor interest in payment infrastructure assets across Asia.
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