Stripe, Visa and 140+ Firms Back New Stablecoin to Challenge Tether and Circle
A coalition of more than 140 companies, including Stripe and Visa, is reportedly preparing to launch a new stablecoin designed to compete with industry leaders Tether and Circle. The initiative represents one of the largest collaborative efforts yet to reshape the global stablecoin market and could significantly increase competition in digital payments. Backed by major payments players, the project aims to provide a more interoperable and widely accepted digital dollar for businesses and consumers. The announcement reflects how stablecoins are rapidly becoming core financial infrastructure rather than niche crypto products. It also highlights growing interest from traditional financial institutions in building next-generation payment rails powered by blockchain technology. If successful, the consortium could accelerate mainstream stablecoin adoption while reshaping the competitive landscape for digital payments worldwide.
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Unlocking Agentic Money Movement
Agentic money movement is the next evolution of financial systems, where software not only follows rules but initiates and executes transactions autonomously. Control at execution is what determines whether or not this model scales.
Key takeaways. Key shifts shaping the security landscape:
Money evolves in phases. Fintech digitized financial services, crypto made money programmable, and now agentic systems are emerging as autonomous economic actors.
Programmable money was the foundation. Stablecoins and wallets enabled faster settlement, global access, and logic-driven transactions, but still relied on human coordination.
Agents are economic participants. They negotiate, transact, and manage capital directly, requiring identity, access, and enforceable constraints just like human actors.
Wallets are the layer where transactions are signed and authorized. They provide the interface through which agents access capital and operate within defined permissions and policies.
Control must move to execution. Policies, limits, and permissions must be enforced at the moment of signing, not in application logic or post-hoc review.
Security and performance must coexist. Real-time systems require low-latency execution with cryptographic guarantees, not tradeoffs between speed and control.
This shift is already underway. Teams are building and operating agentic systems in production, moving capital autonomously.
Agentic finance is already operating in production environments today. The companies that participate in this new financial system will be those that embed control directly into execution and can enforce constraints continuously, without relying on human intervention.
Curated News
💳 Payments
Worldline, Mastercard and Crédit Agricole Complete France’s First AI Agent Payment
Worldline, Mastercard and Crédit Agricole successfully completed France’s first AI agent payment, demonstrating how autonomous AI systems can securely execute transactions. The milestone signals growing momentum behind AI-powered commerce and next-generation payment experiences.
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Real-Time Payments Remain Out of Reach for Most Banks
A new industry survey found that many banks still struggle to implement real-time payment capabilities due to legacy infrastructure and operational challenges. The findings highlight the gap between customer expectations and banks’ modernization efforts.
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Root Expands Programmable Treasury Platform
Root is positioning itself as the backbone for real-time business payments by expanding programmable treasury capabilities for enterprise customers. The platform enables companies to automate payment operations and improve cash flow management.
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Agoda Partners with Checkout.com on Travel Payments
Agoda has teamed up with Checkout.com to enhance payment experiences for travelers worldwide. The partnership aims to improve transaction success rates while supporting Agoda’s global expansion.
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Zip US Brings Flexible Payments to Rally House Shoppers
Zip US has partnered with Rally House to offer buy now, pay later options for sports merchandise purchases. The collaboration expands flexible payment choices for consumers while helping retailers drive higher conversions.
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🏦 Banking
Atom Bank Sale Faces Uncertainty After Weak Bids
The potential sale of Atom Bank may be put on hold after prospective buyers submitted weaker-than-expected offers. The situation reflects continued caution around fintech valuations despite ongoing consolidation in digital banking.
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Mastercard Launches Africa Cybersecurity Center of Excellence
Mastercard has established a new Cybersecurity Center of Excellence to strengthen digital resilience across Africa’s financial ecosystem. The initiative aims to support governments, banks and businesses as digital payments continue to expand.
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EY Fires Employees Over Australian PM Banking Data Access
EY has dismissed staff accused of improperly accessing the Australian Prime Minister’s bank account information. The incident highlights the growing importance of data governance and trust across financial services.
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Danske Bank Deepens AWS Partnership for AI
Danske Bank has expanded its partnership with Amazon Web Services to accelerate AI deployment and improve productivity across the organization. The collaboration supports the bank’s broader digital transformation strategy.
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💼 Fintech
Google Cloud and FactSet Expand AI for Financial Markets
Google Cloud has partnered with FactSet to deliver AI-powered capabilities for financial markets. The collaboration aims to help investment professionals access richer insights and improve decision-making through generative AI.
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Nebex Raises $30M to Build Space Economy Infrastructure
Nebex has secured a $30 million seed round led by GV to develop financial infrastructure supporting the global space economy. The funding reflects growing investor interest in emerging infrastructure markets.
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Malaysian Fintech Ascertain Targets Regional Growth
Malaysian fintech company Ascertain is preparing for regional expansion as it scales its financial technology offerings. The move underscores continued fintech growth across Southeast Asia.
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🪙 Crypto
Standard Chartered Secures MiCA Licence for European Digital Assets
Standard Chartered has obtained MiCA and electronic money institution licences, strengthening its digital asset strategy across Europe. The approvals position the bank to expand regulated crypto services within the EU.
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FlexTrade Connects to EDX Markets
FlexTrade has integrated with EDX Markets, allowing institutional clients to access crypto and digital asset trading through its platform. The integration supports increasing institutional participation in digital assets.
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Digital Prime Technologies Expands Tokenet to BitGo
Digital Prime Technologies has extended its Tokenet platform to BitGo Bank & Trust, expanding multi-custodian support for institutional digital asset management. The enhancement provides greater flexibility for institutional investors.
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Strategy Could Sell Billions in Bitcoin Under New Capital Plan
Strategy has introduced a capital plan that could eventually allow it to sell billions of dollars worth of Bitcoin holdings. The proposal has attracted close attention from investors monitoring corporate crypto strategies.
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MetaMask Launches Money Account
MetaMask has introduced Money Account, enabling users to earn DeFi yield while spending stablecoin balances globally. The launch further bridges decentralized finance with everyday payments.
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OKX Wants AI Agents to Hire and Pay Each Other
OKX is developing infrastructure that would allow AI agents to autonomously hire one another and execute payments. The initiative showcases the growing convergence of artificial intelligence, crypto and programmable commerce.
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SharpLink Buys Ethereum Despite Market Decline
SharpLink has purchased Ethereum for the first time in 2026 even as ETH remains significantly below its all-time high. The move signals continued institutional confidence in Ethereum despite market weakness.
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📈 WealthTech
Tide Launches Investment Account for SMEs
Tide has expanded into wealth management by introducing a dedicated investment account for small and medium-sized businesses. The offering gives SMEs new tools to manage excess cash while broadening Tide’s financial services platform.
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⚖️ Regulation
UK FCA Unveils Landmark Crypto Rulebook
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority has introduced a landmark set of crypto rules aimed at establishing the country as a leading global digital asset hub. The framework provides greater regulatory clarity while strengthening consumer protections.
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SEC Reconsiders Rules for Novel ETFs
The SEC has opened a public comment period as it reviews potential changes to rules governing novel exchange-traded funds. The move could influence the future approval process for innovative investment products, including crypto-related ETFs.
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Binance Hit With $199M UK Investor Lawsuit
Binance is facing a $199 million lawsuit from UK investors, adding to the exchange’s ongoing legal and regulatory challenges. The case underscores increasing scrutiny of major crypto platforms.
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🌍 Other
EIB Issues First DLT-Native Commercial Paper
The European Investment Bank has issued its first DLT-native commercial paper through Clearstream’s D7 platform. The issuance demonstrates how distributed ledger technology is increasingly being adopted in traditional capital markets.
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