U.S. Bank Explores Stablecoin Issuance on the Stellar Network
U.S. Bank is reportedly testing the issuance of a USD-backed stablecoin on the Stellar blockchain, marking one of the most significant moves by a major traditional bank toward blockchain-based settlement. The initiative signals growing institutional confidence in tokenized money and could accelerate bank-backed digital asset adoption across payments and treasury functions. If formalized, this would position U.S. Bank as a leader among legacy institutions exploring blockchain-native rails for faster, programmable finance. The testing phase highlights the increasing convergence between traditional banking infrastructure and public blockchain networks. It also underscores the competitive pressure on banks to modernize settlement capabilities as stablecoins and tokenized cash gain mainstream traction.
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๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ & ๐๐๐๐
If global commerce is to truly become โborderless,โ payments have to catch up first.
Thatโs where interoperability โ the ability for payment systems across countries to talk to each other โ becomes the real unlock.
UPI is showing how itโs done.
Indiaโs Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has already transformed domestic payments. Now, through NIPL (NPCI International), itโs quietly exporting that model to the world โ partnering with countries like Singapore, UAE, France, and Mauritius to make real-time cross-border payments as easy as scanning a QR.
๐๐๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ค ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ฌ ๐
๐น ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ฒ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ:
โ Faster: near-instant fund transfers
โ Cheaper: lower fees vs. legacy rails
โ More transparent: with built-in compliance checks
For governments and operators, this also means a unified view of payment flows โ making fraud detection and financial inclusion efforts more effective.
๐น ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฅ๐
UPIโs international play runs on two key models:
โ P2P Remittances (like UPIโPayNow between India and Singapore)
โ P2M Transactions โ when tourists or users pay international merchants via UPI
In Singapore, for instance, a user can pay a local merchant directly with UPI. The experience feels exactly like paying at home โ but behind the scenes, a complex real-time flow unfolds.
๐น ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ง-๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ (๐๐๐ญ๐ & ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง)
1. User scans merchantโs QR code โ UPI app recognizes it as an international QR.
2. Merchant and country identifiers are validated through NIPL.
3. International Remittance Partner (IRP) connects UPI to the foreign payment system.
4. Compliance checks are run by a screening bank and NIPLโs Fraud Risk Management (FRM) engine.
All this happens in milliseconds before any money actually moves.
๐น ๐๐ก๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ (๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ)
Curated News
๐ณ Payments
Revolut: Brits Struggle to Spot Online Scams
Revolut data reveals that many UK consumers feel unprepared to identify online fraud, despite rising digital-payment usage. The findings underscore the need for enhanced security tools and customer education across fintech platforms.
Source
Vodacom Expands M-Pesa Globally
Vodacom Tanzania has launched a service enabling M-Pesa users to transact internationally with greater ease. The feature allows mobile-money customers to make global payments and card-based transactions, extending M-Pesaโs reach beyond Africa.
Source
RBI Joins European Payments Initiative
Indiaโs RBI has joined the European Payments Initiative (EPI) as an acceptor PSP. The move could enhance interoperability between Indian and European payment infrastructures.
Source
๐ฆ Banking
FIS Wins BMW Bank Deal for Deposits
BMW Bank has selected FIS to power its deposit-services infrastructure, adopting the tech providerโs cloud-enabled banking platform. The shift modernizes BMW Bankโs core operations and supports future product expansion.
Source
Tandem Launches Portfolio Cash ISA
Tandem Bank has introduced a portfolio cash ISA designed to give savers greater flexibility across multiple savings products. The offering reflects rising demand for higher-yield, easy-to-manage savings tools.
Source
Amazon & Flipkart Expand Consumer Lending
Indiaโs major e-commerce players Amazon and Flipkart are rolling out new loan products targeting retail consumers. These offerings intensify competition with traditional banks on credit distribution.
Source
India Eases Digital Banking Rules
India has relaxed regulations governing digital-banking operations, simplifying licensing and compliance for online-only financial providers. The change is expected to boost innovation and competition in the sector.
Source
๐ธ Fintech
Erad Secures $125M Credit Line to Scale SME Financing
Saudi fintech Erad has obtained a $125 million credit facility from Jefferies to grow its SME funding operations. The capital boost supports Eradโs expansion across the Middle Eastโs fast-developing startup ecosystem.
Source
BKN301 Extends Series B to ยฃ29M
BKN301 has expanded its Series B round to ยฃ29 million, fueling global expansion plans and acquisition opportunities. The company aims to strengthen its cross-border payments and embedded-finance capabilities.
Source
INSURTECH: INSTANDA & Process Factory Team Up
INSTANDA and Process Factory have formed a collaboration designed to help insurers and MGAs in the Nordics innovate faster. The partnership focuses on boosting product development and automation.
Source
๐ช Crypto
Crypto Miners Jump as BTC & ETH Recover
BitMine and other mining-related stocks surged as Bitcoin and Ethereum prices rebounded. The rally reflects renewed optimism ahead of expected market catalysts.
Source
Forecasts Turn Bullish on Bitcoin Hitting $100K
Predictive models and market commentators are increasingly suggesting a potential rebound toward $100K BTC. Sentiment has improved as macro pressures ease and capital flows return to crypto markets.
Source
Philippines Could Unlock $60B Through Tokenization
A new report suggests the Philippines could generate up to $60 billion by 2030 via large-scale asset tokenization. The opportunity spans real estate, government assets, and corporate financing.
Source
๐ WealthTech
Groww Injects $16M Into WealthTech Subsidiary
Indiaโs Groww has invested $16 million into its wealth-management unit to expand product offerings and scale operations. The move strengthens Growwโs position in Indiaโs rapidly growing retail-investment ecosystem.
Source
๐ Regulation
EU Council & Parliament Tighten Fraud Rules
EU legislators have reached an agreement to enhance fraud-prevention measures and improve transparency across payments. The update reflects rising regulatory pressure on PSPs as fraud cases grow.
Source
EU Watchdog Criticizes Commission Over โUrgentโ Proposals
An EU watchdog has accused the European Commission of lacking transparency in the rollout of urgent regulatory proposals. The criticism highlights ongoing tensions around fast-tracked financial-services legislation.
Source
MAS & BoJ Renew Currency Swap Deal
Singapore and Japan have extended their bilateral local-currency swap arrangement through 2028. The agreement strengthens financial cooperation and improves liquidity support mechanisms between the two nations.
Source
๐ Other
Nairobi & Somalia Exchanges Partner for CX Investment
The Nairobi Securities Exchange and Somaliaโs exchange have partnered to advance customer-experienceโfocused investment initiatives in East Africa. The collaboration aims to bolster regional market development.
Source
CME Restores Trading After Major Outage
CME Group resumed trading after an hours-long systems outage affecting multiple asset classes. The incident highlights the fragility of market-infrastructure systems amid rising trading volumes.
Source
UAE ATMs Now Allow Gold & Silver Purchases
The UAE has rolled out ATMs that allow consumers to buy gold and silver directly from machines. The offering reflects surging regional demand for physical precious metals.
Source
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