Latest FinTech & Blockchain News
U.S. GENIUS Act reshapes stablecoin market and fintech–bank competition
The GENIUS Act (2025) mandates 1:1 reserve backing for payment stablecoins, bans yield-bearing models, and imposes transparency requirements that push banks into stablecoin issuance while raising compliance costs for fintechs. Analysts say B2B use now represents two‑thirds of stablecoin transactions, signaling a shift from speculation to payments and treasury utility
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Coinbase: three themes will dominate crypto market in 2026
Coinbase Institutional identifies structural shifts — institutional flows, tokenized real‑world assets, and onchain yield products — as the main drivers of crypto markets in 2026, reflecting the market’s evolution toward capital‑markets integration.
Spot Bitcoin ETFs and institutional flows expand crypto’s capital markets footprint
Spot bitcoin ETFs now hold large allocations (industry reports cite ~1.36M BTC and $150B AUM), accelerating institutional demand and reducing distribution from long‑term holders. Exchanges and custodians are converging into full‑stack platforms serving institutional needs
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Tokenization of equities and treasuries moves into production
DTCC received SEC permission to tokenize Russell 1000 components, ETFs and Treasuries, and multiple firms have launched tokenized stocks and funds — signaling real‑world asset (RWA) tokenization moving from pilots to production.
Banks and trust charters deepen integration with crypto rails
Several firms including Circle, Ripple, BitGo, Fidelity Digital Assets and Paxos received conditional OCC approvals or national trust charters in 2025, enabling direct access to Fed payment rails and tighter bank–crypto integration.
Reversal of SAB 121 and custody guidance spur institutional custody solutions
Repeal of SAB 121 and clarified SEC custody guidance have removed major barriers for banks to custody digital assets, increasing demand for institutional‑grade custody providers such as BitGo and helping banks offer custody and token services.
Crypto market quiets; Bitcoin rangebound after October drawdown
Market commentary notes retail interest has fallen to near‑yearly lows and Bitcoin has traded between roughly $80K–$90K, with analysts split on next direction as security incidents keep risk perceptions elevated.
Trust Wallet browser extension exploit drains ~$7M in user funds
A malicious browser extension update affecting Trust Wallet redirected signatures and led to roughly $7 million in losses across Ethereum, BNB Chain and Polygon; the mobile app remained unaffected and the extension update was disabled while investigations continue.
Sberbank pilots crypto‑backed loans and Russia explores nuclear‑powered BTC mining
Sberbank plans pilots for loans collateralized by digital assets with custody and smart‑contract liquidation, while reports say Russian entities are exploring large‑scale, low‑cost mining using nuclear power — both moves signaling divergent global approaches to digital‑asset adoption and infrastructure.
Industry review: 2025 accelerated convergence and tighter regulation
Sector reviews summarizing 2025 highlight major regulatory milestones (GENIUS Act, ETF approvals), high‑profile legal closures, and increasing mainstreaming of crypto via bank charters and tokenized product rollouts that together tightened oversight while enabling broader institutional adoption.
Coin Metrics: capital more selective but staking and 'onchain yield' gain traction
Coin Metrics reports that while capital is becoming selective, staking‑enabled products and staking strategies (e.g., staked ETH products) are key to institutional adoption as crypto exposure is turned into income‑generating portfolio components.
Latin America fintechs and crypto adoption surged in 2025
Regional coverage notes Brazil’s crypto market grew ~43% in 2025 with higher per‑user investment, reflecting accelerated adoption beyond early traders and increased fintech activity across LatAm markets.