Latest FinTech & Blockchain News
Bitpace Integrates Model Context Protocol for FinTech Standardization
Bitpace uses Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard likened to 'USB-C for AI', to standardize fintech integrations and enhance crypto payment routing with low latency. CTO Mustafa Budak highlights its role in creating a 'Git Bridge' for faster development and handling fraud, liquidity, and compliance via a unified context plane.
MCP enables adaptability with technologies like Zero-Knowledge Proofs for a private financial future.
HashSTACS.HK Named to KPMG China's 2025 Fintech 50
HashSTACS.HK earns spot on KPMG China's Fintech 50 for its compliant digital asset infrastructure using proprietary DLT for cross-border trading and settlement. Its RWALinks platform has surpassed USD 2 billion in transaction volume, connecting RWAs to on-chain liquidity with licensed institutions.
The recognition validates its compliance-first strategy in Hong Kong's stablecoin and RWA ecosystems.
SEC Shifts to Structured Crypto Rulemaking with CLARITY and GENIUS Acts
The SEC moves from enforcement to rulemaking via CLARITY Act, clarifying SEC-CFTC roles, and GENIUS Act, allowing banks to treat crypto as assets. This boosts institutional adoption, with 55% of hedge funds holding crypto, though compliance costs and gaps in staking rules persist.
Project Crypto aims for token taxonomy to ease security classifications.
US Crypto Market Structure Bill Delayed to End of January
The crypto market structure bill, ready for markup, is postponed from Jan. 15 to late January to secure bipartisan support and avoid Senate failure. Senator Lummis urges Democrats not to delay the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act for US innovation and consumer protection.
Industry groups like Coinbase await clarity amid concerns over staking limits.
RegTech Bloat: Rethinking AML Stacks for 2026 Efficiency
Financial institutions face RegTech bloat from fragmented AML tools; 2026 calls for consolidation into interoperable, unified platforms to cut costs and false positives. This shift prioritizes technical integration, single data sources, and modular architectures amid rising regulations on data and cyber risks.
Compliance leaders gain influence, favoring partnership models for resilient stacks.
Ascend Money Recognized for Financing Thailand's Underbanked
Ascend Money lands on Fortune's 2025 'Change the World' list for using digital wallet data in Ascend Nano to lend to 15 million underbanked Thais ignored by traditional banks. Unlike rigid bank models, it assesses credit via transaction patterns, phone types, and usage.
Similar approaches seen in Grab, GCash, and Momo across Southeast Asia.
South Korea Outlines 2026 Digital Asset Strategy
South Korea's 2026 Economic Growth Strategy includes a dedicated digital asset agenda to drive growth in blockchain and crypto sectors. This positions the nation to enhance its role in global digital finance amid regulatory advancements.
Details focus on integrating digital assets into broader economic policies.
HashSTACS.HK Advances RWA and Stablecoin Infrastructure
HashSTACS.HK's RWALinks platform achieves over USD 2 billion in cumulative transactions, boosting market activity and ecosystem connectivity for institutional RWA trading. It leverages Hong Kong's regulations for scalable bridges between real-world assets and on-chain liquidity.
Future plans emphasize performance and alignment for digital finance ecosystems.
US Senate Committees Align on Crypto Bill Text
Senate Banking and Agriculture Committees have bipartisan text ready but delay markup to ensure broad support, requiring 3/5 Senate majority. Chairman Boozman notes progress with Senator Booker on complex policy issues.
66 crypto organizations previously urged swift clarity.
MCP Enables Real-Time Crypto Payment Routing at Bitpace
Bitpace's MCP integration allows routing engines to adapt to live fees, congestion, and policies for cross-border crypto payments without constant rebuilds. It unifies fraud, liquidity, and compliance in a single context plane.
Budak sees it as transformative for adaptive payment infrastructure.
SEC's Project Crypto Targets Token Taxonomy Clarity
SEC's Project Crypto seeks nuanced token classifications to allow transitions from security status, amid ongoing rulemaking gaps in staking and tokenization. This balances innovation with investor protection in 2026.
Bipartisan legislation catalyzes institutional capital flows.