Author: James Wilson
The United Nations Development Programme has expanded its partnership with the Stellar Development Foundation after blockchain payment pilots cut aid distribution costs from 10% to 2% and kept payments running during network outages. Summary UNDP has expanded its Stellar partnership after blockchain pilots lowered aid payment costs and improved payment resilience. Syria’s pilot cut distribution costs from 10% to 2%, while Haiti maintained payments during a cellular outage. Recent MoneyGram and DTCC partnerships have strengthened Stellar’s role in payments and tokenized assets. The United Nations Development Programme announced Monday that it has signed a new agreement with the Stellar Development…
TeraWulf has secured a 20-year lease with Anthropic expected to generate nearly $19 billion in contracted revenue, sending the Bitcoin miner’s stock sharply higher despite weakness across crypto-related equities. Summary TeraWulf signed a 20-year lease with Anthropic worth an estimated $19 billion in contracted revenue. The AI data center will deliver up to 401 MW of capacity, with full deployment expected by early 2028. TeraWulf shares climbed more than 12% as the company also announced a $450 million AI-focused asset sale. AI infrastructure becomes TeraWulf’s biggest growth driver According to a press release from TeraWulf, the Bitcoin miner has signed…
Crypto-related losses have fallen 46.8% year over year to $1.32 billion during the first half of 2026, but blockchain security firm CertiK has warned that the decline does not indicate a safer digital asset ecosystem. Summary CertiK says crypto losses fell 46.8% to $1.32 billion in H1 2026, but the decline does not mean the industry has become safer. Wallet compromises replaced phishing as the biggest attack method in Q2, with North Korean-linked attacks driving most major losses. CertiK and TRM Labs warn that attackers are becoming more targeted and sophisticated, making private key security a top priority. According to…
The UK Financial Conduct Authority has published a 147-page roadmap warning that autonomous AI systems could transform retail financial services while increasing the need for programmable digital payment infrastructure. Summary The FCA has published a 147-page roadmap outlining how agentic AI could automate retail financial services. The report identifies stablecoins and tokenized deposits as potential infrastructure for instant AI-driven settlements. The regulator says firms must keep human accountability in place as autonomous AI adoption accelerates. The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority has released a detailed review outlining how artificial intelligence is moving beyond assisting consumers to making financial decisions on their…
South Korea has given Polymarket an opportunity to defend its operations before regulators decide whether to seek corrective action over concerns that the prediction market platform may violate the country’s gambling laws. Summary South Korean regulators will hear Polymarket’s response before deciding on possible corrective action. Authorities are reviewing whether the platform’s prediction markets violate the country’s gambling laws. The review follows an earlier police investigation into South Korean Polymarket users over alleged illegal gambling. The Broadcasting, Media and Communications Review Committee said on Monday that it will hear Polymarket’s explanation before reaching a final decision on a corrective request…
Belgium’s financial markets regulator has added six crypto platforms to its warning list after finding they are operating in the country without the authorization required under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets MiCA framework. Summary Belgium’s FSMA has warned consumers against six crypto platforms operating without MiCA authorization, signaling the start of stricter enforcement after the EU’s July 1 licensing deadline. Belgium’s financial regulator has added six unauthorized crypto firms to its warning list and urged investors to verify providers through the official MiCA register. Following the end of the EU’s MiCA transition period, Belgium’s FSMA has flagged six crypto…
SpaceX shares have remained under pressure ahead of their Nasdaq-100 debut, even as the upcoming index inclusion is expected to trigger roughly $4.3 billion in passive fund buying. Summary SpaceX joins the Nasdaq-100 on July 7, with JPMorgan estimating about $4.3 billion in passive fund buying. The stock is holding above $155 support while traders watch for a breakout above $160 and $165. Limited public float and heavy insider ownership could increase volatility during the index rebalancing. According to Nasdaq, SpaceX will officially join the Nasdaq-100 before the opening bell on July 7 after qualifying under the exchange’s updated rules…
SpaceX has been scheduled to enter the Nasdaq-100 Index on July 7, a move that JPMorgan estimates could generate about $4.3 billion in automatic buying from passive investment funds. Summary SpaceX is set to join the Nasdaq-100 on July 7, with JPMorgan estimating $4.3 billion in passive fund buying. Index-tracking ETFs and mutual funds are expected to buy SpaceX shares automatically during the benchmark’s rebalancing. Investors are also watching SpaceX’s Bitcoin holdings, ARK Invest’s purchases, and its recent $25 billion bond sale. According to a Nasdaq announcement, SpaceX will join the Nasdaq-100 before the market opens on July 7 after…
Circle shares have climbed despite a bearish analyst note from Jefferies, as fresh data has shown USDC processed more than twice the adjusted stablecoin trading volume of Tether’s USDT in June. Summary Circle shares gained despite a bearish Jefferies note as USDC led stablecoin trading volumes in June. Visa data showed USDC processed $1.21 trillion in adjusted volume, more than double USDT’s $573 billion. CRCL is rebounding from key support, but bulls must clear the Supertrend resistance to confirm a trend reversal. According to Grayscale Head of Research Zach Pandl, stablecoins recorded a record $1.78 trillion in adjusted trading volume…
The biggest fight in American finance right now is over a single clause: whether digital dollars can pay their holders interest. Banks say yield-bearing stablecoins would drain trillions in deposits and break the lending machine. Crypto says the banks are defending a monopoly on other people’s money. The CLARITY Act is hostage to the answer, and this week the standoff escalated on every front. Summary A battle over whether stablecoins should pay interest has become the biggest obstacle to advancing the CLARITY Act in the US Senate. Banks warn that yield bearing stablecoins could pull trillions of dollars from deposits…