Circle Founda2026-09-25 15:05:00Circle Foundation awards grants to UNDP and WFP to test stablecoin-based aid paymentsCircle Foundation said it has awarded two grants to the United Nations Development Programme and the World Food Programme to explore how digital payments and digital financial infrastructure could be used in humanitarian aid and development programs. The initiative will examine whether regulated payment stablecoins can help move funds to recipients faster, with greater transparency and at lower cost. For UNDP, the grant will fund the creation and operation of a Digital Asset Innovation Pool designed to help country offices expand earlier digital payment pilots in Syria, Haiti, Guatemala, and Gambia into regular program delivery, while adding support on regulation, operations, and beneficiary protections. Circle Foundation said the mechanism is intended to complement, not replace, traditional banking channels. For WFP, the funding will support the governance, risk management, treasury, reconciliation systems, and compliance tools needed for stablecoin payments, along with integration with local fintech and mobile payment services. Over the next three years, WFP plans to test two to three payment rails linking its payment system with local financial service providers and markets.350
Apple2026-09-21 06:01:27Apple and Google begin hiring for stablecoin and tokenized deposit rolesApple and Google are both recruiting people with stablecoin and digital asset expertise, a move that points to deeper work around payments and financial infrastructure rather than a confirmed plan to issue their own tokens. According to a report cited by BlockTempo, Apple posted a U.S.-based role for a head of financial product strategy tied to Apple Pay services including Apple Card and Apple Cash, and listed knowledge of stablecoins, tokenized deposits and blockchain technology as preferred qualifications. Google, meanwhile, is hiring a principal architect for the Web3 industry in Hong Kong to support Google Cloud’s Web3 and digital asset business across Asia-Pacific. Preferred experience for that role includes real-world asset tokenization, stablecoin payment networks, tokenized deposits and digital asset custody. The report says the overlap in hiring priorities at both companies suggests that the next phase of competition in digital payments may center on infrastructure that connects mainstream payment products with blockchain-based financial rails. At the same time, it notes there is still no concrete evidence that either company plans to launch its own stablecoin.440
Coinbase2026-09-02 01:23:33Coinbase Cofounder Fred Ehrsam Reportedly Seeks Control of Oil Fields in VenezuelaAccording to a Bloomberg report cited by Odaily, people in the crypto market may be exploring a move into the energy sector. Citing unnamed sources, the report says Fred Ehrsam, co-founder of Coinbase, is seeking control of at least three oil fields in Venezuela. Ehrsam is reportedly working through Primavera, an investment firm he co-founded. He has visited Caracas multiple times and met with U.S. officials to explore opportunities in oil, natural gas, fintech, and digital payments. The oil fields are operated by Alvorada Heavy Industries and sit in the Boca, Guico, and Guara blocks of Venezuela's Orinoco Belt. The report, first published by Bloomberg and later picked up by Odaily, says negotiations are ongoing and no final agreement has been reached. Additional terms have not been disclosed.940
Digital Ruble2026-08-26 03:52:54Russia's Top Three Telecom Operators to Accept Digital Ruble Payments Starting September 1Russia's major telecom operators MTS, Rostelecom, and Megafon have announced they will begin accepting digital ruble payments from September 1. MTS will enable digital ruble use across all services within MTS Pay with no category restrictions. Rostelecom will initially support one-time payments on its website, with expansion to personal accounts planned later. E-commerce platforms Wildberries and Ozon will also launch digital ruble payments on the same date. Under Russian law, all large enterprises must be able to process digital ruble transactions from September 1, and 12 systemically important banks must integrate digital ruble wallet access into their apps. The central bank plans to cap monthly wallet top-ups at 300,000 rubles per bank.1220
USDC2026-08-24 12:06:18USDC accounts for nearly all AI agent payment transfer volumeUSD Coin (USDC) is taking an overwhelming share of payment transfer volume tied to AI agents, according to Techub News, citing Crypto Briefing. The report says USDC accounts for nearly 100% of that activity, putting it in a dominant position within this emerging payment segment. The data points to a clear role for USDC in AI-related payment flows, where stable settlement and broad usability appear to matter. Techub’s brief also notes that this positioning could reshape competition in the stablecoin market and affect the wider digital payments ecosystem. No additional figures or timeframe were disclosed in the source brief.390
Ant Group2026-08-18 11:21:51Market report says Ant Group plans to sell 3% stake in PaytmAnt Group is planning to sell a 3% stake in Paytm in a deal valued at $309 million, according to a market report cited by ChainCatcher. Paytm was identified in the report as an Indian digital payments and fintech company. The brief item did not name a buyer or provide additional terms for the proposed transaction. No timeline beyond the report itself was disclosed in the source material. ChainCatcher attributed the information to market sources.1100
India2026-08-04 18:17:35India moves to restore merchant fees for large UPI digital paymentsIndia has proposed bringing back merchant fees for a limited set of Unified Payments Interface, or UPI, transactions, marking a potential end to the zero-fee framework that has been in place since January 2020. The government submitted the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill to the Lok Sabha on Aug. 4-5, seeking changes to Section 10A of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. Under the proposal, banks and payment service providers would be allowed to charge a merchant discount rate of 5 to 7 basis points on specific UPI payments. The fee would apply only to large merchants with annual turnover of roughly 10 million to 15 million rupees, and only for transactions above 2,000 rupees. Person-to-person transfers and transactions involving small merchants would remain free. The government has also set aside 20 billion rupees in subsidies for fiscal 2027. A parliamentary standing committee had earlier said the zero-fee model was not sustainable and that a viable revenue source was needed. The update was cited by CryptoBriefing and carried by Techub.1880
OSL Group2026-07-24 07:10:15OSL Group Raises $200 Million to Expand Stablecoin Trading and Digital PaymentsOSL Group has closed a $200 million equity financing round to expand institutional stablecoin trading, digital payments, licensed acquisitions, core technology and working capital.810
