payment

The cutting-edge financial infrastructure platform B.AI for the AI era has announced that the recharge function for $HTX and $WBTC is now officially online. After this upgrade, users can conveniently operate through TRON, Ethereum (supporting WBTC and HTX), and BNB Chain (supporting HTX). As of now, the B.AI ecosystem has fully covered 8 major public chains including TRON, BNB Chain, Ethereum, Base, Arbitrum, Optimism, Polygon, and Solana, and supports up to 15 core crypto assets. B.AI is committed to breaking down cross-chain asset barriers, allowing users to enjoy a fast, secure, and seamless account and payment experience, regardless of their preferred network or asset.

According to Caixin, the "Global Payments Report 2026" released by global payment technology and software company Global Payments indicates that digital wallets account for more than half of global online transaction volume and one-third of offline transactions. Digital wallets can flexibly integrate different payment methods, including cryptocurrencies. The report predicts that direct cryptocurrency payments will become the fastest-growing online payment method, with a compound annual growth rate of 16% from 2025 to 2030. This means that by 2030, the volume of e-commerce transactions using direct cryptocurrency payments could account for 0.28% of global e-commerce transaction volume, nearly $31 billion.However, despite the global total market value of cryptocurrencies nearing $3.2 trillion by the end of 2025, it remains a relatively marginalized payment method for consumers to merchants. Reports from MRC and Visa show that only 10% of merchants globally accept cryptocurrency payments directly. In 2025, cryptocurrencies will account for only 0.19% of global e-commerce transaction volume, approximately $15 billion.

Crypto journalist Eleanor Terrett revealed that the Federal Reserve has issued a notice for public comment and proposed rulemaking regarding payment accounts (i.e., "streamlined master accounts"), allowing eligible fintech and crypto companies to access the Federal Reserve's payment system for clearing and settlement. This is the next formal action following the end of the public comment period in February and the implementation process of payment accounts by Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller.The Federal Reserve also encourages regional Federal Reserve Banks to suspend processing new "Tier 3" master account access requests (most crypto companies fall into this category) until December 2026 to enhance system consistency while finalizing the framework.

According to PR Newswire, global payment giant MoneyGram announced a strategic partnership with Layer 1 blockchain Tempo to become its core validation node for cross-border remittances (Anchor Remittance Validator) and participate in network transaction validation.The three parties will jointly build a global interoperable payment network based on stablecoins, promoting on-chain settlement in real fund flows, while Stripe will provide on-chain stablecoin settlement services for MoneyGram on the Tempo infrastructure.

On-chain detective ZachXBT posted on his personal channel, stating that on-chain tracking analysis shows that in two investment plans related to Gurhan Kiziloz, there are signs of at least approximately $25 million in presale funds being used interchangeably, which were transferred to pay for promotions to KOLs and streamers, involving his online gambling platform.ZachXBT indicated that the fundraising materials for the related presale projects BlockDAG Network and ZKP did not disclose that the funds would be used to support other businesses, while on-chain data shows that the funds were pooled across multiple addresses and then transferred to exchanges through cross-chain bridges, flowing to promotional payment addresses.ZachXBT also named several related addresses, including the Spartans KOL payment address and the BlockDAG / ZKP presale wallet, and advised investors to stay away from the BlockDAG, ZKP, and Spartans projects. Retail investors are still continuously complaining about the related fund usage issues on social media.

According to Bloomberg, the Monetary Authority of Singapore has announced the revocation of the major payment institution (MPI) license of the cryptocurrency payment company Bsquared Technology. The reasons include flaws in risk management and conflict of interest policies, violations of outsourcing management regulations, and providing false or misleading information to regulators multiple times during the license application and on-site inspection processes.Bsquared obtained a digital payment token service license 16 months ago and is now required to submit a closure certificate issued by an auditing firm to confirm that all customer funds have been returned. The MAS stated that it is further reviewing the responsibilities of the company's key management personnel. Currently, only 37 institutions in Singapore are approved to provide digital payment token services, and license revocations are relatively rare.

The German stablecoin startup AllUnity plans to launch the SEK anchor stablecoin SEKAU in June after completing final regulatory and operational approvals, and will issue it under the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) framework.At the same time, AllUnity has also released Agentic Payments, which supports businesses in receiving transactions initiated by AI autonomous software agents, with funds settled directly to local bank accounts. The system uses Coinbase's x402 payment standard and is aimed at online digital services, content, and data sales scenarios. AllUnity is supported by DWS, Flow Traders, and Galaxy Digital, and is regulated by the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) of Germany.

Mastercard has abandoned its investment plan for the cryptocurrency infrastructure company Zerohash, which had previously agreed in March to acquire the UK stablecoin infrastructure company BVNK for $1.8 billion. Mastercard had considered a strategic investment in Chicago-based Zerohash in January of this year. At that time, Zerohash was seeking to raise $250 million at a valuation of $1.5 billion, while the company is currently advancing a new funding round at a higher valuation. Founded in 2017, Zerohash primarily provides APIs and developer tools for cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, and tokenized products.Meanwhile, recent transactions involving Kraken's parent company Payward and Bullish indicate that consolidation in the digital asset infrastructure sector is ongoing. In terms of stablecoin payment arrangements, Mastercard has acquired BVNK for $1.8 billion and may pay an additional $300 million in performance-based compensation. BVNK currently serves payment and payroll platforms like Worldpay and Deel for cross-border payments, fund settlement, and financial management.Mastercard plans to integrate BVNK's technology into its Mastercard Move network to support 24/7 stablecoin settlement for payment institutions and merchant acquirers, and to explore adding stablecoin checkout functionality in payment gateways. Analysts believe that this transaction will further intensify the competition between Mastercard and Visa in the networked strategy of payment networks and accelerate the evolution of traditional cross-border clearing systems towards stablecoin settlement models.

On Tuesday local time, U.S. President Trump signed an executive order requiring the federal government and the Federal Reserve to review the existing regulatory framework to promote deeper integration of digital assets and financial technology into traditional financial services and payment systems. The executive order mandates U.S. financial regulators to review current rules within the next three months and identify any "unreasonable barriers" to cooperation between fintech companies and federally regulated financial institutions. Within six months, regulators must also take measures to encourage financial innovation. Among other things, the order specifically requires the Federal Reserve to reassess the eligibility of uninsured deposit institutions and non-bank financial companies for payment accounts and payment services.The document also requests the 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks to study whether they can independently open payment accounts to relevant institutions without relying on the approval of the Federal Reserve Board. Analysts believe this policy may benefit special purpose deposit institutions in Wyoming and similar structures for cryptocurrency companies. Previously, Kraken's Wyoming SPDI had obtained a limited version of "master account" authority from the Kansas Federal Reserve, and other cryptocurrency institutions are also seeking similar qualifications. Reports indicate that the Federal Reserve is currently also studying a more formal "streamlined master account" mechanism and had announced related proposals last December.

On May 19, the Financial Services Agency of Japan announced the revised Cabinet Office Ordinance related to electronic payment methods and transaction operators, clearly including trust beneficiary rights established under foreign laws that are equivalent to the Japanese system within the scope of electronic payment methods under Japan's Fund Settlement Act, providing a legal basis for the compliant circulation of trust-type stablecoins issued by specific foreign entities within Japan. The new regulations will take effect on June 1, 2026, and also clarify that the relevant foreign trust beneficiary rights are not considered securities under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act.

Revolut has announced the launch of its first physical crypto card, featuring a Dogecoin-themed design and equipped with an LED display that lights up during payment. The card can be used at merchants that support Visa and Mastercard, and it is initially available to users in the UK and the European Economic Area (excluding Hungary, Switzerland, and Portugal).Revolut stated that it does not charge additional exchange fees, but crypto asset payments will be settled at the exchange rate at the time of the transaction, and there may be tax obligations arising from the disposal of crypto assets.

According to CoinDesk, the stablecoin payment blockchain Tempo, supported by Stripe and Paradigm, is integrating Morpho's $7.5 billion DeFi lending market to provide on-chain lending and yield products for fintech companies and enterprises built on it. This integration allows Tempo users to access one of the largest lending protocols in DeFi, transforming stablecoin balances from idle assets into interest-bearing assets.Previously, Tempo was primarily positioned as a funds transfer blockchain, providing enterprises with stablecoin transfer, foreign exchange, and settlement tools. The addition of Morpho expands it into a more complete financial stack.

According to Bloomberg, multinational commodity trading firm Trafigura Group is in discussions with Tether about a pilot project aimed at using the stablecoin USDT for payments at fuel stations in El Salvador. The pilot will focus on gas stations operated by Puma Energy, Trafigura's fuel distribution division, where consumers in El Salvador can pay for fuel or snacks using USDT, which will then be converted to dollars by an intermediary and transferred to Trafigura. The discussions are still in the early stages and require regulatory approval.A spokesperson for Puma Energy stated that the discussions are still in the exploratory technical phase. This is the first known collaboration involving the use of stablecoins between Tether and a major commodity trader. Tether previously indicated that it funded an oil transaction but did not disclose specific details. Tether's CEO stated last November that they plan to "significantly" expand their lending business to commodity traders, having already issued $1.5 billion in loans.

Gate, a global leading digital asset trading platform, released its transparency report for April 2026. As the on-chain infrastructure continues to improve and capital efficiency increases, the synergy between on-chain trading, financial products, and payment scenarios has further enhanced, maintaining a steady upward trend in overall ecosystem activity.In terms of on-chain network, the number of transactions on Gate Layer exceeded 36.3 million, with a month-on-month growth of over 11%. The proportion of non-API trading on Perp DEX is close to 90%, reflecting a continued recovery in retail participation. On the capital and product side, the peak TVL of Yubibao approached $1.8 billion, the scale of on-chain earning products continues to grow, GUSD's scale has increased to over $190 million, and the crypto payment scenario has further extended into daily consumption through Gate Card, with the user base continuously rising.In addition, Gate has joined the Mastercard crypto partner program and is deepening cooperation around crypto cards, stablecoin payments, and cross-border settlements, promoting the accelerated integration of digital assets into the global mainstream payment system.The platform ecosystem is also continuously evolving, with approximately 2.5577 million GT tokens burned on-chain in the first quarter of 2026, with a destruction value exceeding $20.68 million. As of now, the cumulative burn of GT has exceeded 187 million tokens, accounting for about 62.46% of the initial supply.On the basis of adhering to the stable execution of the established burn plan, the long-term supply contraction trend of GT has become clearer, providing a foundation for its scarcity and value support. Gate is continuing to strengthen the integrity and global connectivity of its multi-asset financial infrastructure through the synergy of on-chain ecosystem expansion and asset management.

According to an official announcement, the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) has released a proposed rule outlining the operational and risk management standards for stablecoin issuers permitted under the GENIUS Act. NCUA Chairman Kyle Hauptman stated that the proposed rule aims to ensure that credit unions are not at a disadvantage in terms of standards and aligns with the proposed standards for bank subsidiaries. The proposed rule has been published in the Federal Register, and the comment period will close on July 17, 2026.

KB Financial Group announced that it has completed the technical proof of concept for the Korean won stablecoin in scenarios such as payments, settlements, and international remittances. This verification was jointly completed by KB Financial Group, electronic payment company KG Inicis, public chain Kaia, and digital asset solution company OpenAsset, covering the entire financial service process including the issuance of the Korean won stablecoin, offline payments, merchant settlements, and cross-border remittances.According to reports, the solution migrates the internal settlement system to a blockchain architecture while maintaining users' original financial service habits. Among them, actual payment scenarios have been tested through the offline self-service terminals of the chain coffee brand Hollys, allowing users to make payments via QR codes without the need to install a digital wallet; the system automatically executes on-chain smart contracts during the settlement phase. In addition, in the cross-border remittance test, the system first exchanges the Korean won stablecoin for US dollar stablecoins through Kaia's on-chain liquidity, and then the local partner in Vietnam completes the fiat currency crediting. The entire remittance process takes only about 3 minutes, with fees reduced by approximately 87% compared to traditional SWIFT remittance models.

Aptos Labs announced that the world's first stablecoin pegged to the Korean won, KRW1, will be launched on the Aptos network. This stablecoin was chosen by BDACS Korea to be issued on Aptos, aiming to promote on-chain payments and digital business applications in Korea and the broader market.Aptos stated that the choice of its infrastructure for issuance is based on its full-stack blockchain capabilities oriented towards "market and machine," designed to support cross-border and local on-chain business scenarios.