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a16z released the latest research indicating that stablecoins are gradually evolving from their initial role as transaction settlement tools and stores of value into global financial infrastructure. Data shows that following the regulatory clarity driven by the U.S. GENIUS Act, the stablecoin market has accelerated its growth, with adjusted trading volumes reaching approximately $4.5 trillion.The report shows that consumer-to-business (C2B) stablecoin transactions grew by 128% year-on-year, reaching 284.6 million transactions. The monthly collateral deposits for stablecoin card projects also increased from nearly zero at the end of 2024 to over $300 million by early 2026, reflecting the rapid expansion of stablecoin payment scenarios. Meanwhile, the velocity of stablecoins has increased from 2.6 times to 6 times since early 2024, indicating a shift from being "held" to being "frequently used." a16z believes that the focus of stablecoin applications is shifting from cross-border payments to local payment infrastructure, particularly evident in markets such as Asia and Brazil.

The Web3 asset data platform RootData has outlined 30 business partners of Fireblocks, spanning multiple key areas such as DeFi protocols, payment settlement, compliance analysis, trading institutions, and multi-chain infrastructure:Settlement Layer: Represented by Circle, TripleA, and Lynq, responsible for stablecoin issuance and payment clearing.Liquidity and Trading Layer: Includes market makers and trading institutions such as Wintermute, Amber Group, GSR, and Wootton, responsible for fund distribution and market depth.On-chain Application Layer: Covers DeFi and application tools like Aave, Morpho, and MetaMask, which support the actual operation scenarios of funds.Compliance and Risk Control Layer: Service providers like Chainalysis, Elliptic, and Coincover form an important supplement to its regulatory adaptation capabilities.By 2025, Fireblocks is expected to handle over $200 billion in stablecoin transactions per month, a year-on-year increase of 300%. Fireblocks' positioning is evolving from a "custody and security service provider" to a central hub for on-chain fund flows and institutional asset circulation.Currently, Fireblocks supports over 150 public blockchain networks, and its partnership network has expanded to over 2,500 global institutional participants, including banks, asset management firms, exchanges, market makers, and fintech companies. Related compilation: Fireblocks Web3 Partner Network Compilation (Continuously Updated)Cryptocurrency projects actively showcasing their partner networks have become a key way to enhance transparency and market trust. It is reported that RootData welcomes Web3 project parties to claim information and continues to track and open more project business relationship disclosure channels. The platform has continuously released multiple issues of the cryptocurrency project ecosystem map, nominating Web3 ecosystem partners for upstream clients such as Visa, Mastercard, and Coinbase.If you wish to nominate your project in future ecosystem maps, please fill out the RootData 2026 Industry Ecosystem Mapping form to supplement your important clients and partners.

Morgan Stanley's investment management division, MSIM, announced the launch of a stablecoin reserve portfolio fund (MSNXX), which is a government money market fund designed specifically for stablecoin issuers. It aims to provide a regulated and secure storage place for reserves held by issuers that back their tokenized fiat currency versions.The fund only invests in the safest and most liquid instruments, such as U.S. Treasury bills (short-term loans to the U.S. government) and repurchase agreements (overnight loans secured by similar government securities), both of which aim for capital preservation. The fund's target net asset value is $1, meaning that the invested capital retains the same value upon redemption, avoiding price fluctuations; at the same time, the fund offers daily liquidity, allowing investors to redeem funds on any trading day without a waiting period or penalties.Currently, the market capitalization of stablecoins has reached $316 billion, with tokens pegged to the U.S. dollar, such as Tether and USDC, holding the majority share. Morgan Stanley's launch of the fund coincides with the advancement of the GENIUS Act in Congress. If passed, this act would legally require stablecoin issuers to back their tokens with high-quality liquid assets such as Treasury bills and cash-like instruments, and they must be held through regulated instruments. Thus, the fund is positioned to take on reserve management business ahead of regulatory mandates.Additionally, Morgan Stanley Investment Management recently launched the Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust (MSBT), which is a cryptocurrency ETP that tracks Bitcoin, with custodial and fund management services provided by BNY Mellon. It has also collaborated with BNY Mellon to launch tokenized DAP class shares of an institutional liquidity fund Treasury securities portfolio, achieving blockchain-based mirror records while the official ledger remains retained by BNY Mellon.

DogPay announced a strategic partnership with DeCard to jointly launch the DogPay physical payment card, aimed at further bridging stablecoin assets with the global traditional payment network.It is reported that this payment card combines DeCard's regulated card issuance and settlement infrastructure with DogPay's modular digital financial platform. Eligible users can transact at over 150 million Visa-supported merchants worldwide, supporting real-world application scenarios such as offline POS machine consumption, retail shopping, and ATM withdrawals, thereby directly converting stablecoin balances into everyday purchasing power.DogPay officials stated that the launch of the physical payment card aims to meet the growing market demand for compliant and globally accepted digital asset payment tools, further promoting the deep integration of digital assets with regulated financial infrastructure.

The cryptocurrency payment network MoonPay announced that its Iron platform has officially launched virtual account services in New York State, supporting fintech companies, cryptocurrency platforms, neobanks, and financial institutions to integrate compliant fiat-to-stablecoin infrastructure.This launch is based on MoonPay's acquisition of the enterprise-grade stablecoin infrastructure platform Iron in 2025, allowing users to receive payments through channels such as ACH, wire transfer, and SWIFT, and automatically convert them into stablecoins, settling to non-custodial wallets. MoonPay has also obtained a BitLicense, money transmission license, and limited purpose trust license from the New York State Department of Financial Services in the same year.

The cryptocurrency trading platform HTX released the "USDD In-Depth Research Report," which points out that the decentralized stablecoin USDD has completed a key transformation into an over-collateralized stablecoin, and its overall maturity has entered the same competitive range as DAI. Relying on the advantages of the TRON ecosystem and multi-chain native deployment, USDD is gradually becoming a new generation of decentralized stablecoin infrastructure that combines stability and yield capability.The report provides a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of USDD from multiple dimensions, including core competitive advantages, yield ecosystem panorama, security system, and competitive landscape, and highly affirms its construction of a sustainable yield ecosystem and differentiated advantages.

Chief Economist Fu Peng of New Fire Group delivered a speech at the 2026 Hong Kong Institutional Digital Wealth Management Summit, stating that the integration of traditional financial institutions and the cryptocurrency market will herald the arrival of a new era in the market. The participants who will truly succeed in the future are those who can quickly complete their transformation at critical turning points.Fu Peng cited the Cold War, oil crisis, and the simultaneous rise of computer and semiconductor technology in the 1970s and 1980s as examples, pointing out that technological advancements and global order turmoil often go hand in hand, with risks and opportunities always accompanying each other. He believes that AI and data computing power are now widely recognized as the core productive forces of the next era, indicating that the first half of the cryptocurrency industry has essentially ended, and the industry is at a critical stage of reconstruction and rebirth.Looking ahead, Fu Peng predicts that stablecoins will take on payment functions, Bitcoin will evolve into a core asset with both value storage and financial transaction attributes, and a brand new chapter of the era is about to begin.

According to market news, at the "9th BCCC Collaborative Day" held on April 21, 2026, Shigeru Shimizu, the head of the Risk Analysis Division of the Financial Services Agency (FSA) of Japan, delivered a special speech revealing significant progress in cryptocurrency regulation. The FSA has submitted a bill to the extraordinary Diet, proposing to transition cryptocurrencies from the Payment Services Act to the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, mainly involving four core aspects: regulations on information disclosure, the establishment of new classifications for independent operators, strengthening penalties for unregistered operators, and preparing regulations against insider trading.At the same time, the FSA is advancing three "Payment Innovation Projects (PIP)" empirical experiments: first, a cross-border payment trial using yen stablecoins involving three major banks; second, on-chain settlement of securities such as government bonds, corporate bonds, and stocks based on blockchain, aiming for 24/7 continuous trading; third, an interbank tokenized deposit transfer experiment that just received support on April 3 of this month, which will be promoted in conjunction with the Bank of Japan's central bank digital currency tokenization sandbox project. Mr. Shimizu stated that blockchain has great potential in enhancing the convenience of financial services and diversifying products, and the FSA will continue to promote institutional development and practical support.

Investment bank TD Cowen stated that the disagreements surrounding the CLARITY Act go beyond the issue of stablecoin yields, and multiple real-world obstacles may slow down the legislative process.First, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission is understaffed, with only one commissioner currently in office. In this situation, Congress is unlikely to feel comfortable handing over more cryptocurrency regulatory responsibilities to the agency, and filling the personnel gaps will take months. Second, the issue of prediction markets is heating up. Whether to include it in the bill's regulation, as well as potential insider trading and conflicts of political interest (including controversies related to Trump-related projects), may lead some Democratic lawmakers to oppose the bill.At the same time, the ongoing controversy surrounding the Trump family's cryptocurrency project World Liberty Financial is increasing the political sensitivity of the bill, making bipartisan consensus harder to achieve. Geopolitics has also become a variable. Discussions about Iran potentially using cryptocurrency payments are reinforcing the focus on anti-money laundering provisions and could even introduce amendments detrimental to the industry. Additionally, some lawmakers are attempting to include the Credit Card Competition Act, which, if advanced, could trigger new conflicts of interest and further delay the overall legislation.

According to The Block, B2B stablecoin technology provider Infinite has launched Infinite Accounts, offering banking account services for businesses that support deposits, withdrawals, ACH, domestic and international wire transfers, as well as stablecoin minting, burning, and on-chain transfers, all accessible through a single API.This service is supported by traditional banking infrastructure from Erebor Bank, which has recently received its license. Infinite states that the fiat currency balance in the accounts may be eligible for FDIC insurance, while the stablecoin balance is not. This move comes at a time when institutional adoption of stablecoins is continuing to heat up.

According to the official announcement, Coinbase has announced the launch of the fiat-backed stablecoin tGBP starting in 2026. Users can buy, sell, exchange, send, and receive tGBP through the Coinbase App and Coinbase Exchange.It has been disclosed that the issuer of tGBP, BCP Technologies, is registered with the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and is participating in the FCA's regulatory sandbox. Coinbase stated that this launch is part of its strategy to support more local currency stablecoins in its international expansion.

Kim Hyun-jung, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea's Digital Assets Special Task Force, stated that they plan to submit the basic law on digital assets related to stablecoins (Phase Two legislation) after the local elections and simultaneously advance the review of the bill in the subcommittee.He pointed out that there are still differences regarding issues such as the shareholding restrictions for major shareholders of exchanges, which need further discussion. At the same time, he believes that, in the context of the Bank of Korea Governor Shin Hyun-sung's positive attitude towards stablecoins, relevant legislation is expected to progress. In addition, the task force is considering meeting with him after the elections to advance the design of the CBDC and the Korean won stablecoin system.

According to data released by Binance Research, the total market capitalization of stablecoins has reached a historic high of approximately $320 billion, a significant increase from less than $5 billion in 2020, and has continued to steadily rise since the beginning of 2024.

According to market news, Ramp, supported by top Silicon Valley investor Peter Thiel, will allow payments and consumption through Plasma using stablecoin channels.

According to Fortune, the blockchain project Tempo, supported by Stripe and Paradigm, has launched a "stablecoin consulting" service, providing support for stablecoin adoption to enterprises and financial institutions, including identifying applicable scenarios and dispatching engineers to assist with stablecoin integration.The report states that the American food delivery platform DoorDash is collaborating with Tempo to explore paying delivery personnel with stablecoins; Stripe, Coastal Community Bank, and ARQ are also building stablecoin infrastructure based on Tempo, while Visa, OnePay, Felix, Fifth Third Bank, and Howard Hughes Holdings are integrating their payment services with Tempo.

The UK Treasury announced a regulatory scheme during London Fintech Week, planning to incorporate stablecoins and tokenized deposits into a unified regulatory framework with traditional payment services.The scheme aims to regulate stablecoins used for payments under the upcoming issuance regime, while expanding the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) regulatory scope over open banking, and exploring regulatory adjustments for payment activities executed by AI agents. The proposal also suggests reducing administrative requirements for businesses providing stablecoin payment services through new legislation.The UK Treasury also announced the appointment of EY partner and former interim CEO of the FCA, Chris Woolard CBE, as the wholesale digital market champion, responsible for advancing the development of a tokenized wholesale financial system, and committed to providing £1 million (approximately $1.35 million) in funding support to the Centre for Financial Innovation and Technology starting in April. Minister for Cities Lucy Rigby stated that the scheme aims to build a secure, competitive payment ecosystem that can seize opportunities from technological changes. The UK government recognizes the transformative potential of digital assets and blockchain technology, believing they can reshape the way consumers and businesses interact with financial services.

The custodian service provider Fireblocks will be responsible for the issuance and distribution of the euro stablecoin by the Qivalis consortium, which is expected to launch in the second half of 2026, regulated by the Dutch central bank and in compliance with the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR).Qivalis members include 12 European banks such as BBVA, BNP Paribas, ING, and UniCredit. Reports indicate that the current stablecoin market size is approximately $305 billion, of which about 99% are dollar stablecoins, and the euro stablecoin market size is around $650 million. Qivalis plans to enhance the application of euro stablecoins in institutional scenarios with compliant products.

According to The Block, the new governor of the Bank of Korea, Shin Hyun-song, delivered an inaugural speech promising to promote the development of central bank digital currency (CBDC) and deposit tokens, and will expand related applications through the "Han River Project" Phase Two, while participating in global collaborations such as Project Agora to strengthen the position of the Korean won in the global payment system.It is noteworthy that Shin Hyun-song did not mention the Korean won stablecoin in his speech, despite South Korean legislators actively advancing the "Digital Asset Basic Law" to establish a legal framework for stablecoins, with discussions expected to resume after the regional elections on June 3. Previously, during his tenure at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), Shin held a negative attitude towards stablecoins, believing that stablecoins could not replace currency, but it has been reported that his stance has changed, stating that the Korean won stablecoin should coexist with CBDC.

U.S. Senator Thom Tillis is urging the Senate Banking Committee to postpone the consideration of the cryptocurrency market structure bill until May, in order to allow more time for finalizing a compromise on stablecoin regulation between banks and the cryptocurrency industry.This move aims to provide additional negotiation space around key disagreements regarding stablecoins and to promote the formation of a more viable regulatory framework.