Coinbase and Gemini are broadening their product suites to include stocks, payments, prediction markets and stablecoins as they seek steadier, diversified revenue. The moves reflect a push to reduce reliance on trading fees and better serve mainstream users.
China’s central bank has announced plans to enhance the functionality and expand adoption of the digital yuan in 2026, following a pilot cross-border transaction with Laos. Officials framed the update as a move toward wider international use of the currency and improved payment features.
Tether unveiled Scudo on Tuesday, a new unit of account for its gold-backed token XAUT to enable fractional gold payments as bullion prices climb. The change aims to make tokenized gold practical for microtransactions and merchant use.
China has executed the first consumer retail payment across borders using the digital yuan in Laos, a milestone in the e‑CNY’s international rollout. The move aims to make everyday transactions for travelers and merchants faster and more convenient.
PwC is exploring stablecoins to streamline payments in its audit and consulting services as U.S. policy shifts and stablecoin use accelerate. The initiative aims to boost efficiency, speed cross-border settlement, and improve transaction traceability for clients.
On Jan. 4, 2026, Hong Kong-based digital asset exchange OSL listed Ripple USD (RLUSD) and launched a zero-fee trading promotion to encourage adoption of the regulated stablecoin. The move pairs fee-free access with institutional-grade compliance and new onramps for dollar-pegged payments.
Pi Network has temporarily suspended a key wallet payment function after community members uncovered a scam that drained millions of PI tokens from users. The team says investigations are underway and urges caution while transfers remain disabled.
BC Card finished a two‑month pilot enabling foreign-issued stablecoins stored abroad to be used for QR-code payments at Korean merchants by treating them as digital prepaid cards. The trial points to a possible path for cross-border crypto payments to connect with domestic point-of-sale networks.
Shift4 now lets merchants settle payments 24/7 in USDC, USDT, EURC and DAI on the Polygon network, enabling on-chain settlement outside traditional banking hours. The move aims to speed liquidity and broaden crypto payment options for businesses.
Fiserv will roll out QR-based crypto payments in Argentina through its Clover platform, letting customers pay with crypto while merchants receive pesos. The Milwaukee-based payments firm says it is the first company of its kind in the country to offer this conversion model.