Author: Benjamin Lee
Grayscale Research is warning that artificial intelligence may heighten financial surveillance risks on transparent blockchains by improving the ability to link transactions with off-chain data and de-anonymize addresses. This dynamic builds on past waves of privacy concerns tied to technological shifts, including the 1970s digitization of financial records and the 1990s rise of the internet. Grayscale Research says a third wave is underway, driven by AI tools that could make blockchain address labeling more effective and widespread. Source: Grayscale Bitcoin (BTC) transactions are visible by default on the public ledger, a risk noted in its white paper. In contrast, Zcash…
A group of 21 banks and financial firms including Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and Goldman Sachs are preparing to launch a dollar stablecoin for business payments across borders. The firms say they will form a new company in the second half of 2026 and aim to have the token live in the first half of 2027, reports the Wall Street Journal. Stablecoin are digital tokens meant to stay pegged to a currency, in this case the U.S. dollar. The first customers are meant to be companies sending money overseas. Some regions may later offer it to regular customers.…
Crypto platforms are suffering massive losses to sophisticated exploits despite many having undergone independent security audits. A new CoinGecko report shows that between January 2025 and July 2026, crypto platforms suffered a staggering $3.63 billion in losses across 245 documented incidents. Notably the top 10 largest attacks accounted for more than 72.5% of the total value stolen during the period. Out of 245 documented incidents since early 2025, 147 involved protocols that had undergone audits before being compromised. These vetted entities represented a staggering 88.44% of the total capital drained over the last 19 months. Only about 11.0% of these…
Major banks are shifting from opposing stablecoins to advancing their own versions as competition grows in the payments market. The change comes after years of resistance, reports The Wall Street Journal. Banks large and small have started to warm up to the idea of their own stablecoins, despite early doubts from some executives that there will be much demand for them. A group of more than a dozen financial institutions including Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Santander is moving forward with plans for a global stablecoin venture that would initially focus on the U.S. dollar. JPMorgan Chase recently evaluated…
Tokenized versions of major US stocks are going live on Base, Coinbase’s Ethereum layer-2 network. Base says tokenized stocks issued by top US crypto exchange Coinbase are now live on the chain. The stocks are built on the network’s native token B20, which represent real shares held 1:1 by a regulated custodian in a bankruptcy-remote structure. Eligible non-US users can hold fractional shares of companies including Apple and NVIDIA directly in self-custody wallets. The tokenized stocks allow for 24/7 on-chain trading. Base is highlighting the launch with a clear message. “Tokenized stocks are live on Base, and ready for builders.” The…
Blockchain sleuths are tracking a major transfer of Official Trump meme coin tokens to a leading cryptocurrency exchange. The firm Lookonchain says that the team behind the token transferred 2.62 million TRUMP tokens valued at $6.21 million over the weekend, with the tokens then deposited into OKX. According to Arkham Intelligence data, the Official Trump Meme entity controls 15 addresses holding 751.799 million TRUMP tokens priced at $2.71. That totals about $2.04 billion. The entity’s overall portfolio stands at $2,037,000,000, reflecting an 11.81% gain. This is not the first transfer from the team behind the token. The same wallets previously…
A US banking regulator is granting preliminary conditional approval to World Liberty Financial’s application for a new national trust bank. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency says it reviewed the application from the President Trump-backed firm to establish the World Liberty Trust Company, National Association bank for stablecoin operations and digital asset custody. The bank plans to issue and redeem the USD1 stablecoin, maintain reserves in a non-fiduciary capacity, provide fiduciary digital asset custody and offer limited conversion services for custody customers. USD1 is a core product of World Liberty Financial. Says the OCC, “The OCC hereby grants preliminary…
The U.S. Department of the Treasury is asking for public comment on the upcoming implementation of new stablecoin rules. The GENIUS Act, signed by US President Donald Trump last year, establishes a regulatory framework for stablecoins, crypto assets pegged to the US dollar. The legislation requires each token to be fully backed by liquid assets such as cash or short-term US Treasuries. The Treasury Department is specifically requesting public opinion on section 3 of the Act, which delineates who can issue and sell stablecoins in the United States. The GENIUS Act is expected to go into effect on January 18th,…
The issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin is completing its first full independent financial statement audit, resulting in an unqualified clean opinion from a major firm. Tether says the audit of Tether International, S.A. de C.V.’s financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2025, was conducted by KPMG U.S. and delivered the highest possible result under the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) standards. KPMG physically counted and inspected every individual gold bar held by the company while examining the full balance sheet, including reserves and liabilities, as well as the income statement, changes in equity, and cash…
One of the world’s largest payments networks is opening its cash-to-crypto services to Solana through a single API for compliant conversions. Solana says the service is now live on the blockchain and embedded in the Solana Developer Platform payments module. The integration provides instant API credentials, sandbox access, SDKs, and documentation without requiring any banking infrastructure or complex regulatory work. Cash deposits are available in over 25 countries while withdrawals reach more than 170 countries and territories. Rift is the first Solana wallet to integrate the ramps, allowing users to move between crypto and local currency through MoneyGram’s physical and…