BitcoinKE

From January 1, 2026, European Union (EU) countries will start enforcing DAC8 – the Eighth Directive on Administrative Cooperation, extending automatic tax information exchange to crypto transactions for the first time. This effectively brings crypto into the same transparency system that already covers bank accounts and stock trades.

The rules are built around the OECD’s Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF), a global model adopted by dozens of jurisdictions.

Under this framework:

Crypto-asset service providers (CASPs)  such as exchanges, brokers, custodial wallets and similar intermediaries must collect and report detailed user and transaction data to their local tax authority.

This information will then be automatically shared between EU tax authorities, closing gaps that previously allowed cross-border activity to evade detection.

European Union (EU) Passes Crypto Regulations – Here are 9 Key Takeaways

What Platforms Will Have to Report

Under DAC8, platforms must collect:

User identity details (name, address, tax residency and tax identification number)

Transaction records covering crypto sales, swaps, transfers and disposals

The dates, values and gross proceeds of these transactions

This standardised reporting makes the crypto tax landscape far more transparent than before.

 

When Reporting Begins:

Data collection: starts on January 1, 2026.

First reports: platforms must submit information covering all 2026 activity to national tax authorities in 2027, generally within nine months of the year’s end.

Exchange of data: authorities across EU member states will then share this information automatically to support enforcement.

REGULATION | Crypto Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) Tax Rules Go Live From January 2026 – Uganda and South Africa Among Implementing Nations

If you hold or trade crypto through a platform subject to DAC8:

Expect more rigorous KYC and tax-residency verification during onboarding and account updates.

Tax authorities will have a clearer, data-driven picture of your crypto activity, even across borders.

You still must declare gains on your national tax return – DAC8 doesn’t set new tax rates but makes it harder to hide income.

Implementing DAC8 isn’t trivial. Platforms will need to overhaul reporting systems, integrate tax-residency checks and maintain secure data storage. Smaller providers may face significant compliance costs or reconsider operations in the EU.

Moreover, DAC8 works alongside the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regime – MiCA governs licensing and conduct, while DAC8 focuses on tax transparency. Together, they form a more comprehensive regulatory framework for crypto in Europe.

The EU’s crypto tax reporting overhaul doesn’t change how much tax you owe but it dramatically increases visibility into your crypto activity for tax authorities. Platforms will soon act as de facto tax reporting agents, and cross-border crypto movement will no longer escape detection as easily as before.

REGULATION | Here Are the 4 Firms Selected to Test Stablecoin Innovation in UK Regulatory Sandbox

 

 

 

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The National Bank of Rwanda (BNR) has published its long-awaited Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) Proof of Concept (PoC) Report, marking a significant step toward a potential Rwanda digital franc (e-FRW).

This comprehensive PoC conducted over five months not only tested technical feasibility but grounded design choices in real user behaviour, resilience, and financial inclusion metrics.

CBDC | ‘We Have Officially Advanced From Research to a Proof-of-Concept for a CBDC,’ Says National Bank of Rwanda

The PoC project involved several NBR internal and external stakeholders. These included:

Financial service providers

NBR internal stakeholders

External stakeholders

REPORT |

wThe Proof-of-Concept project for the #Rwanda #CBDC involved several @CentralBankRw internal and external stakeholders below. pic.twitter.com/uIIbDnBMNl

— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) February 27, 2026

Rwanda’s CBDC initiative is anchored in the idea that a digitally native form of central bank money could bring strategic advantages that complement the country’s already advanced cashless systems (including widespread mobile money adoption). According to BNR, the PoC was designed to validate outcomes identified in an earlier feasibility study namely that a CBDC could support:

Payments system resilience, especially during network outages;

Innovation and competition in digital finance;

Progress toward a cashless economy;

Faster and cheaper cross-border payments.

 

 

BNR’s PoC combined multiple workstreams to mirror real-world questions around digital currency deployment:

CBDC | The National Bank of Rwanda Outlines Plans for a Central Bank Digital Currency in 2 Years

Multi-Channel Payments

Online instant payments worked as intended, with peer-to-peer (P2P) and merchant transactions clearing quickly.

Offline transactions were successfully demonstrated via secure smartcards, an especially important feature for contexts where connectivity is limited.

USSD integration enabled basic wallet and payment functions on feature phones, a major inclusion channel where smartphones are not universal.

User Experience

Paid user research highlighted that participants found CBDC transactions fast, straightforward, and secure.

Users valued the offline transaction capability with many indicating they would keep part of their balance available offline underscoring resilience as a key perceived benefit.

The e-Cedi Central Bank Digital Currency Will Support Offline Transactions, Says Bank of Ghana

Programmability & Innovation

BNR’s Ideathon invited fintechs and developers to propose new applications on CBDC rails.

Teams submitted concepts ranging from universal wallets and agriculture-linked finance to integrated billing, showcasing early innovation potential linked to programmable money features.

Cross-Border Payment Simulations

Simulated payments illustrated how CBDCs might cut costs and delays in international transfers, a notable challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa today. While these were test scenarios, they laid groundwork for exploring real corridor pilots in future phases.

 

Key Lessons and Takeaways

CBDC is technically feasible – The PoC confirmed that digital currency can work in Rwanda’s context with multiple secure channels, whether online, offline, and USSD, while remaining resilient and fast.

Inclusiveness matters -Feature phones and offline capabilities are not an afterthought but essential design elements. The PoC showed that inclusion demands accessible technologies beyond smartphones.

Real-life usability is essential for adoption – Testing with real users revealed where onboarding and interfaces need refinement to ensure broad uptake especially among less digitally experienced populations.

Innovation is emerging – The ideathon process demonstrated strong developer interest and creative use cases which is early evidence that ecosystem stimulation can accompany CBDC rails.

Policy, legal and operational foundations are critical – Beyond technical results, the PoC underscored the importance of robust privacy, cybersecurity, and legislative frameworks to guide future phases safely.

Bank of Ghana Testing eCedi Integration with Mobile Money Players

Next Steps — What Comes After the PoC

12-Month Pilot with Real Users

Following the PoC, BNR has committed to a controlled pilot phase involving a limited but diverse group of actual users including merchants and everyday participants from urban and rural settings.

This phase will expand real-world testing of:

merchant payments,

person-to-person transfers,

offline and online use cases,

feature phone access channels,

and potential cross-border interactions with partner central banks.

 

Defining Performance Metrics

The pilot will establish clear success indicators and exit criteria that will inform whether the CBDC should be scaled, redesigned, or paused.

Policy and Legal Framework Development

As with any CBDC exploration, Rwanda’s central bank continues to refine legal considerations including distribution models, privacy safeguards, and supervisory frameworks as part of wider financial system readiness.

Bank of Namibia Seeking Legal, Policy Changes to Introduce a CBDC – Crypto Remains Without Legal Tender Status

Evidence-Based Decision Making

Importantly, BNR has reiterated that no decision has been made about issuing the e-FRW as a legal tender for the public. The pilot’s performance and impact on inclusion, stability, and innovation will influence any future issuance decisions.

 

Rwanda’s careful, data-driven approach highlights a broader trend in Africa: central banks are increasingly moving from conceptual studies to hands-on experiments with CBDCs yet doing so with caution and an emphasis on inclusion and resilience. If successful, the e-FRW pilot could influence how other African economies design digital money that coexists with mobile money and banking services.

 

The Rwanda CBDC PoC Report signals a technical and institutional readiness for next-level experimentation. It confirms that a digital franc can work, highlights practical design insights, and sets a clear path towards piloting in real economic settings.

What remains now is to see whether the pilot confirms real benefits such as faster, safer payments and broader inclusion without destabilizing existing financial systems.

‘We Want to Determine If There is Even a Need for a CBDC,’ Says Bank of Botswana

 

 

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Cameroon is accelerating efforts to be removed from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, a status signifying heightened international scrutiny over weaknesses in anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CTF) controls, amid concerns that the designation is complicating cross-border financial flows and investor confidence.

First placed under increased monitoring by the FATF in June 2023, Cameroon has committed to implementing a comprehensive action plan developed with the FATF and the Action Group against Money Laundering in Central Africa (GABAC). This roadmap targets strategic deficiencies across the national AML/CFT framework, including

improving supervision of financial institutions,

enhancing information sharing, strengthening criminal asset seizure procedures, and

boosting the capacity to investigate and prosecute illicit financial activity.

Demonstrated identification, investigation, and prosecution of serious financial crimes with enforced penalties such as confiscation of illicit proceeds is also requirement for getting off the grey list.

The recent arrests from cybercrime and confiscation of proceeds by INTERPOL, which included Cameroon, is likely related to these FATF requirements.

REGULATION | INTERPOL Snubs Over 1,000 Cyber-Criminals Across 19 African Countries – Stolen Funds Funneled into Digital Asset Institutions

Officials have repeatedly stressed that being on the grey list does not equate to sanctions, but it does carry reputational risks.

Grey listing typically prompts greater due diligence by global banks and can tighten correspondent banking relationships, making international transactions more costly or slower and potentially deterring foreign investment.

To meet FATF expectations and secure removal, Cameroon has been stepping up reforms across public institutions. Government agencies continue to work on expanding risk-based supervision, improving access to beneficial ownership data, and demonstrating measurable progress in AML/CFT enforcement.

According to a FATF report cited in media reports:

By late October 2025, Cameroon had completed only about 8 out of 24 agreed action points, a fulfilment rate of less than 40%.

Authorities have submitted a 5th follow-up report on the action plan, which is often required to show progress.

Government officials have set a goal of exiting the grey list by the end of 2026.

The broader African context underscores why an exit matters: in October 2025, countries such as South Africa and Nigeria succeeded in completing their FATF action plans and were removed from the list, a move seen as strengthening investor confidence and lowering compliance costs for institutions operating there.

While South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya have had to pass and implement a crypto regulatory regime to get off the grey list, Cameroon does not currently have specific laws or regulations that govern this class of assets. However, within the CEMAC (Central African Economic and Monetary Community) region, which includes Cameroon, the Central African Banking Commission (COBAC) and the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) have prohibited banks and formal financial institutions from engaging in or facilitating cryptocurrency transactions. This stops formal financial integration of crypto services.

In 2023, the Cameroon Ministry of Finance blamed a lack of clear and definitive guidance on digital tokens and assets from the Central African Financial Market Supervisory Commission (COSUMAF) for creating an uncertain regulatory environment resulting in the rampant presence of ponzi schemes within the Cameroonian crypto space.

FRANCOPHONE AFRICA | Cameroon Ministry of Finance Calls for Crypto Regulations to Protect ~900K Crypto Users from Rampant Ponzi Schemes

The ministry recommended:

A need for clarifying contract terms and the establishment of regulatory measures aimed at safeguarding investors and ensuring financial stability

The identification and closure of ponzi schemes

The formalization of regulations, and

Increase in public awareness regarding the risks associated with cryptocurrencies

CAMEROON has approximately 900,000 cryptocurrency users to date – 6.76% of the active population. #FrancophoneAfrica #CryptoinAfrica pic.twitter.com/xP5dkwqXlF

— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) September 21, 2023

Cameroon says it remains fully committed to addressing all outstanding FATF requirements and hopes that sustained implementation, backed by documented results, will secure a return to normalised international financial engagement and ease the pressure on cross-border trade and finance.

3 Francophone African Countries Planning to Enable Crypto Payments via Telegram ($TON)

 

 

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Pesalink, Kenya’s de facto instant payments network, has entered into a partnership with the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) to improve cross-border payments and accelerate regional financial integration.

The agreement enables instant, 24/7 cross-border payments from PAPSS participants into banks and mobile money operators on the Pesalink network in Kenya, with all transactions settled in local currencies (the Kenyan Shilling KES). This approach lowers the need for complex correspondent banking arrangements and reduces dependency on foreign reserve currencies.

PAPSS | Africa Cannot Fully Integrate its Economies While Relying on Foreign Currencies for Trade, Says Ghanaian President

PAPSS, an initiative of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in partnership with the African Union and the AfCFTA Secretariat, facilitates payments between African countries. With this partnership, Pesalink becomes a Technical Connectivity Provider, linking more than 80 Kenyan banks, fintechs, SACCOs and telecom partners on the Pesalink network to over 160 commercial banks and fintechs on the PAPSS platform.

Pesalink is Kenya’s instant and interoperable payments network, supporting 24/7 transfers between bank accounts, mobile wallets, fintechs and SACCOs via apps, online platforms or USSD. Operated by Integrated Payment Services Limited (IPSL) and owned by the Kenya Bankers Association, the network has more than 80 institutions integrated into Kenya’s real-time payment infrastructure.

Cross-border payments across Africa have generally been slow and costly. According to the 2023 World Bank Remittance Prices report, average fees for sending money across African borders were around 7–8% of the value sent, compared with a global average of 6–7%, and settlement times could stretch from three to seven business days.

REPORT | Sub-Saharan Africa Remains the Most Expensive Region for Sending Remittances, Says Latest World Bank Research

The Pesalink-PAPSS integration is expected to lower costs, accelerate settlement times and help individuals, small and medium-sized enterprises, and businesses send money more efficiently across borders.

At the signing ceremony in Nairobi, PAPSS CEO Mike Ogbalu III said:

“For PAPSS to deliver true impact, collaboration with national and private switches like Pesalink is essential. Pesalink is the first switch we’ve piloted for transaction termination in Kenya, and we are already seeing greater adoption by opening more channels for seamless, local-currency cross-border payments across Africa.”

Pesalink CEO, Gituku Kirika, added:

“Kenyan banks will now be able to offer faster, cheaper cross-border payments.

They will be helping their customers grow more regional trading relationships and thrive in a more integrated digital economy.”

INTRODUCING | PAPSS and Interstellar Unveil a Blockchain-Powered African Currency Marketplace Eliminating $5 Billion Trade Bottleneck

Stay tuned to BitKE for latest payment updates from across Africa.

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_________________________________________

Pesalink, Kenya’s de facto instant payments network, has entered into a partnership with the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) to improve cross-border payments and accelerate regional financial integration.

The agreement enables instant, 24/7 cross-border payments from PAPSS participants into banks and mobile money operators on the Pesalink network in Kenya, with all transactions settled in local currencies (the Kenyan Shilling KES). This approach lowers the need for complex correspondent banking arrangements and reduces dependency on foreign reserve currencies.

PAPSS | Africa Cannot Fully Integrate its Economies While Relying on Foreign Currencies for Trade, Says Ghanaian President

PAPSS, an initiative of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in partnership with the African Union and the AfCFTA Secretariat, facilitates payments between African countries. With this partnership, Pesalink becomes a Technical Connectivity Provider, linking more than 80 Kenyan banks, fintechs, SACCOs and telecom partners on the Pesalink network to over 160 commercial banks and fintechs on the PAPSS platform.

Pesalink is Kenya’s instant and interoperable payments network, supporting 24/7 transfers between bank accounts, mobile wallets, fintechs and SACCOs via apps, online platforms or USSD. Operated by Integrated Payment Services Limited (IPSL) and owned by the Kenya Bankers Association, the network has more than 80 institutions integrated into Kenya’s real-time payment infrastructure.

Cross-border payments across Africa have generally been slow and costly. According to the 2023 World Bank Remittance Prices report, average fees for sending money across African borders were around 7–8% of the value sent, compared with a global average of 6–7%, and settlement times could stretch from three to seven business days.

REPORT | Sub-Saharan Africa Remains the Most Expensive Region for Sending Remittances, Says Latest World Bank Research

The Pesalink-PAPSS integration is expected to lower costs, accelerate settlement times and help individuals, small and medium-sized enterprises, and businesses send money more efficiently across borders.

At the signing ceremony in Nairobi, PAPSS CEO Mike Ogbalu III said:

“For PAPSS to deliver true impact, collaboration with national and private switches like Pesalink is essential. Pesalink is the first switch we’ve piloted for transaction termination in Kenya, and we are already seeing greater adoption by opening more channels for seamless, local-currency cross-border payments across Africa.”

Pesalink CEO, Gituku Kirika, added:

“Kenyan banks will now be able to offer faster, cheaper cross-border payments.

They will be helping their customers grow more regional trading relationships and thrive in a more integrated digital economy.”

INTRODUCING | PAPSS and Interstellar Unveil a Blockchain-Powered African Currency Marketplace Eliminating $5 Billion Trade Bottleneck

Stay tuned to BitKE for latest payment updates from across Africa.

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The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has released version 0.1.5 of its Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) External Business Requirement Specification (BRS), a technical document outlining how crypto service providers must report user and transaction data for tax purposes.

 

While the document is highly technical, its impact on South Africa’s crypto sector is significant.

REGULATION | Crypto Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) Tax Rules Go Live From January 2026 – Uganda and South Africa Among Implementing Nations

CARF Requirements

CARF is a global tax transparency framework developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It is designed to ensure tax authorities can track crypto transactions across borders, similar to how banks report financial account information under existing global standards.

South Africa is aligning itself with this international framework.

Under the new specification, Reporting Crypto-Asset Service Providers (RCASPs), including exchanges and certain crypto intermediaries, will be required to:

Collect detailed customer identification information

Record crypto transactions, including transfers and exchanges

Submit structured data reports to SARS using prescribed XML formats

Apply due diligence procedures to verify user information

REGULATION | South Africa Adopts the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) Global Standard to Crack Down on Crypto Money Laundering

The document primarily serves as a technical implementation guide, outlining how reporting systems must be structured and how data must be formatted before submission.

Although the BRS focuses on technical requirements, implementation timelines indicate:

Domestic crypto reporting is expected to begin in September 2026

Automatic international information exchange is expected to start by September 2027

This places South Africa among early adopters of the OECD’s crypto transparency framework.

For crypto businesses, this marks a shift from light-touch oversight to structured tax reporting obligations. Companies operating in South Africa will need to upgrade compliance systems, enhance customer data collection processes, and ensure technical readiness ahead of implementation.

REGULATION | South Africa Revenue Service (SARS) Increasing Crypto Oversight by Opening Public Consultation on CARF Framework

For users, it signals that crypto transactions will increasingly fall within formal tax reporting structures — reinforcing SARS’ position that crypto assets are not outside the tax net.

In short, the era of informal crypto reporting in South Africa is closing, and a globally coordinated compliance framework is taking its place.

REGULATION | Nigeria Starts Implementing CARF Requirements by Tying Crypto Transactions to Tax and National IDs

 

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Circle, the company behind the the USDC stablecoin and infrastructure, is reportedly in talks with Kenyan regulators to introduce the Circle Payments Network into the market.

According to the special envoy to the President in the state department for foreign affairs in Kenya, Ambassador Philip Thigo, Circle is in consultative talks with the Kenya National Treasury as it moves to operationalize the regulations.

 

In a statement, Thigo said:

“Had a productive conversation with 𝗡𝗶𝗺𝗮 𝗘𝗹𝗺𝗶, 𝗩𝗣 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 & 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗶𝗿𝗰𝗹𝗲, on Kenya’s newly signed 𝗩𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 (𝗩𝗔𝗦𝗣) 𝗔𝗰𝘁, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. Kenya is now among a small group of 𝗷𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀.

That shift is not about crypto hype – it is about credibility, integrity, and capital formation.”

REGULATION | $USDC Stablecoin Issuer Sets a Precedent by Freezing Funds Related to a Crypto MemeCoin Scam

The ambassador also higlighted the need for creating trusted rails that aligh with the U.S GENIUS Act and other recognized jurisdictions like Singapore, saying:

“Well-designed regulation can 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗛.𝗘 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝘂𝘁𝗼’𝘀 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗶𝗻 𝗞𝗲𝗻𝘆𝗮’𝘀 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗜 𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 – from compliant digital payments and tokenisation to programmable public infrastructure.

We also discussed the importance of interoperability – aligning with frameworks such as the 𝗨.𝗦. 𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗨𝗦 𝗔𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗲 – 𝘀𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘀. Looking forward to showcasing these opportunities at Kenya International Investment Conference in March [2026].”

Circle has already announced the expansion of its Circle Payments Network (CPN) with live flows already possible across various jurisdictions. In Africa, Circle highlighted live flows in Nigeria with upcoming launches expected in Ghana and Kenya.

Interestingly, Circle also highlighted that it has:

55 financial institutions enrolled, and

74 financial institutions in eligibility reviews

within these jurisdictions, which could signal talks and integrations within these jurisdictions.

 

Circle is a regulated stablecoin issuer in the United States and among only a handful of stablecoin issuers that have received conditional approval by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for a national trust bank charter.

“New entrants into the federal banking sector are good for consumers, the banking industry and the economy,” said Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan V. Gould.

“They provide access to new products, services and sources of credit to consumers, and ensure a dynamic, competitive and diverse banking system.

PRESS RELEASE | Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Announces Conditional Approvals for Five National Trust Bank Charter Applications

According to the Circle update:

“CPN [Circle Payments Network] connects banks, PSPs, VASPs, and enterprises to enable consumer, business, and institutional payment use cases via stablecoins.”

 

Speaking to BitKE, industry experts in Kenya say this move will likely see Circle work banks such as KCB and payment systems like Safaricom opening up access to the USDC stablecoin without the need for intermediaries.

Stablecoin transaction volumes reached an all-time high in 2025, buoyed by strong flows in digital dollar tokens, according to a report by Bloomberg. The most active token in the market was USD Coin (USDC) which accounted for about $18.3 trillion in transactions during the year (2025).

2025 RECAP | Stablecoin Transactions Hit Record $33 Trillion in 2025, Led by USDC

 

This is an ongoing story and BitKE will continue to keep you updated as it progresses.

 

 

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MoonPay, a major provider of crypto payment and stablecoin infrastructure, has launched a new product called MoonPay Agents that aims to connect autonomous artificial intelligence systems directly to blockchain financial networks.

Traditionally, AI tools can analyze data and make recommendations, but they rely on humans to actually execute trades, transfers, or payments.

With MoonPay Agents, that changes.

Developers can now give AI programs their own non-custodial wallets and the ability to fund and move digital assets on-chain without ongoing human input once the wallet is initially verified and funded by a person.

80% of Blockchain Transactions Are Now Automated – AI Agents Accounting for Most On-Chain Activity

The product isn’t a custodial service, meaning MoonPay doesn’t hold users’ private keys, but instead provides the infrastructure layer that lets AI agents manage crypto wallets, trade, swap assets, and conduct on-chain transactions.

every MoonPay Agent is Multi-Chain@solana, @ethereum, @Base, @0xPolygon, @arbitrum, @Optimism, @BNBCHAIN, @avax, @trondao, @Bitcoin

every MoonPay Agent is ready for Trading

Swap, bridge, transfer, DCA, limit orders, stop losses

every MoonPay Agent is Non-custodial… pic.twitter.com/6P6ICSlLAR

— MoonPay (@moonpay) February 25, 2026

MoonPay built the system on its developer-oriented command-line interface (CLI), and the process starts with a one-time identity verification and funding step. After that, the AI agent can act autonomously within the permissions granted by the user.

Introducing #MoonPay AI Agents, the non-custodial infrastructure for autonomous transactions. pic.twitter.com/DDeYlK55Ax

— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) February 25, 2026

The company’s leadership describes this launch as part of enabling an emerging ‘agent economy,’ in which autonomous systems participate in financial activity without constantly needing human oversight.

MoonPay CEO, Ivan Soto-Wright, said AI agents “can reason, but they cannot act economically without capital infrastructure,” highlighting the importance of payment rails that can support this next phase of automation.

The broader tech industry is already moving toward similar capabilities with firms like Coinbase and Stripe already building tools to let machines interact with money programmatically including standards like x402 for machine-to-machine payments.

Analysts see a potentially large future for this kind of infrastructure. Research from the World Economic Forum estimates the wider AI agent market could grow substantially over the next decade as businesses explore automated commerce and financial automation.

PRESS RELEASE | Deel Partners with MoonPay to Enable Stablecoin Salary Payouts for Global Workers

 

 

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Global payments specialist, Payoneer, has become the latest fintech to seek a national banking licence in the United States, joining a growing group of crypto and finance companies pursuing federal charters.

The company has submitted an application with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to form PAYO Digital Bank, N.A., a proposed national trust bank that would support stablecoin-enabled services for its customers.

REGULATION | Stripe-Owned Bridge Gets U.S OCC Conditional Approval to Operate Stablecoin Products and Services

Payoneer’s planned digital bank would operate under the new regulatory framework created by the GENIUS Act which provides guidelines for issuing and supervising stablecoins. If the OCC approves the charter, Payoneer would be able to:

Issue its own stablecoin, called PAYO-USD, compliant with federal law.

Send and receive approved stablecoins through its platform.

Manage the reserves backing PAYO-USD.

Provide custodial services and wallets for customers.

Convert stablecoins into local currencies, helping businesses access money where they operate.

In a press release, Payoneer said the move is designed to extend its existing cross-border payments business with regulated stablecoin infrastructure especially for its nearly two million small and medium-size business customers around the world.

OPINION | Why We Will See 1,000 Stablecoins (and Why Most Will Fail)

By 2026, Payoneer has cemented itself as a major global fintech and cross-border payment platform that helps individuals and businesses send, receive, and manage international funds.

It offers multi-currency e-wallets and virtual accounts, global money transfers, prepaid debit card services, currency conversion, mass payouts, working-capital financing, and tools tailored to freelancers, e-commerce sellers, and small and medium-sized businesses operating across borders. Users can receive funds in local currencies from marketplaces, freelance platforms, and corporate clients, then withdraw or spend those funds globally. Payoneer supports transactions in over 150 currencies and is active in more than 200 countries and territories.

In terms of market share, industry data suggests Payoneer accounts for a significant portion of global cross-border payment flows, especially within the freelancer and SME segments — with estimates around 15 % of global cross-border payment volume among freelancers and small business transactions.

While exact figures vary by region and reporting source, its annual transaction volume reached about $80 billion in 2024 and has continued expanding through 2025-26, reinforcing its position among leading payment facilitators alongside competitors like Wise and PayPal.

This application comes at a time when several other firms across the board are also seeking or have already won trust bank charters from the OCC reflecting rising industry interest in federally overseen digital finance.

PRESS RELEASE | Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Announces Conditional Approvals for Five National Trust Bank Charter Applications

 

 

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Stripe’s stablecoin infrastructure business, Bridge, reported a dramatic increase in transaction volume in 2025 signaling a shift in how stablecoins are being used across the internet economy.

According to Stripe’s 2025 annual letter, Bridge, which Stripe acquired in 2024, saw its stablecoin transaction volume more than quadruple in 2025 compared with the previous year. That growth comes at a time when the broader cryptocurrency market has been under pressure with sharp downturns for major tokens such as Bitcoin and Ethereum underscoring a widening divergence between speculative crypto activity and stablecoin adoption as a payment tool.

Stripe attributed Bridge’s strong performance to the increasing real-world utility of stablecoins particularly for business use cases such as cross-border payments, treasury settlement and programmable money movement. Unlike volatile cryptocurrencies tied to market cycles, stablecoins act more like digital versions of fiat money, offering predictable value and fast settlement while reducing traditional banking frictions.

2025 RECAP | Stablecoins Surged by ~50% in 2025 – The Biggest Year on Record

This trend reflects a broader decoupling of stablecoin usage from fluctuating crypto prices. As companies build stablecoin-based workflows into payroll, supplier settlement and international transfers, the payment flows processed by Bridge have grown even as the prices of major blockchain tokens have slumped.

The growth at Bridge also dovetails with Stripe’s expanding footprint in digital finance. Across all of its services, Stripe reported strong overall payment volume in 2025 driven by long-term investments in infrastructure, software tools, and emerging technologies that integrate stablecoins into its core platform.

Industry observers see the surge in stablecoin activity through Bridge as part of a broader maturation of digital dollars: transactions increasingly reflect genuine business utility rather than speculative interest, a shift that may help stablecoins play a foundational role in future global payment systems.

REGULATION | Stripe-Owned Bridge Gets U.S OCC Conditional Approval to Operate Stablecoin Products and Services

 

 

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This post has been adapted from an original post written by Aishwary Gupta, Global Head of Payments and RWAs at Polygon Labs

Stablecoins were meant to transform money the way the internet transformed information: making it borderless, programmable and universally accessible. In many respects, they have delivered – settling transactions faster than traditional banking systems, enabling cross-border transfers without cutoff times and supporting genuine economic activity on and off blockchain.

Yet as usage grows, a familiar pattern is resurfacing: intermediaries are making a comeback. Not in the familiar guise of correspondent banks or card networks, but through closed ecosystems, proprietary wallets and controlled infrastructure that essentially recreate the same bottlenecks crypto originally set out to eliminate.

With forecasts suggesting that global stablecoin issuance could reach $1.9 trillion to $4 trillion by 2030, the key question isn’t whether stablecoins will grow, but whether the infrastructure built around them remains open and interoperable.

90% Adoption and $3 Trillion Moved: The New Era of Stablecoin Infrastructure

Intermediaries Take New Forms

Payments systems tend to draw intermediaries back in.

When money crosses borders, currencies, compliance rules and institutional boundaries, complexity inevitably arises. If that complexity isn’t absorbed publicly and openly, private actors will encapsulate it inside gated systems – and charge rent.

That is already happening as stablecoins expand beyond crypto-native use cases into mainstream payments. Many parts of the ecosystem are being rebuilt as closed networks, which may seem like innovation in the short term but they come with a hidden cost, which is lock-in.

If stablecoins only work easily within one wallet, one issuer and one network, then they don’t become truly open money. Instead, they become another set of fragmented payment systems – still faster and programmable, but ultimately gated.

STABLECOINS | ‘We’re Building Using Fiat Infrastructure Powered by Stablecoins,’ Says CEO, Flutterwave

The Real Friction is Usability

On the settlement layer, stablecoins already function as designed: they move value instantly, globally and around the clock. The theoretical problem has been solved.

But in real payment environments, most of the friction has simply moved “up the stack.”

For businesses and users to make stablecoin payments that look and feel like traditional money,

they must access stablecoins compliantly,

store them securely,

navigate multiple networks and

convert into the recipient’s desired currency

all while enjoying a smooth, predictable experience.

In practice, this often results in a patchwork user experience: fragmented providers, inconsistent compliance, wallet challenges, chain incompatibilities and lingering uncertainty about dispute resolution.

OPINION | Why We Will See 1,000 Stablecoins (and Why Most Will Fail)

What True “Open Money” Must Look Like

If stablecoins are truly headed toward multitrillion-dollar scale, they can’t rely on bespoke integrations and closed networks. Instead, they need an infrastructure model more like the early internet:

open

interoperable and

modular.

This means not picking a single winning chain or issuer, but building layers that let institutions plug into regulated fiat access, wallets, routing, compliance and settlement without being locked into one ecosystem. Users shouldn’t need to worry about bridging, swapping or gas fees – the system should handle routing automatically and deliver value in the form the recipient prefers.

That’s what it looks like for stablecoins to function as open protocols, not closed financial networks. Openness isn’t just ideological, it’s essential to prevent old bottlenecks from reappearing at scale.

EXPERT OPINION | Stablecoins Are Expanding the Definition of What We Call ‘Money’

Imagine

Imagine a company in São Paulo paying a designer in Lagos. Today, that payment might pass through several banks, take days, incur unpredictable fees, and arrive late or short of the intended amount.

With stablecoins, most of that friction disappears: value can be sent instantly and received in seconds. But if the payment only works within a closed ecosystem requiring the designer to manage wallets, conversions and routing, then complexity hasn’t disappeared, it has simply shifted to a new set of intermediaries. The rails changed, but the dependency remains.

This problem isn’t solved by stablecoins alone. It’s solved when the surrounding infrastructure makes the experience regulated, simple and interoperable.

 

If stablecoins become a core part of mainstream finance, they shouldn’t be powered by ecosystems that replicate the old closed networks. Instead, they must move value, including local-currency stablecoins, across borders and systems with the reliability users expect from existing payment methods.

That’s the only way stablecoins can broaden access without simply creating new gatekeepers.

One path leads to stablecoins scaling within closed stacks, effectively rebranding today’s intermediaries for the crypto era.

The other leads to stablecoins as open, interoperable money – usable across blockchains, jurisdictions and wallets, automatically routed and connected to regulated fiat systems.

Stablecoins don’t have to reinvent intermediaries. But unless the industry prioritizes openness in the infrastructure layer, that’s exactly what will happen.

CASE STUDY | How This Stablecoin Play in the United States Could Onboard Almost 3,000 Financial Institutions

 

 

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Spain’s largest crypto exchange, Bit2Me, is moving beyond retail trading to become a backbone provider of crypto infrastructure for banks and law enforcement agencies across Europe.

In 2025, Bit2Me’s trading volume surged 8-fold to about ~$6.2 billion, driven by a strategic pivot away from consumer-focused services toward business-to-business products and institutional clients. Much of its growth now comes from revenue tied to APIs and systems that let financial institutions outsource crypto services rather than build them internally.

A growing share of Bit2Me’s business now comes from institutional relationships. In 2025, B2B revenue rose to roughly 27% of total revenue, up from 18 % in 2023, and offerings like crypto-backed loans expanded rapidly. The exchange reported about $25 million in revenue in 2025.

Backed by major players including:

Tether,

Spanish banks such as Bankinter, Unicaja and Cecabank, and

telecom giant, Telefónica,

the company has leaned into regulated infrastructure development adding weight to its regulatory ambitions across Europe and Latin America.

According to Bit2Me CFO, the crypto industry is entering an infrastructure phase for finance and the company is leveraging this rare opportunity.

PRESS RELEASE | SWIFT to Add Blockchain-based Ledger to its Infrastructure Stack in Groundbreaking Move

One notable example is an API product that lets banks integrate crypto custody and trading services directly into their own platforms, a service the wholesale bank, Cecabank, has already deployed and offering to other regional banks with a similar liquidity deal having been closed with a Turkish subsidiary of BBVA, a major financial institution in Spain.

In a release in January 2026, Bankinter said the Bit2Me deal was aimed at fostering ‘technological and knowledge-based synergies’ specifically in areas leveraging distributed ledger technology.

Bit2Me also became the first crypto platform in Spain to secure a Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) license under EU rules, an expensive and time-consuming process that involved thousands of hours of compliance work. That regulatory approval now allows it to operate across the European Union and plays a key role in its expansion into markets like Portugal and Italy, with further launches planned in France and Germany.

Why Will It Be Good for Businesses to Obtain a MiCA License in the Future?

Beyond banking, Bit2Me has built systems to help authorities handle confiscated digital assets. Working with police and international agencies like Interpol and Europol, and the Spanish police, the exchange has processed and converted seized crypto into Euros on behalf of governments, an operation that handled about $1.76 million in 2025. This deal is similar to the U.S Marshals Service deal with leading American exchange, Coinbase.

Executives say this shift reflects a broader transformation in crypto: as regulatory clarity increases under frameworks like MiCA, firms that can meet compliance standards and deliver institutional-grade infrastructure are becoming attractive partners for traditional financial institutions.

CASE STUDY | How This Stablecoin Play in the United States Could Onboard Almost 3,000 Financial Institutions

 

 

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Stablecore, a digital asset infrastructure provider, has taken a major step toward integrating blockchain-based financial tools into traditional banking systems by joining the Jack Henry Fintech Integration Network.

This partnership opens the door for roughly 1,670 banks and credit unions across the United States to offer stablecoin and tokenized asset services seamlessly through their existing core and digital banking platforms.

Jack Henry & Associates, a well-established provider of core processing and digital banking technology, powers daily operations for hundreds of financial institutions and supports online and mobile banking for more than 1,000 clients through its Banno Digital Platform. The integration with Stablecore means these institutions won’t need to adopt new systems or overhaul their technology stacks to begin offering regulated digital asset products.

Under the integration, participating banks and credit unions will be able to introduce a range of digital asset features directly within their own banking apps. These include stablecoin accounts and 24/7 payment rails, which operate around the clock and are compliant with the new U.S. federal framework for payment stablecoins established by the GENIUS Act.

OPINION | Why We Will See 1,000 Stablecoins (and Why Most Will Fail)

Institutions can also add crypto on- and off-ramps letting customers move assets like Bitcoin in and out of their accounts as well as digital asset-backed lending, tokenized deposits, and staking options where allowed by regulation.

In summary, the Stablecore stack offering through the Jack Henry FIN will offer:

Stablecoin accounts, payments, and acceptance

Digital asset accounts with on and off-ramps

Digital asset-collateralized lending

Tokenized deposits and assets

Staking rewards

Embedding these tools inside banks’ existing systems helps reduce reliance on external wallets or third-party crypto platforms providing customers with a more integrated and secure experience. It also reflects a broader trend in finance: traditional institutions seeking to adopt regulated blockchain-based capabilities to better serve evolving customer demands. 

Stablecore itself has been building momentum in this area.

In 2025, the company raised $20 million to support smaller banks and credit unions in adopting digital asset services, particularly stablecoins. The goal is to make compliant, onchain dollar-based tools accessible within familiar banking environments.

The move comes amid accelerating efforts by other players to bridge traditional money and digital assets. For example, payment operations provider, Modern Treasury, recently added stablecoin settlement alongside existing payment channels like wire and ACH transfers and major financial firms are exploring their own stablecoin offerings to modernize cross-border payments and liquidity management.

2025 RECAP | Stablecoins Surged by ~50% in 2025 – The Biggest Year on Record

 

 

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The regulated Nigerian cryptocurrency exchange, Quidax, has announced a partnership with the Lisk layer 2 blockchain.

This collaboration marks Lisk’s first partnership with an African exchange licensed by the Nigeria Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC Nigeria) creating a bridge between regulated digital assets infrastructure and the Lisk Layer 2 ecosystem.

In 2024, Quidax made history as the first crypto exchange to receive a provisional operating license from SEC Nigeria. This partnership builds on that regulatory foundation enabling Quidax customers to trade and move value seamlessly using stablecoins and crypto assets on the Lisk network.

REGULATION | Nigerian Crypto Exchange, Quidax, Receives Provisional Operating License from SEC Nigeria

Beyond retail trading, the partnership provides a critical gateway for the developer community.

 

“The partnership with Lisk enables us to extend our platform to serve more people and cater to the increasing demand from products and services that want to integrate our stablecoin and digital assets product to build products across Africa,” said Morris Ebieroma, Chief Infrastructure Officer at Quidax.

LAUNCH | South African Blockchain e-Commerce Platform, LovCash, Launches on Lisk Ethereum Layer 2 After Crossing 3,700 SMEs and 275% Growth in 2025

Lisk sees this partnership as a cornerstone for its African expansion:

“Africa represents one of the most critical frontiers for blockchain innovation, where the demand for reliable and inclusive financial tools is urgent,” said Chidubem Emelumadu, Ecosystem Lead (Africa) at Lisk.

“Our partnership with Quidax expands access to stablecoins and onchain financial opportunities for everyday users and businesses. At the same time, it gives founders building on Lisk the critical infrastructure they need to create solutions that can scale meaningfully across the continent.”

 

By combining Quidax’s deep local liquidity and compliant framework with Lisk’s scalable L2 technology, this partnership is expected to accelerate the adoption of Web3 solutions that solve real-world financial challenges for millions of customers across Africa.

REGULATION | Nigerian Crypto Exchange, Quidax, Reportedly Pulls Plug on P2P Trading Amid Nigeria’s Tightening Crypto Regime

 

 

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Stablecoin reserves held on Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, have declined sharply since late 2025, reflecting broader shifts in market liquidity and trader positioning.

Data from onchain analytics platforms shows that the exchange’s combined stablecoin balances have dropped by roughly 19% from their November peak. The decline comes after months of elevated reserves that followed renewed bullish momentum in crypto markets.

At their high in November 2025, Binance’s stablecoin holdings, including major dollar-pegged assets such as USDT and USDC, reached tens of billions of dollars. Since then, billions have flowed out of exchange wallets.

Stablecoin reserves on centralized exchanges are often viewed as a proxy for potential buying power. When reserves rise, it can signal that traders are preparing to deploy capital into Bitcoin or altcoins. Conversely, declining balances may indicate capital rotation into spot positions, withdrawals to self-custody, or broader de-risking.

The latest drop suggests that liquidity conditions on the world’s largest crypto exchange have shifted notably since the late-year surge.

STABLECOINS | Binance Dominates Over 60% of All Centralized Stablecoin Liquidity

Liquidity Shifts Follow Market Volatility

The drawdown in reserves coincides with heightened volatility across crypto markets. Bitcoin and major altcoins have experienced sharp price swings, prompting traders to either reallocate capital or reduce exposure.

Exchange reserve data also indicates that the outflows were not isolated to a single stablecoin. Multiple dollar-pegged assets saw declines, pointing to broader capital movement rather than asset-specific issues.

Historically, large changes in stablecoin balances on exchanges have preceded major market moves. Analysts often monitor these flows to gauge sentiment and potential momentum shifts.

MILESTONE | Bitcoin Inflows to Binance, World’s Leading Crypto Exchange, Reach Historic Lows in 2025

Despite the 19% drop, Binance continues to hold one of the largest pools of stablecoin liquidity among centralized exchanges.

The platform remains a key venue for spot and derivatives trading and fluctuations in its reserve balances tend to reflect broader crypto market dynamics rather than exchange-specific stress.

Whether the recent decline signals reduced buying pressure or simply capital rotation remains to be seen. However, the data underscores how quickly liquidity conditions can change during periods of market uncertainty.

MILESTONE | ‘Today, 1 in 28 People on Earth is a Binance User,’ Says Binance as it Celebrates 8th Anniversary

 

 

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When Bitcoin was launched, its creator imagined it as a form of digital money people could use in everyday life. Despite that vision, actual usage for buying goods and services remains limited and hard to measure but it does happen in specific situations where Bitcoin solves real problems.

There’s no global database showing how often Bitcoin is used at checkouts. Instead, researchers and analysts look at indirect indicators like surveys, payment processor data and experiments such as national adoption policies.

 

The challenge comes from things like:

Payment processors converting Bitcoin to local currency immediately so merchants never actually hold BTC.

Crypto-funded cards where spending looks like regular bank transactions, even though Bitcoin backed the payment.

Stablecoins dominating crypto payment flows, meaning Bitcoin isn’t always the token actually used.

 

For this reason, it helps to separate:

Direct Bitcoin payments (on-chain or via Lightning),

Bitcoin that’s converted to fiat behind the scenes, and

Payments made with other cryptocurrencies like stablecoins.

 

Survey data shows that using cryptocurrency to pay for things does happen, but usually not often:

A 2025 survey found about 39 % of crypto holders said they used crypto, including Bitcoin, to buy goods or services at least once.

Another study from 2024 reported 11 % actively making purchases with crypto, and 19 % interested in doing so.

However, these surveys generally don’t distinguish Bitcoin from other crypto assets, and they don’t track how regularly people spend it.

PRESS RELEASE | South African Payment Processor, Ozow, Announces New Crypto Payments Solution Powered by MoneyBadger 

A Real-World Test: El Salvador

El Salvador is the only country that made Bitcoin legal tender nationwide. While this sounded like a big step toward everyday Bitcoin use, it didn’t immediately change payment behavior:

Only a small portion of Salvadorans used Bitcoin regularly for purchases.

Many merchants reported low BTC payment volumes.

People often converted Bitcoin incentives into cash because Bitcoin’s volatility made pricing difficult.

This experience suggests that simply making Bitcoin legal doesn’t automatically translate to widespread use — especially when traditional payment systems still work well.

[WATCH] Kenya Central Bank Governor Warns Against Imposing Cryptocurrencies By Citing El Salvador

Even though Bitcoin isn’t common for daily groceries or coffee, it does show up in certain niches:

Cross-border business payments — Bitcoin can speed up transfers and reduce fees compared to bank systems.

Travel and online purchases — Industries like travel, electronics and digital services tend to have higher Bitcoin payment volumes.

Donations and humanitarian funding — Some nonprofits use Bitcoin to receive funds quickly from around the world.

Gift cards and voucher systems — People often spend Bitcoin indirectly by buying gift cards that can be used like cash.

Local communities — Some regions with strong Bitcoin meetup scenes have real everyday BTC usage, though on a small scale.

Crypto Travelers Deliver 3x Higher Lifetime Value Than Fiat Users

For Bitcoin to become practical for small, everyday purchases, the Lightning Network is important. It enables nearly instant, low-fee payments addressing one of the biggest barriers to using Bitcoin for things like coffee or snacks.

However, because many Lightning transactions happen off the main blockchain, they’re harder to track in global payment statistics.

Stablecoins have clearly emerged as a more preferred asset for crypto payments over Bitcoin largely because they are simpler to record and convert over holding Bitcoin whether in B2B or P2P transactions.

STABLECOINS | New Research Reveals Surprising Trends in Real-World Stablecoin Payments

There isn’t a single global number showing how many people use Bitcoin for payments. But based on what we do know:

A meaningful minority of crypto holders have paid with crypto at least once.

Regular Bitcoin payments remain rare, even where the coin is legal.

Most merchant crypto receipts come from online or high-value payments rather than everyday retail.

Stablecoins are increasingly dominant in crypto payment flows.

 

Today, Bitcoin functions more as specialized payment infrastructure, useful in specific scenarios like international transfers and high-value online purchases, rather than as universal everyday money.

REALITY CHECK | Lack of On-Chain Privacy Risks Holding Back Business, Corporate Payments, Says Founder, Binance

 

 

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AgriDex International, the Solana-based Real World Assets (RWA) platform behind the Loam digital payments and treasury optimization platform, has announced a strategic partnership with Tradeflow Capital Management, marking a significant step forward in deploying institutional capital in Kenya’s vibrant agricultural sector and other key regional and African markets.

The collaboration is designed to strengthen access to structured trade finance and modern payment infrastructure for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Kenya and across Africa. By combining Tradeflow’s expertise in trade finance with Agridex’s Loam digital settlement platform, the partnership accelerates the flow of working capital to SMEs, reduces transaction costs and currency friction, improves transparency through near real-time visibility of funds, and addresses a long-standing gap in trade finance accessibility across emerging markets.

At the centre of this initiative is Loam, Agridex’s proprietary payments and treasury infrastructure, purpose-built to move capital efficiently across markets where legacy banking rails are slow, expensive, or inaccessible. Loam delivers near-instant settlement with transaction costs below 0.2%, compared to traditional cross-border payments that often cost more than 3% and take several working days to complete. By reducing friction at the payments layer, Loam enables capital to reach businesses faster, with greater certainty and transparency.

 

Commenting on the partnership, Henry Duckworth, Founder and CEO of Agridex, said:

“Loam was built to solve real payment and settlement challenges in emerging markets. Tradeflow’s adoption of Loam as a core conduit for capital deployment demonstrates how modern payment rails can unlock scale, efficiency, and resilience in African trade finance.”

STABLECOINS | South African RWA Marketplace, AgriDex, Hits $9 Million Milestone in Stablecoin Trades Across African Markets

Under the partnership, Tradeflow Capital Management will use Loam as the foundational infrastructure for deploying structured trade finance capital into agricultural and commodity value chains across Africa. Having turned over $5 billion in SME trade transactions since inception, Tradeflow brings deep expertise in asset-backed, data-driven financing models and real-time supply chain risk mitigation, enabling capital to be deployed in a disciplined and scalable manner.

The Agridex–Tradeflow partnership will initially focus on commodity trades and structured financing deployments across priority African markets using Loam to deliver

faster settlement,

lower costs, and

greater certainty of payment.

The initiative also aligns with broader efforts to strengthen Africa’s financial infrastructure.

Imara Group, a long-standing investor and advisor in African financial services, has supported the development of institutional-grade payment and capital market infrastructure across the continent, investing over $400 million over the past two decades. Its work has focused on expanding access to finance, enabling digital payments, and supporting platforms – including Agridex’s Loam – that underpin trade, employment, and economic growth.

As demand for efficient trade finance and cross-border payment solutions continues to grow, partnerships that combine capital, technology, and local market expertise are expected to play an increasingly important role in supporting Africa’s trade and economic development.

MILESTONE | AgriDex, a South-African RWA Marketplace, Facilitates the First-Ever Farmland Trade in Zambia on Solana 

 

 

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Binance says its compliance infrastructure continues to strengthen and evolve, reinforcing its commitment to fighting financial crime, supporting law enforcement, and maintaining a secure platform for users worldwide.

Binance highlights that its compliance program has expanded significantly, with hundreds of millions of dollars invested in controls, technology, and personnel dedicated to sanctions screening, transaction monitoring, investigations, and risk management.

As of early 2026:

593 full-time employees are in the core compliance unit.

Nearly 1,500 total staff and contractors across related compliance and risk functions support global operations.

Binance says these teams operate independently of commercial business units and make compliance decisions based on law and best practices, not commercial pressures.

Binance states that cooperation with law enforcement and authorities remains a key pillar of its compliance activities:

In 2025 alone, Binance processed over 71,000 law-enforcement requests from agencies worldwide.

Its teams supported authorities in confiscating more than $131 million in assets linked to illicit activity.

Binance also delivered more than 160 training sessions to help strengthen law-enforcement capability in tackling crypto-related threats.

Q & A | ‘Binance Hosted Over 100 Anti-Cybercrime Workshops in 2024 for Investigators Worldwide, Including Africa’ – Exclusive Chat with Deputy Head of Financial Crime Compliance at Binance

In an op-ed on BitKE, Samukele Mkhize, Head of Compliance for Binance in Africa, said that the crypto exchange had collaborated with an INTERPOL‑led crackdown across Africa from June to August 2025. Through coordinated action across multiple countries, authorities arrested 1,209 cybercriminals, dismantled 11,432 malicious infrastructures, and recovered $97.4 million.

Binance, as part of the Cybercrime Atlas Initiative, contributed threat intelligence, OSINT mapping, and investigative support. This operation took down everything from ransomware networks to a $300 million crypto scam in Zambia that victimized 65,000 people.

REGULATION | Binance Helped Identify Over 160 Persons of Interest During ‘Operation Catalyst’ by INTERPOL, Says Head of Compliance, Binance Africa

The exchange says it regularly partners with investigators to ‘dismantle transnational criminal networks and claw back stolen user funds,’ emphasizing that such cooperation helps enhance compliance and protect users.

REGULATION | #INTERPOL and #AFRIPOL Crack Down on Crypto-Based Terrorism Financing Worth ~$430,000 in Kenya

The suspects used a virtual asset service provider with funds used for recruitment and radicalization being traced to a crypto trading platformhttps://t.co/tJXiRvRcEa pic.twitter.com/nqPh7FPQYQ

— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) October 23, 2025

Binance explained that it has significantly reduced exposure to sanctioned entities and risky jurisdictions. Its internal systems for screening and monitoring have “significantly decreased sanctions-related exposure” between January 2024 and July 2025.

Binance has consistently been accused of non-compliance over the years with recent high-profile accusations coming from mainstream media.

CRYPTO CRIME | Report Alleges Binance Allowed ‘Suspicious’ Accounts to Move Billions in Niger and Other Countries Despite U.S. Plea Deal

However, Binance continues to denounce those accusations labelling them as mischaraterizations and even misinformation.

Instead, the company says it has internal controls that employees have to follow. These controls are part of continuous improvements to sanctions compliance, transaction surveillance, wallet screening, and risk escalation procedures across the platform.

It reiterated that in all investigated cases, the company follows established processes, worked proactively with law enforcement, and reported to appropriate authorities when required.

2025 RECAP | Illicit Stablecoin Activity Surged to 5-Year High in 2025 with Over 80% Used for Sanctions Evasion

 

 

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The Crypto Fear & Greed Index has plunged back to 5 out of 100,  one of its lowest readings since the metric was introduced in 2018.

To put that into perspective:

The index has only reached this level 3 times in its history.

A score of 5 signals ‘extreme fear’ reflecting widespread panic and capitulation among market participants.

Such readings often coincide with heightened volatility and forced liquidations and this time was no different.

According to derivatives data, more than 136,000 traders were liquidated over the past day.

Total liquidations: ~$458 million

Long positions: 92% of liquidations

Short positions: Just 8%

This imbalance shows that the majority of traders were positioned for upside continuation after the weekend rally and were caught off guard by the reversal.

Heavy long liquidations typically accelerate downside moves as forced selling compounds the drop.

While Bitcoin briefly reclaimed momentum over the weekend, it remains significantly below its October 2025 all-time high of $126,000.

At current levels:

BTC is down approximately 48% from its all-time high

It is also trading about 5.5% below its 2021 peak near $69,000

This highlights the broader macro drawdown still in play despite intermittent relief rallies.

On-chain analytics paint an equally sobering picture.

The 7-day moving average of net realized losses among recent investors remains near $500 million per day indicating that a significant number of holders are exiting positions at a loss.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s Sharpe Ratio, which measures risk-adjusted returns, has dropped to around –38, one of the weakest readings on record. A deeply negative Sharpe Ratio reflects poor recent performance relative to volatility, underscoring the heightened risk environment.

Taken together, the statistics suggest:

Sentiment has returned to panic territory

Leverage remains a key driver of short-term volatility

Realized losses are still elevated

Price remains structurally far from previous highs

Extreme fear readings have historically preceded local bottoms but they have also appeared during prolonged bear phases.

For now, the data shows a market still grappling with volatility, deleveraging and shaken confidence, even as long-term narratives remain intact.

MARKET ANALYSIS | Here Are 3 Theories Behind Bitcoin’s Fall 50% Below All-Time High

 

 

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The creator of OpenClaw, a rapidly adopted open-source AI agent framework, has instituted a strict rule on the project’s official Discord server: any mention of “bitcoin” or other cryptocurrency terms can lead to an immediate ban.

Got blocked from @openclaw Discord for saying ‘bitcoin’

CLASHD27 is multi-agent benchmark where Bitcoin block height is just a clock (mod 27). No tokens.

Hypothesis: can we pre-weigh intent? If attention is measured we bring trust to OpenClaw agents.@steipete Unblock

— clashd27 (@blockapunk) February 21, 2026

This applies even when the context is neutral or technical rather than promotional.

OpenClaw, developed by Austrian engineer Peter Steinberger, has seen explosive community growth since its late January 2026 release with the project gaining hundreds of thousands of GitHub stars. However, a recent series of events tied to cryptocurrency activity prompted the severe moderation policy.

The catalyst was a security breach during a trademark-related rebranding. While Steinberger was renaming the project from its original name (Clawdbot), bad actors briefly seized control of the project’s GitHub and social accounts and launched a fake Solana token called $CLAWD.

That token’s market capitalization spiked to ~$16 million before crashing more than 90% after Steinberger denied any involvement. Many late buyers suffered losses, and Steinberger faced harassment from traders who wrongly blamed him for the token.

EDITORIAL | In Crypto We Trust? Why Credibility Is the Real Currency (or Token) in the Age of Decentralization

In response, Steinberger announced and reinforced the Discord ban policy, telling users that the server’s strict rules, which all members agree to upon joining, include a complete prohibition on mentions of cryptocurrencies.

After a recent incident where a participant was banned for saying ‘bitcoin‘ even in a purely technical benchmark discussion, Steinberger later offered to manually reinstate the user once their account details were provided.

The ban reflects broader tension between crypto-related discourse and moderation in rapidly evolving open-source tech communities. It shows how speculative markets and scam activity can influence not just projects’ reputations but also how they govern engagement in public forums.

2025 RECAP | 4 Out of 5 New Tokens (~85%) Launched in 2025 Have Crashed

 

 

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