Cross-border Payments

PayPal applied for a U.S. bank charter to offer direct loans to small businesses and interest-bearing savings accounts. The company also filed with the FDIC to ensure deposits would be federally insured.

MoonPay has launched a new shopping app for Solana Mobile’s Seeker phone, letting users browse stores and pay with crypto directly on the device. The app features curated merchants, rewards for purchases, and aims to make spending digital assets simple and secure.

French fintech Lyzi has partnered with Porsche and Lamborghini to let customers pay for luxury cars using cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, USDC, and over 80 other digital assets. Payments are converted instantly into euros, protecting dealerships from crypto price changes and providing a smooth wallet-to-terminal experience.

Tempo has launched its public testnet, allowing companies to build stablecoin payment applications on a blockchain designed specifically for fast, low-fee transactions. The project has drawn support from banks, fintech firms, and tech companies, with early tests covering remittances, tokenised deposits, and AI-driven billing.

Two former Citadel engineers have launched Fin, a stablecoin-based app for fast and low-cost high-value cross-border payments. The startup has raised 17 million dollars and plans to pilot the service for businesses that regularly transfer large sums internationally.

Visa has expanded its stablecoin settlement in parts of Europe, the Middle East and Africa by working with Aquanow, allowing banks to move money using USDC. This shifts payments behind the scenes by making cross-border transfers faster and less dependent on traditional banking hours and middlemen.

South Africa’s central bank is saying no to crypto after calling the digital asset a new risk to the country's financial system. In a report released on Tuesday, the South African central bank noted the growing popularity of crypto in the country, quoting a total of 7.8 million people who are active users.

UBS and Ant International are joining forces to launch a deposit-tokenization initiative in Singapore, marking one of the most ambitious attempts yet to modernize cross-border treasury flows using blockchain.

Visa launched a pilot allowing US marketplaces to pay freelancers and creators in stablecoins such as USDC. It aims to make cross-border payments faster and more direct through instant transfers to crypto wallets.

Block Inc.’s Square platform now lets over four million merchants accept Bitcoin using the Lightning Network, enabling near-instant payments and low fees. Bitcoin-related transactions contributed nearly $2 billion to the company’s revenue, highlighting growing adoption of crypto in everyday commerce.