XRP has returned to the centre of speculative crypto trading after market commentator X Finance Bull argued that the token could be nearing a sharp breakout, citing the XRP Ledger’s rising position in real-world asset tokenisation and renewed interest in institutional blockchain settlement. The call has focused attention on a possible move towards $10, a level that would require XRP to rise more than sevenfold from about […]
Ethereum is entering a critical trading phase as BitMine Immersion Technologies pushes its corporate treasury close to 5 per cent of the network’s total supply, sharpening debate over whether concentrated accumulation can support prices or magnify volatility. The token was trading near $2,227 on Saturday, after slipping during the session from an intraday high above $2,310. The move kept ether above the $2,100 level watched by some […]
Crypto exchange MEXC has closed its first USD1 event series with more than 161,000 participants and $2.4 billion in futures trading volume from new users, underscoring how fee promotions and stablecoin-linked incentives are reshaping competition among digital asset platforms. The campaign, which ended on May 13, centred on USD1, the dollar-pegged stablecoin associated with World Liberty Financial. MEXC positioned the initiative as part of its wider 0-fee […]
Dubai is positioning itself as a citywide stage for blockchain and Web3 activity as MENA Blockchain Week opens a decentralised programme designed to connect founders, investors, institutions, regulators and technology communities across multiple venues. MENA Blockchain Week, known as MENABCW, has been launched as a seven-day initiative running from 18 to 24 May 2026, with Dubai serving not as a single conference location but as the broader […]
Bitcoin traders are positioning for a possible push towards $90,000 after the CLARITY Act cleared a key Senate committee vote, giving digital asset markets their strongest regulatory signal from Washington this year. The largest cryptocurrency traded near $80,600 on Friday after briefly testing the $82,000 area, with market participants watching whether legislative momentum in the United States can extend a rally that has already lifted sentiment across […]
Circle’s first-quarter results have sharpened investor focus on whether its planned Arc network can turn USDC’s growing scale into a broader valuation story beyond reserve income. The stablecoin issuer reported total revenue and reserve income of $694 million for the first quarter of 2026, up 20 per cent from a year earlier, while USDC in circulation reached $77 billion at quarter-end. The operating picture, however, was more […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dubai has cleared a regulated path for residents to pay government service fees using virtual assets, after Crypto. com’s UAE entity secured a Stored Value Facilities licence from the Central Bank of the UAE. The approval allows Foris DAX Middle East FZE, Crypto. com’s local entity, to activate its partnership with Dubai Finance and process payments for Dubai government fees through a framework […]
Washington’s push to regulate digital assets has entered a sharper phase after Senator Bernie Moreno accused major banks of trying to block stablecoin competition as Congress prepares for a decisive test of the CLARITY Act this week. Moreno, a Republican from Ohio and one of the Senate’s most vocal crypto advocates, said the “banking cartel” was “in full panic mode” over legislation that could reshape the relationship […]
Binance Bahrain has renewed its ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27701 certifications, strengthening its information security and privacy credentials as regulated crypto platforms face rising scrutiny over user protection, operational resilience and compliance standards across the Gulf. The Manama-based crypto asset platform said the renewed certifications cover its information security management and privacy information management systems. The development places data governance at the centre of its Bahrain operations, […]
Starknet is moving Bitcoin deeper into decentralised finance with strkBTC, a 1:1 Bitcoin-backed wrapper designed to let holders choose between public transfers and shielded transactions while keeping access to Starknet-based trading, lending, staking and collateral markets. The asset is due to go live on May 12, 2026, after governance approval for proposals defining the wrapper and making it eligible for staking on the network. strkBTC’s central pitch […]
Bitcoin’s April rally lifted the broader digital-asset market, with the Coinbase 50 Index advancing 11.05 per cent for the month as investors moved back into major tokens and higher-risk pockets such as memecoins. The rebound marked a sharp shift from the pressure seen earlier in 2026, though the market remains well below the speculative peaks that defined the previous cycle. COIN50, a benchmark tracking 50 of the […]
Amazon Web Services has moved to give AI agents the ability to pay for digital services during a task, unveiling Amazon Bedrock AgentCore Payments in partnership with Coinbase and Stripe as technology companies race to build the financial plumbing for autonomous software. The preview launch, announced on 7 May 2026, allows developers using Amazon Bedrock AgentCore to connect AI agents to wallets, set spending limits and let […]
World Liberty Financial’s leadership has moved to contain a wave of online speculation over the Trump-linked crypto venture, with Donald Trump Jr. and chief executive Zach Witkoff insisting the project remains intact even as its legal dispute with Tron founder Justin Sun deepens. Trump Jr., speaking at the Consensus crypto conference in Miami on Thursday, rejected claims that he and other members of the Trump family had […]
Wall Street’s biggest financial groups are expanding digital-asset hiring, signalling that blockchain, tokenisation and crypto-linked trading are moving deeper into mainstream finance after years of caution. BlackRock, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley have advertised a fresh batch of roles tied to digital assets, blockchain engineering, tokenised products, risk controls and wealth-management infrastructure. The openings span senior product posts, software engineering, fraud-risk oversight, programme management and operations strategy, […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai AE Coin and USDU are developing a regulated digital conversion framework designed to let institutions move between UAE dirham- and dollar-backed payment tokens for settlement, treasury and cross-border use inside the UAE’s tightening virtual-asset rulebook. The initiative is being structured with support from Al Maryah Community Bank, positioning the lender as a key banking infrastructure partner for compliant AED–USD token conversion. The framework […]
Tether is positioning USDT as a core payments and liquidity layer for the Bitcoin economy, with chief executive Paolo Ardoino framing the stablecoin issuer’s strategy as a long-term infrastructure project rather than a conventional crypto trading business. Ardoino has likened the company’s approach to Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series, arguing that durable systems must be built before periods of financial stress expose weaknesses in existing institutions. The comparison […]
TON has moved to the front of the Layer-1 speed debate after a fresh comparison of blockchain finalisation times placed The Open Network ahead of major rivals on the time required for transactions to become irreversible. The assessment, conducted in April 2026, compared leading Layer-1 networks by finalisation time and put TON’s block finalisation at about 0.6 seconds, with total transaction finality under one second when […]
Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson’s claim that he has been kept outside crypto’s most powerful policy and industry circles has sharpened a wider argument over influence, visibility and technical delivery in the digital-asset sector. Hoskinson, who co-founded Ethereum before building Cardano through Input Output Global, said in an interview that he had been excluded from key conversations despite Cardano’s sustained engineering output. His remarks landed as development metrics […]
Tether is sharpening its claim that USDT has become core financial plumbing for the Bitcoin economy, as chief executive Paolo Ardoino frames the world’s largest stablecoin as a long-duration infrastructure project rather than a trading token built for crypto cycles. Ardoino has compared Tether’s approach to Isaac Asimov’s Foundation universe, using the analogy to stress resilience, preparation and systems designed to outlast political and financial disruption. The […]
ZetaChain has paused cross-chain transactions after a smart contract attack targeted its GatewayEVM infrastructure, adding fresh pressure on interoperability projects that move assets and messages across multiple blockchains. The incident was flagged on April 27 when Blockaid warned users about an active exploit involving ZetaChain cross-chain contracts and urged anyone with approvals to GatewayEVM contracts on Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base and other EVM-compatible chains to revoke permissions immediately. […]
POL remained under selling pressure over the past 24 hours as traders struggled to rebuild momentum despite Polygon Labs’ deeper push into stablecoin payments, leaving the token below key intraday recovery levels and close to the lower end of its short-term trading range. The Polygon ecosystem token traded near $0.09 on 26 April, with market capitalisation hovering below $1bn and daily sentiment still cautious after failed rebounds […]
A key highlight of the programme was a closed-door Governors’ and Chairs’ Strategic Roundtable on “Sovereign Intelligence,” where senior policy leaders, financial regulators, and central bank governors convened under Chatham House Rule to address the challenge of maintaining national policy autonomy in an era of AI and digital finance.
The session reached consensus on three strategic pillars:
Ian Fong, VP of Content – Asia, Money20/20, said: “Today’s consensus signals that the region’s policy and regulatory leaders are moving from observation to production-grade governance. They are not just managing technology; they are defining the blueprint for how sovereign intelligence will safeguard the future of global finance.”
The Shift to Co-Creation & Trust
A dominant theme emerging from Policy20: the future of financial systems in Asia will be built not just on innovation, but on trust, collaboration, and intelligent infrastructure.
One of the most striking insights was the industry-wide shift from traditional regulatory models toward co-creation. Regulators are increasingly positioning themselves as enablers rather than enforcers, working alongside the private sector to design frameworks that evolve in real time with technological advancements. This marks a fundamental move away from static, compliance-led approaches toward dynamic, partnership-driven regulation.
At the same time, trust has become the cornerstone of financial innovation. As digital ecosystems expand, trust is derived from transparent systems, strong governance, and regulatory alignment, particularly as AI and digital assets continue to outpace traditional regulatory cycles.
Infrastructure with Purpose
The discussions also highlighted that innovation without usability is problematic. Discussion points centered on the idea that true financial inclusion in Asia depends on intelligent infrastructure, systems that are not just accessible, but intuitive and affordable enough to remove friction for underserved populations at scale.
A Multi-Rail Future
Looking ahead, Policy20 experts outlined a multi-rail financial ecosystem where tokenised deposits, stablecoins, and traditional banking coexist. The takeaway was clear: the future is not about one dominant model, but achieving seamless interoperability, through shared cross-border standards and frameworks.
Scale vs. Safety
Ultimately, the discussions underscored a regional commitment to balancing speed with safety. While innovation is accelerating, regulators and industry players alike emphasised that growth must not come at the expense of consumer protection, financial stability, or accountability. There was a strong agreement that meaningful adoption, not just access, has become the ultimate measure of success, with a focus on whether financial innovation is genuinely improving lives.
As Policy20 continues, one message is clear: Asia is no longer just adapting to the digital age; it is defining the global blueprint for responsible regulation.
Hashtag: #money20/20 #fintech #bangkok
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Tether has led an $8 million strategic funding round in Abu Dhabi-based tokenisation firm KAIO, backing a business that says it wants to move institutional funds onto blockchain rails and widen access to products that have traditionally sat behind high minimum investment thresholds. The deal places one of the digital-asset sector’s most influential companies behind a UAE platform seeking to turn regulated fund interests into on-chain instruments. […]
Polygon has launched a native liquid staking token called sPOL, a move designed to free up roughly $330 million worth of staked POL for use across decentralised finance, while drawing fresh market attention to whether the network can convert technical upgrades into stronger token demand. The launch gives users who stake POL on Polygon’s proof-of-stake network a liquid token in return, allowing them to keep earning staking […]
