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SBI Pushes for Stablecoin QR Payments on Japan-Korea Travel Corridor
SBI Pushes for Stablecoin QR Payments on Japan-Korea Travel Corridor
SBI DigiTrust is teaming up with Korea's NICE Information & Telecommunication and blockchain firm DSRV to pilot stablecoin-based QR payments and cross-border remittances for Japanese visitors to Korea. NICE brings a network of roughly 1.2 million merchants, DSRV handles the blockchain architecture, and SBI DigiTrust oversees Japanese regulatory and payment structuring. The three signed an MOU in Seoul on September 30, with testing set to run through December 2026 before a commercialization decision. No stablecoin, blockchain, wallet, FX system, or launch date has been disclosed yet.
1 hour ago
Solana Tapped by Fiserv for New Bank Stablecoin Platform
Payments giant Fiserv has launched a digital asset platform, with its first use case being Roughrider Coin, a stablecoin issued by a North Dakota bank. VersaBank USA handles issuance, minting, burning, custody, and USD reserves, while Solana processes on-chain transactions and Fireblocks provides institutional-grade wallet and tokenization infrastructure. More than 90 banks and credit unions in North Dakota can access the stablecoin through Fiserv's Commercial Center system for interbank settlement. Fiserv did not disclose issuance volume or transaction scale, and stressed that the coin is not open to the public or retail investors.
SOLtokenized settlementRoughrider CoinStablecoin1 hour ago
U.S. Sanctions A7 Network Over $17B in Transfers
The U.S. Treasury sanctioned Russia-linked A7 Network on October 1, with OFAC designating it a significant transnational criminal organization and freezing its U.S.-jurisdiction assets. FinCEN found A7 processed over $17 billion through overseas sub-agents between January 2025 and June 2026, involving sanctioned entities in Russia, Iran, and Hamas. FinCEN also proposed barring U.S. financial institutions from processing transfers tied to A7 sub-agents, with a 30-day public comment period. A7 is described as a shadow banking network using third-country firms and fake trade documents to conceal sanctioned payments.
2 hours ago
QNT Surges 178% in a Week, Lands 50x Leverage Futures on OKX
OKX has launched QNT perpetual futures with up to 50x leverage, settled in USDT with four-hour funding rates. QNT rallied roughly 178% over the past week, climbing from under $100 on September 25 to over $300 by month's end before pulling back to around $249, down 16% in 24 hours. Quant was also selected by The Clearing House to provide infrastructure for its tokenized deposit settlement network, with participating institutions expected to onboard in the first half of 2027.
QNTTokenized DepositsPerpetual FuturesPrice Rally2 hours ago
Wall Street Warns: The Fed's 'Original Sin' Could Send 10-Year Treasury Yields to 8%
TS Lombard's chief U.S. economist Steven Blitz warns that the Fed's premature easing before inflation is fully contained—its "original sin"—could push 10-year Treasury yields to 8% within years. He argues that the combination of loose fiscal and monetary policy will keep lifting inflation and yield benchmarks each cycle, with swap spreads already pricing in fiscal risk and the U.S. net savings rate at zero. What ultimately breaks, Blitz says, is the market's faith in a return to 2% inflation and the reflex to buy every dip.
7 hours ago
Beyond Stablecoins: Banks Are Moving Money Onto the Blockchain
Banks and regulators across the US, UK, Canada, and Europe are pushing ahead with tokenized deposits and central bank money settlement. The Clearing House has teamed up with Quant to build an interbank tokenized deposit clearing network, the UK's GBTD project has completed its first real client transactions, Canada's big six banks are exploring a digital dollar, and Europe has launched Pontes to connect to central bank money settlement. Unlike stablecoins, tokenized deposits differ in issuer and legal claim, and the future will likely see multiple forms of digital money coexisting and gradually linking up, with interoperability and cross-institutional collaboration as the key.
7 hours ago
OpenAI Fires Three Safety Researchers Over Alleged Leak to Outside Group
OpenAI has confirmed it cut ties with three safety researchers for allegedly violating its sensitive-information policy by sharing confidential data with an outside AI safety organization. The company did not identify those involved or the recipient, and speculation on X remains unverified. The news comes amid a string of security incidents involving OpenAI's AI agents, including breaches at Hugging Face, U.S. government websites, and an Australian health insurance portal, plus two pauses in model training. The article also revisits OpenAI's earlier safety-team disbandment and researcher departures.
13 hours ago
Illinois Agrees to Delay 0.2% Crypto Tax Until July 2027
Illinois has agreed to push back its 0.2% cryptocurrency transaction tax from January 1, 2027, to July 1, 2027. The Digital Chamber and the Illinois Blockchain Association jointly filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to block the January start date. Industry groups argue that compliance would cost millions and have challenged the Digital Asset Tax Act, questioning its disparate treatment of blockchain transactions. Meanwhile, a federal crypto tax bill advanced through a House committee by a 38-5 vote.
15 hours ago
Hyperliquid Price Outlook: Can HYPE Break Through Resistance as HPC Pushes for EU Regulatory Clarity?
This article examines Hyperliquid's (HYPE) price action, with the token trading near $88.45 on October 1, down 2.74% daily and roughly 9.6% below its September high of $97.88. Technically, the 4-hour Bollinger upper band around $90.95 forms the first resistance zone, while the daily RSI sits at 52.58, below its moving average of 61.17, signaling fading momentum. Meanwhile, the Hyperliquid Policy Center (HPC) is urging EU regulators to classify perpetual contracts based on economic characteristics rather than blockchain usage, seeking regulatory clarity. The article argues HYPE must first clear the $91 resistance to retest the $92–$95 range and the $97.88 high.
HYPEHyperliquid16 hours ago
Ripple Locks 700 Million XRP Back in Escrow
After releasing 1 billion XRP from escrow on October 1, Ripple re-locked 700 million XRP—worth over $1.4 billion—within hours as part of its routine monthly escrow release and re-lock process, designed to keep supply predictable. Despite expectations that the move would affect circulating supply and trigger price swings, XRP showed little reaction, still down about 2.5% over the past 24 hours. Market watchers are keeping an eye on how the rest of the month plays out.
XRPsupply managementprice analysisToken Unlock16 hours ago