AI
OKX has introduced an Agent Payments Protocol (APP) that extends AI-driven transactions beyond simple payments into full commercial workflows. The release reflects a shift as autonomous agents increasingly require infrastructure to execute end-to-end business operations. Agents can now do real business, not just make paymentsOKX United States - Introducing the
DeFi
Shinhan Card is piloting stablecoin payments on Solana’s testnet, marking one of the most advanced blockchain payment trials by a South Korean issuer. The initiative signals accelerating institutional interest in integrating decentralized rails into regulated payment systems. The company announced a partnership with the Solana Foundation to develop a
Finance
Twenty One Capital shares rose 6.6% after hours to $8.35 following Tether’s backing of a multi-entity merger plan. The move signals investor support for a broader Bitcoin strategy beyond passive treasury accumulation. Tether said it intends to vote in favor of merging Twenty One Capital with Strike,
Markets
World Liberty Financial’s token WLFI fell nearly 13% to $0.064 as voting opened on a proposal to unlock 62 billion tokens. The decline reflects investor concern over extended vesting timelines and uncertainty around future circulating supply. The proposal introduces structured vesting schedules to replace indefinite token locks, according
DeFi
U.S. lawmakers are preparing to move the long-delayed Clarity Act into formal markup, signaling a potential turning point for stablecoin regulation. The shift brings renewed focus to how yield-bearing crypto products and developer responsibilities will be defined under federal law. The CLARITY Act Stablecoin Yield Text Is Out. The
Bitcoin is no longer just a payment network. Over the past few years, developers have found ways to store data directly on-chain, turning Bitcoin into a base layer for digital artifacts. One of the newer methods is Bitcoin Stamps. It’s a niche but growing approach that focuses on permanence
Blockchain
Visa’s stablecoin settlement volume has reached a $7 billion annualized run rate, rising 50% quarter over quarter as blockchain integration accelerates. The growth signals increasing institutional traction for stablecoins in cross-border and business-to-business payment flows. The payments network expanded its pilot to nine blockchains, adding Arc, Base, Canton, Polygon,
Opinion
Bitcoin remains “unequivocally the best inflation hedge,” according to macro investor Paul Tudor Jones, reinforcing institutional narratives around digital scarcity. The statement arrives as investors reassess hedging strategies amid persistent macro uncertainty and shifting central bank policy expectations. Jones, founder and chief investment officer of Tudor Investment Corp., made the
AI
IBM and MIT are integrating quantum computing into a joint research lab that already shaped enterprise artificial intelligence since 2017. The shift signals a move toward hybrid systems that could extend computational limits beyond classical architectures. The updated MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab builds on the earlier MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab,
DeFi
Standard Chartered maintains its $2 trillion tokenized real-world asset (RWA) projection despite a $292 million exploit tied to rsETH. The stance signals confidence that recent stress events will accelerate, rather than derail, institutional DeFi adoption. The April 18 incident began with a suspected forged LayerZero message that enabled the theft
Finance
Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin is now available across more than 280 spot trading pairs on OKX. The expansion increases liquidity access and positions the token for broader use in both spot and derivatives markets. The partnership, announced Wednesday, enables RLUSD to be used as margin collateral for derivatives, including perpetual
Blockchain
POSCO International has begun processing live cross-border transactions using a blockchain-based payment system developed with Hana Financial Group and Dunamu. The shift from testing to deployment signals growing institutional willingness to replace legacy settlement rails. The agreement was signed Tuesday at Hana Financial Group’s headquarters in Seoul following a