Tag: Adoption & Partnerships

  • Visa Survey: Consumer Interest in Stablecoins Hinges on Trust and Security, Not Just Technology

    Visa Survey: Consumer Interest in Stablecoins Hinges on Trust and Security, Not Just Technology

    Consumer willingness to adopt stablecoins is significantly tied to the perceived trustworthiness of the provider and the hypothetical presence of bank-level safeguards, rather than the underlying technology, a Visa-sponsored survey indicates. The study suggests that a majority of Americans would be more inclined to use stablecoins if they were offered with protections such as fraud protection and deposit insurance.

    A survey conducted by Morning Consult found that 56% of Americans would use stablecoins with hypothetical bank-level fraud protection and deposit insurance, compared to 36% who would use them without these safeguards. This highlights that for many consumers, trust in a payment method depends more on the provider than the technology itself, with 64% of Americans holding this view.

    When an existing financial provider offered stablecoins, willingness to use them rose to 45%. Traditional banks and global payment networks emerged as the most trusted providers for digital currency services, with 61% and 60% of respondents, respectively, expressing trust. Globally, this trust figure stood at 69% for providers of digital currency services.

    However, a significant portion of the population remains unaware of stablecoins, with 56% of respondents having never heard of them. Among those familiar with stablecoins, many assumed they fluctuated in value like Bitcoin, indicating a gap in understanding.

    The survey also revealed a consumer willingness to prioritize security over speed in financial transactions. With more than a third of Americans having encountered fraud, 45% of respondents indicated they would accept a 24-hour delay on a transfer for stronger protection. Concerns about security are further amplified by the fact that 44% of Americans worry about AI deepfakes impersonating family members.

    It is crucial to note that the safeguards mentioned in the survey are hypothetical, and no stablecoin currently carries deposit insurance. The survey involved 2,192 U.S. adults and is part of a larger study covering 45,445 people across 20 markets, with a focus on remittances.

    Visa plays a role in the stablecoin ecosystem, serving as a founding validator on Circle’s Arc blockchain alongside entities like BlackRock and Mastercard. The company also handles a significant portion of stablecoin card transactions, which reached $18 billion in 2025, according to Artemis. In August of the previous year, Visa expanded its settlement stablecoins to include PayPal USD (PYUSD) and the Global Dollar (USDG), utilizing chains like Stellar and Avalanche.

    Visa indicated that stablecoins represent a growing share of cross-border money flows. Dollar stablecoins in circulation currently total approximately $312 billion, with Tether’s USDT accounting for $184 billion and Circle’s USDC for $76 billion, according to DefiLlama.

    These findings suggest that for stablecoins to achieve broader adoption, providers must focus on building trust through established financial frameworks and robust security measures, addressing consumer concerns about fraud and the need for reliable oversight. The path forward for the industry, as suggested by Vira Platonova, Global Head of Visa Direct, will be determined by providers who prioritize earning that trust.

    Why This Matters

    The materials describe a narrow update: A Visa-sponsored survey found that 56% of Americans would use stablecoins if they were offered with bank-level fraud protection and deposit insurance, compared to 36% without these hypothetical safeguards. The actual availability of bank-level fraud protection and deposit insurance for stablecoins.

    Broader Context

    Source materials place the factual news in this context: The report, Money Travels 2026, draws on a Morning Consult survey of 2,192 U.S. adults run from February 24 to March 2. The full survey covers 45,445 people across 20 markets and is built around remittances.

  • Solana Foundation Adds Ex-Binance and Polygon Executives

    Solana Foundation Adds Ex-Binance and Polygon Executives

    Solana Foundation Bolsters Leadership with Key Hires to Drive Financial Sector Integration

    The Solana Foundation has announced significant additions to its executive team, appointing Rachel Conlan, formerly Chief Marketing Officer at Binance, as Chief Strategy Officer, and Jamal Raees, a veteran from Polygon Labs, as General Manager of Payments. The foundation revealed these appointments on September 24, 2026.

    These strategic hires are intended to accelerate the foundation’s efforts in forging partnerships with traditional financial institutions, including banks, asset managers, and payment companies, as the financial industry increasingly embraces blockchain technology.

    Conlan expressed her enthusiasm for the move, stating, “I’ve joined @SolanaFndn as Chief Strategy Officer. What excites me is Solana’s position to bring Internet Capital Markets to life: connecting assets, trading and payments on one global network, open to anyone, around the clock.” She highlighted Solana’s current leadership in tokenized stock trading, noting that the platform hosts more tokenized stocks than any other blockchain.

    As of September 27, the SOL token was trading around $123, marking a 2.8% increase for the day and a substantial 15% surge over the preceding week. Despite processing a significant stablecoin volume, Solana maintains exceptionally low transaction fees, currently at 0.000005 SOL per transaction. This efficiency raises questions about whether the new leadership will stimulate renewed investor interest and demand for SOL.

    Executive Backgrounds and Strategic Focus

    Rachel Conlan brings extensive experience to her new role, having served for three years as the global chief marketing officer for Binance, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges. Her prior experience also includes senior positions at OKX, CAA Sports, and Havas. At the Solana Foundation, Conlan will concentrate on cultivating institutional partnerships, fostering ecosystem growth, and spearheading sales initiatives to attract businesses to the Solana network.

    Jamal Raees joins Solana from Polygon Labs, bringing a robust background in payment systems and stablecoins. His previous work at Bridge (now part of Stripe) and Wyre has provided him with deep insights into the payments landscape. In his capacity as General Manager of Payments, Raees will focus on building relationships with payment companies and enterprises seeking to facilitate fund transfers across the Solana platform.

    SOL Price Performance and Market Outlook

    In recent trading activity, SOL was priced around $124, according to CoinGecko data, reflecting a roughly 2.7% increase in the past 24 hours and a 14.5% gain over the last seven days. With a market capitalization of approximately $73 billion, SOL remains one of the largest cryptocurrencies by market value.

    The recent price recovery has bolstered SOL’s short-term technical indicators, with the token rebounding from sub-$100 levels earlier in the month. Historical data from CoinGecko indicates SOL closed at $122.08 on September 25, underscoring the momentum of its recent ascent.

    Analysts suggest that $120 currently serves as a key psychological support level, while a sustained move above $125 could target $130. Further upward momentum might see $140 emerge as the next significant resistance area.

    Despite its recent gains, SOL is still trading approximately 58% below its all-time high of $293.31. The token has considerable room for recovery, contingent on sustained bullish sentiment in the broader market.

  • Payward Invests Billions in Financial Infrastructure Overhaul

    Payward Invests Billions in Financial Infrastructure Overhaul

    Payward, the parent company of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, is strategically repositioning itself beyond its origins as a digital asset platform. Through a series of significant acquisitions and high-profile partnerships with established financial institutions, the firm is evolving into a foundational infrastructure provider, aiming to serve as the underlying plumbing for both cryptocurrency and traditional equity markets.

    In 2025, Payward reported adjusted revenue of $2.2 billion, marking a 33% increase year-over-year. Notably, over half of this revenue, 53%, now stems from asset-based services, a shift from its previous reliance on trading fees.

    A pivotal move was the $1.5 billion acquisition of NinjaTrader, a deal that significantly bolstered Payward’s derivatives infrastructure and provided a substantial entry into futures trading, extending its reach far beyond the crypto sphere. This was followed by the acquisition of Reap Technologies, a Hong Kong-based stablecoin payment solutions provider, for up to $600 million. Subsequently, Payward acquired Bitnomial for up to $550 million, integrating regulated derivatives exchange capabilities into its expanding suite of services.

    The integration of these entities creates a robust platform: NinjaTrader contributes retail and institutional derivatives expertise, Reap offers cross-border stablecoin payment rails, and Bitnomial brings regulated crypto derivatives. Collectively, these acquisitions lay the groundwork for a comprehensive system capable of handling trading, payments, custody, and settlement across diverse asset classes.

    In April 2026, Deutsche Börse, the operator of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, invested $200 million in Payward, valuing the company at approximately $13.3 billion.

    Five months later, Nasdaq Ventures injected $100 million into Payward on September 10, 2026, raising the company’s valuation to $21 billion. This investment is accompanied by a collaboration on Nasdaq Equity Tokens, or NETs, slated for a second-quarter 2027 launch. These NETs are intended to be tokenized versions of Nasdaq-listed stocks, incorporating voting rights and aiming for 24/7 settlement. Nasdaq is also integrating its market surveillance technology into Payward’s platform.

    Payward’s tokenized equities platform, xStocks, had already processed over $25 billion in cumulative transaction volume by mid-2026, with $4 billion settled on-chain. The platform has attracted more than 85,000 unique holders.

    Overall, Payward’s platform transaction volume has reached $2 trillion, a figure that positions it as a contender among mid-tier traditional financial infrastructure providers.

    However, the company’s ambitious expansion is not without its challenges. The regulatory landscape for tokenized securities remains fragmented across different jurisdictions. The inclusion of voting rights in tokenized equities introduces governance questions that are yet to be fully resolved. Furthermore, the rapid pace of Payward’s acquisition strategy presents significant integration risks, as stitching together NinjaTrader, Reap, and Bitnomial into a cohesive and functional platform is an intricate engineering and organizational undertaking that extends beyond financial investment.

  • XRP Whales Accumulate as Ripple Hints at BlackRock Partnership

    XRP Whales Accumulate as Ripple Hints at BlackRock Partnership

    Ripple Partners with Securitize for New Stablecoin Integration

    Ripple has announced a new smart contract developed in a joint venture with Securitize, designed to enable holders of BlackRock’s BUIDL and VanEck’s VBILL tokenized short-term treasury funds to exchange their shares for Ripple’s stablecoin, RLUSD. This marks the first official integration of Ripple’s stablecoin onto the Securitize platform.

    Enhanced Utility for Tokenized Assets

    The new smart contract provides an additional stablecoin off-ramp for BUIDL and VBILL, which are the first tokenized products from these TradFi giants to be launched on public blockchains. Ripple stated that the smart contract will allow BUIDL and VBILL holders to instantly exchange their shares for RLUSD around the clock. This functionality is expected to facilitate more stable, on-chain transfers, offering investors continuous exposure to RLUSD while maintaining access to on-chain yield and a wider array of DeFi strategies. This aims to boost utility, flexibility, and interoperability for tokenized assets.

    Institutional Focus for RLUSD

    Jack McDonald, Ripple’s SVP of Stablecoins, emphasized the institutional focus of RLUSD, highlighting its regulatory clarity, stability, and practical utility. He noted that partnerships with trusted platforms like Securitize are crucial for unlocking new liquidity and enterprise-grade use cases as adoption grows. Both Ripple and Securitize have indicated plans for future collaborations, with Securitize also intending to integrate with the XRP Ledger to broaden access and introduce new utility to its ecosystem.

    XRP Whales Accumulate Amidst Volatility

    Coinciding with this announcement, popular analyst Ali Martinez observed a significant buying spree among XRP whales. Over the past five days, these large market participants have acquired more than 470 million XRP tokens, valued at over $720 million. This follows a report from the previous week detailing their purchase of over 1.5 billion tokens within a 96-hour period.

    Technical Outlook for XRP

    Martinez’s analysis suggests that XRP has completed the right shoulder of a major inverse head-and-shoulders pattern on the daily chart. He believes a bullish breakout could be imminent, provided the token can overcome the critical resistance level at $1.60. A successful breach of this level could pave the way for XRP to target $2.00.

    The XRP token has experienced considerable volatility recently, surging to $1.65 before experiencing a sharp decline to below $1.50. However, the price has since recovered, reaching $1.56 on Friday and currently trading around $1.55. Despite the fluctuations, Martinez maintains a bullish outlook on XRP’s future price performance.

  • HIFI Raises $37 Million Series A to Bolster Stablecoin Payments and Tokenized Market Infrastructure

    HIFI Raises $37 Million Series A to Bolster Stablecoin Payments and Tokenized Market Infrastructure

    HIFI has secured $37 million in a Series A funding round led by Left Lane Capital, with the capital earmarked for enhancing its stablecoin payment solutions, card products, and the underlying infrastructure for tokenized capital markets. The company aims to bridge traditional banking systems with stablecoin settlements and tokenized assets.

    The new funding will fuel HIFI’s expansion in stablecoin payments, card offerings, and the critical infrastructure required for tokenized capital markets. The company’s platform currently processes over $7 billion in annualized volume across 87 countries, facilitating connections between traditional banking systems, stablecoin settlements, and tokenized assets. HIFI provides APIs designed to link traditional bank rails with stablecoin settlement, positioning itself between the blockchain layer and financial institutions that require cash settlement, compliance, and distribution.

    HIFI’s strategic approach is based on the premise that tokenized capital markets operate more efficiently when the cash component of transactions matches the speed and programmability of the traded security. The company is focused on building the infrastructure to support this convergence, aiming to establish a significant financial services business by connecting these market facets.

    Recent operational highlights for HIFI include participation in the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation’s (DTCC) July production trades involving DTC-tokenized assets. These trades involved prominent financial entities such as BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, and Nasdaq. Furthermore, HIFI has collaborated with Visa on stablecoin-funded payouts, a development with the potential to reach billions of Visa cardholders.

    While the valuation for this funding round was not disclosed, the $37 million provides HIFI with additional capital to navigate a market characterized by the increasing convergence of traditional payments, stablecoins, and securities settlement. The company’s established infrastructure and international reach, evidenced by its significant annualized volume and operations in 87 countries, position it as a key infrastructure provider in this evolving financial landscape.

    HIFI’s strategic focus on building infrastructure at the intersection of traditional finance and digital assets underscores a growing market opportunity. The company’s efforts are geared towards facilitating smoother transactions for tokenized securities and capital market activities by integrating stablecoin settlements with existing financial systems.

    Why This Matters

    The materials describe a narrow update: HIFI secured $37 million in a Series A funding round led by Left Lane Capital. The valuation for the $37 million funding round was not disclosed.

    Broader Context

    Source materials place the factual news in this context: HIFI Wants To Connect Bank Money, Stablecoins And Tokenized Assets.

  • Solana Foundation Taps Ex-Binance, Polygon Execs for Institutional Push

    Solana Foundation Taps Ex-Binance, Polygon Execs for Institutional Push

    The Solana Foundation has appointed Rachel Conlan as chief strategy officer and Jamal Raees as general manager of payments, strategic moves designed to accelerate institutional adoption and payment activity on the Solana network. These hires signal a focused effort by the Foundation to bolster its capabilities in the institutional finance and payment processing sectors.

    In her new role, Conlan, formerly the global CMO of Binance, will lead institutional partnerships, ecosystem growth, and go-to-market strategy. Raees, previously an executive at Polygon Labs, will concentrate on stablecoins, tokenized deposits, and financial settlement infrastructure.

    The appointments arrive as the Foundation points to significant growth across key areas of the Solana ecosystem. According to reported figures, Solana has processed over $5 trillion in stablecoin volume during 2026. Additionally, real-world assets on the network have surpassed $4.5 billion, and the tokenized equity supply has moved above $620 million.

    The Foundation is increasingly positioning the Solana network around payments, tokenization, and institutional settlement. Solana’s pitch to institutions highlights its performance metrics: high throughput, low transaction costs, and an existing pool of stablecoin liquidity. The source material suggests that banks, asset managers, and payment companies require partnerships, compliance integration, and solutions that translate blockchain infrastructure into products suitable for existing financial businesses.

    Conlan and Raees are being brought in to help bridge this gap, aiming to translate the network’s technical capabilities into tangible adoption by institutions and payment companies. While Solana’s earlier growth was heavily associated with trading, NFTs, and consumer crypto applications, this strategic shift indicates a focus on a different competitive landscape within institutional finance.

    However, the source material acknowledges that technology alone does not guarantee institutional adoption. The Foundation’s latest hires suggest an understanding that building the necessary infrastructure and relationships is crucial for attracting institutional clients. The exact timing of the reported stablecoin volume processing for 2026 and the specific periods for the real-world assets and tokenized equity supply figures remain areas of uncertainty.

    Why This Matters

    The materials describe a narrow update: The Solana Foundation has hired Rachel Conlan, former global CMO of Binance, as chief strategy officer and Jamal Raees, former executive at Polygon Labs, as general manager of payments. The exact timing of the reported stablecoin volume processing for 2026.

    Broader Context

    Source materials place the factual news in this context: ID: N25-07.

  • HIFI Secures $37M Series A for Tokenized Money Settlement

    HIFI Secures $37M Series A for Tokenized Money Settlement

    HIFI Secures $37 Million Series A to Bolster Tokenized Finance Infrastructure

    HIFI, a New York-based company specializing in stablecoin infrastructure, has announced the successful closure of a $37 million Series A funding round. The investment, led by Left Lane Capital, is earmarked for expanding the company’s regulatory licenses, developing card services, and enhancing its capital markets offerings.

    Matthew Miller, Managing Partner at Left Lane Capital, will join HIFI’s board of directors. The company stated that its platform currently facilitates over $7 billion in annual transactions, with a more than fourfold increase in usage among existing clients over the past six months.

    Companies leveraging HIFI’s technology have onboarded over 10,000 businesses and 200,000 individuals, with payouts extending to 87 countries. Notable clients include Sumitomo, which is rebuilding its cash management and trading operations on the platform; Dapper, developing digital marketplaces; and Arival Bank, utilizing HIFI for stablecoin payments.

    A filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on September 3 by HIFI Bridge, Inc. detailed a $27.3 million equity offering, of which $21.8 million has been sold to 24 investors since August 19.

    This funding follows HIFI’s participation in the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation’s (DTCC) July tokenized securities trades. DTCC conducted production trades involving tokenized DTC-held securities on July 15, involving over 30 firms, including BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, and Nasdaq. These trades covered collateral pledges, securities lending, and Treasury and repo settlements, preceding DTCC’s planned October launch of its tokenization service.

    HIFI confirmed its involvement in the tokenized repo pilot and its support for a live tokenized repo trade on Tradeweb between DRW and Marex. This trade was settled on Canton using USDCx as the cash leg. Earlier this month, HIFI launched stablecoin push-to-card payouts via Visa Direct, initially enabling payments to over 4 billion Visa cards globally, and has also integrated with the Circle Payments Network.

    Visa and DTCC are among the founding validators of Circle’s Arc blockchain, alongside BlackRock, Mastercard, and Standard Chartered.

    “We view settlement as a single, unified problem, not three distinct ones,” stated Zach Walsh, CEO of HIFI.

    The Series A funding will be allocated to acquiring additional regulatory licenses, enabling HIFI to manage more of its technology stack directly. It will also support the expansion of its team in New York and internationally, and facilitate the extension of its services from payments into card and capital markets, areas where Walsh identified custody and control as persistent challenges.

    The landscape for payment stablecoins is evolving, with a federal framework anticipated under the GENIUS Act in July 2025. The current stablecoin supply is estimated to be around $307 billion, according to Blockworks.

    On the securities front, the SEC issued an Innovation Exemption on September 17, permitting permissioned venues to trade tokenized U.S. stocks on-chain.

    “HIFI is constructing a crucial layer within this market, providing developers with the infrastructure to build products capable of operating across diverse networks and borders,” Miller commented.

  • Traditional Finance and Crypto Markets Converge as Stablecoins and Tokenized Assets Drive Overlap

    Traditional Finance and Crypto Markets Converge as Stablecoins and Tokenized Assets Drive Overlap

    The financial landscape is undergoing a significant transformation as traditional finance entities and cryptocurrency companies increasingly vie for dominance in overlapping markets, fueled by the growing prominence of stablecoins and tokenized assets. This convergence is reshaping how payments and traditional assets are managed, prompting strategic moves from major players across both sectors.

    Strategic Investments and Partnerships

    Binance, a leading cryptocurrency exchange, has invested $100 million in Circle, a prominent stablecoin issuer. This investment is part of a broader five-year agreement designed to expand the adoption of USD Coin (USDC). As part of the transaction on September 17, Circle issued Binance 1,237,011 shares of Class A common stock at $80.84 per share in a private placement. Binance retains voting rights on these shares, though a lockup period is in effect for up to two years.

    Canadian Banks Explore Tokenized Deposits

    In Canada, the nation’s six largest banks are actively exploring the use of tokenized Canadian dollar deposits. This initiative aims to establish a new payment rail for digital representations of bank deposits to facilitate interbank transfers. The project gained traction following a September 10 clarification from Canada’s Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, which stated that tokenized deposits are not legally distinct from traditional deposits. This clarification is crucial, as it means the underlying legal treatment remains consistent regardless of the technology used, differentiating them from fiat-backed stablecoins which are liabilities of their issuers.

    Stablecoin Growth and Utility

    Cross-border stablecoin flows have demonstrated substantial growth, surging nearly 78% to $220.3 billion in the year through June. This increase occurred even as the broader cryptocurrency market capitalization fell by 37% to $2.1 trillion during the same period. According to Chainalysis, approximately 4,708 new cross-border stablecoin corridors emerged, carrying $2.64 billion, although the largest corridors still accounted for the vast majority of the total value. Much of this growth, characterized by transfers averaging around $3,000, suggests utility beyond speculation, potentially serving trade, remittances, and savings purposes. Tether economist Philip Gradwell noted this activity exhibits a “steady rhythm” typical of business use, while StraitsX CEO Tianwei Liu pointed to demand for dollar access, inflation protection, and methods to navigate capital controls, particularly outside Asia.

    Bridging Traditional Assets and Crypto

    Further bridging the gap between traditional assets and the crypto ecosystem, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is partnering with Blockchain.com. This collaboration aims to bring tokenized U.S. stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on-chain through a planned alternative trading system, which is subject to regulatory approval. The agreement also includes a market-data partnership between Blockchain.com and ICE Data Services, the data arm of NYSE’s parent company, Intercontinental Exchange. This move is seen as an effort to capture retail trading activity, potentially enabling 24-hour and weekend trading for tokenized markets. Talos’ Tanay Ved commented that crypto venues are increasingly evolving into multi-asset platforms.

    Regulatory Developments

    Regulatory developments are also shaping this evolving landscape. The U.S. enacted the GENIUS Act in July 2025, while the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework and Hong Kong’s licensing regime have brought stablecoins under more formal oversight. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has also introduced a five-year Innovation Exemption for certain tokenized securities venues, requiring eligible tokenized stocks to represent actual shares with the same economic and governance rights as their traditional counterparts.

    While these developments signal a significant convergence, uncertainties remain regarding the full implementation timeline for the NYSE and Blockchain.com’s tokenized ATS, and the potential for broader adoption of tokenized deposits in Canada. The evolving nature of these markets suggests a future where the lines between traditional finance and cryptocurrency continue to blur.

    Why This Matters

    The materials describe a narrow update: The lines between cryptocurrency companies and traditional finance are blurring as both sectors vie for dominance in markets like payments and traditional assets. The exact timeline for the full implementation and regulatory approval of the Blockchain.com and NYSE tokenized ATS.

    Broader Context

    Source materials place the factual news in this context: Crypto Biz is your weekly pulse on the business behind blockchain and crypto, delivered directly to your inbox every Thursday.

  • PayPal’s PYUSD Stablecoin Launches in 70 New Markets

    PayPal’s PYUSD Stablecoin Launches in 70 New Markets

    PayPal Expands Stablecoin to 70 Markets, Quadruples Supply

    PayPal has significantly broadened the reach of its dollar-pegged stablecoin, PYUSD, transforming a two-country pilot program into a global operation spanning 70 markets. The payments behemoth announced on March 17 that PYUSD is now accessible to eligible users in numerous new countries, a substantial expansion from its prior availability solely in the United States and the United Kingdom.

    Global Rollout Includes Diverse Regions

    The expansion encompasses a geographically varied array of markets, including Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru, Uganda, and Singapore. Individuals in these regions can now purchase, hold, send, and receive PYUSD directly within their existing PayPal accounts. The service also offers the flexibility to transfer funds to external digital wallets or convert PYUSD holdings into local currencies.

    Stablecoin Surges in Market Capitalization

    PYUSD’s circulating supply has now surpassed $4 billion, a nearly fourfold increase from approximately $1 billion in August 2025. This rapid growth has propelled it to become the seventh-largest stablecoin by market capitalization. The stablecoin is issued by Paxos, an entity operating under federal regulatory supervision.

    Addressing Remittance Costs and Offering Rewards

    Traditional cross-border money transfers often incur fees ranging from 5% to 10% and can take several business days to settle. PYUSD transactions, by contrast, leverage blockchain technology, which can dramatically reduce both the cost and the time required for settlement.

    Furthermore, PayPal is introducing an incentive that traditional remittance services cannot easily replicate: yield on PYUSD holdings. In many of the newly added markets, users can earn returns simply by keeping the stablecoin in their PayPal accounts. However, this rewards feature is not universally available, with Singapore and the United Kingdom notably excluded from the program.

  • ARK Invest Tokenizes $1.3 Billion Venture Fund on Ethereum via Securitize

    ARK Invest Tokenizes $1.3 Billion Venture Fund on Ethereum via Securitize

    ARK Invest has tokenized its $1.3 billion ARK Venture Fund on the Ethereum blockchain through a partnership with Securitize. This move allows eligible investors to hold stakes in the fund’s portfolio of technology startups on-chain, marking a significant development in the integration of traditional finance with digital asset infrastructure.

    The tokenization, facilitated by Securitize, does not alter the fund’s underlying investments, which include companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, Stripe, and Databricks. Instead, it offers a new method for investors to access and transact with the fund’s shares. The ARK Venture Fund remains actively managed, meaning investors may share in the fund’s performance and the team’s strategic adjustments.

    Cathie Wood, co-founder and CEO of ARK Invest, has previously stated that tokenization could fundamentally reshape how investors access public and private financial markets. ARK Invest’s strategic investment in Securitize in October 2025 underscores a shared belief in tokenization’s potential to transform capital markets. Securitize, which became publicly listed via a $1.25 billion SPAC transaction in 2025, counts ARK Invest among its early shareholders.

    This initiative marks the first time ARK Invest has tokenized one of its funds, with potential for other thematic funds to follow if successful. Securitize is also exploring ways for retail investors to hold fractional stakes in venture capital funds through tokens, which could potentially lower traditional barriers to entry.

    Currently, access to the tokenized fund is limited to eligible investors meeting specific income and net worth requirements. Uncertainties remain regarding the exact launch date on the Ethereum blockchain and the precise regulatory framework for these tokenized venture funds. The long-term impact on the venture capital industry and the adoption of such tokenized offerings will unfold over time.

    Why This Matters

    The materials describe a narrow update: ARK Invest’s ARK Venture Fund, valued at $1. The exact date of the tokenization launch on Ethereum.

    Broader Context

    Source materials place the factual news in this context: ARK Invest’s ARK Venture Fund (ARKVX) has been tokenized on the Ethereum blockchain via Securitize.