Author: Benjamin Lee

Crypto hardware wallet maker Ledger is rolling out a new feature that lets users borrow stablecoins against their Bitcoin (BTC) without giving up custody of their assets. The new Crypto Loan feature lets Ledger Wallet users deposit wrapped Bitcoin as collateral and borrow the dollar-pegged stablecoins USDC or USDT directly inside the app, says Ledger. The service is powered by the on-chain lending network Morpho and plugged into the app through Yield.xyz. Users can post either cbBTC or wBTC as collateral and keep their Bitcoin exposure for the life of the loan instead of selling their holdings. Says Ledger in…

A cryptocurrency exchange is closing its doors after nearly a decade in business. CoinEx, which has its operating headquarters in the Seychelles, says it is entering an orderly wind-down with all user assets fully backed. Withdrawals opened September 15, 2026, and remain available until 02:00 UTC on December 22, 2026. The platform launched December 22, 2017, and will formally cease operations exactly nine years later. Founder and CEO Haipo Yang is stressing user protection in a public statement. “Dear CoinEx Community, Today, I am announcing that CoinEx will cease operations and begin an orderly wind-down.” He adds that reserves exceed…

Visa is releasing a new report showing how bank-level protections could significantly boost American interest in using stablecoins to send money abroad. The survey of more than 2,000 US consumers finds that Americans are looking for faster and more affordable ways to send money to family and friends overseas, while still expecting strong security protections. The company says adoption intent rises from 36% to 56% when stablecoins, or dollar-pegged crypto assets, include fraud protection and deposit insurance, similar to what banks offer. Nearly two-thirds of respondents say trust depends more on the provider than the technology itself. Meanwhile, willingness to…

Cross-border stablecoin transfers are surging nearly 78 percent over the past year even as the broader crypto market experiences a sharp decline. Transfers of the dollar-pegged tokens across borders climbed from $124.2 billion to $220.3 billion in the 12 months through June 2026. Monthly volumes more than doubled from $11 billion in January 2025 to $24 billion by June 2026. The surge occurred even as the total crypto market cap fell 50 percent, a $2.1 trillion contraction that marked the worst bear market since 2022. The growth came mainly from smaller payments averaging about $3,000, used for supplier payments, sending…

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Sunday that bans state public officials from launching memecoins. In addition to the ban on state officials, California Assembly Bill 2409 also prohibits crypto service providers from offering California residents the sale of any memecoin launched in association with federal, state or local public officials. That second stipulation applies to memecoins issued on or after January 1, 2027. Newsom, considered a prominent potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2028, targeted President Donald Trump in a press release announcing the bill’s signature. “While the scam that is Donald Trump continues to hurt American families,…

Iran has been leaning on Tether’s dollar-pegged USDT to dodge a U.S. sanctions dragnet and move money for the regime and proxies such as Hezbollah, according to a new Senate Democrats report. The Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations says the token has become a primary payment rail for Tehran and a funding tool for terrorist proxy groups, reports The Wall Street Journal, which viewed a copy of the findings. Tether’s USDT accounts for about 60% of all stablecoins by market capitalization. Because the token tracks the dollar, it is less volatile than other crypto — making it useful for payments and,…

Cardano’s (ADA) recent price surge is running into fresh headwinds from fading trader interest and large-holder exits. Futures open interest for ADA has dropped 9% over the past week, sliding from $1.99 billion to $1.81 billion as traders cut back on leveraged bets, says Ali Charts on X. Whales also appear to be taking profits. “Since September 20, large holders have offloaded roughly 90 million ADA, worth approximately $22.5 million, adding to the recent selling pressure.” This decline in demand aligns with a Tom DeMark Sequential sell signal that appeared on Cardano’s daily chart. “Since then, ADA has fallen 10%,…

A major billion-dollar bank is executing a live pilot of its proprietary dollar-backed stablecoin on a public blockchain to move funds across borders. U.S. Bank, which is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, says the transaction was completed on the Stellar network between its North American and European entities. The pilot validates the bank’s Digital Asset Platform, which supports minting, redemption, freezing and clawback functions while remaining linked to existing finance, risk and compliance systems. Gunjan Kedia, chairman and chief executive officer at U.S. Bank, addressed the pilot’s impact. “This live pilot demonstrates our ability to accelerate global cash management and money…

JPMorgan Chase is now reviewing whether to launch its own stablecoin. The bank is doing that work on a separate track from a group of 21 banks and financial firms that plan to build a dollar stablecoin for business payments across borders, reports The Wall Street Journal. That group includes Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, Santander and Goldman Sachs. They want the venture running in the first half of 2027 and plan to set up a company to run it. The token will be pegged to dollars, with other Group of Seven currencies planned for launch in the future. Use…

A Michigan court is barring a prediction market platform from offering sports wagers to state residents or risk massive daily fines for failing to block access. The order requires KalshiEx, LLC to maintain geofencing using a state-licensed third-party provider, with violations triggering a $500,000 daily fine. The injunction prohibits offering, facilitating, advertising, or processing any internet sports betting contracts to anyone in Michigan, including users aged 18 and older. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel secured the ruling after filing suit in March 2026 alleging unlicensed sports betting under the Lawful Sports Betting Act. A temporary restraining order was already in…