Stablecoin

Three Asian central banks move cross-border stablecoin settlement from a corporate-led partnership into a multilateral framework.

Mastercard announced on October 19, 2026 a new security tool aimed at screening stablecoin transactions for fraud and sanctions-related risks. The product is targeted at banks, payment firms and merchants, and underscores how traditional payment giants are moving deeper into crypto-compliance infrastructure.

The EBA designated Circle’s USDC as the EU’s first significant e-money token under MiCA, with enhanced supervision effective November 12, 2026. The move signals substantive enforcement of stablecoin oversight in the EU and reshapes the global stablecoin landscape.

Cointelegraph reports that Tether has disclosed it assisted in freezing 550 million USDT linked to Iran this year. The disclosure comes against the backdrop of US Senate Democratic investigators alleging that USDT has become a key part of Iran’s shadow banking infrastructure.

The Block reports that Citi is expanding its partnership with Coinbase to build infrastructure connecting traditional fiat payments with stablecoins, offering corporate clients cross-border settlement, liquidity management and compliance services. The deal is a flagship example of collaboration between a global systemically important bank and a leading crypto exchange, and signals that the convergence of traditional finance and crypto assets has entered a more operational phase with major implications for enterprise stablecoin adoption.

A new US Senate investigation finds that Tether’s USDT has become central to Iran’s shadow banking network, used by sanctioned entities for cross-border payments and liquidity. The report details how USDT circulates through offshore exchanges, OTC desks and local intermediaries, and signals that stablecoin issuers may soon face tighter compliance obligations and enforcement actions.

European central banks are reportedly pushing to extend the scope of the stablecoin yield ban to crypto lending and staking, further tightening EU stablecoin regulation in a move that could significantly affect crypto finance businesses operating in the EU.

Core Summary U.S. government officials have disclosed that the “transit fees” Iran levies on oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz are actually settled through a bitcoin exchange. The accusation, the first time officials have publicly named a crypto channel in Iran’s gray-shipping tolling scheme, signals a deep fusion between traditional geopolitical gamesmanship and emerging digital-asset surveillance systems. Event Details According to CoinDesk citing senior U.S. government officials, Iran has operated a non-official “transit fee” system in the Strait of Hormuz since the conflict escalated. Any oil tanker entering or leaving the Persian Gulf that wishes to obtain Iranian “safe passage clearance” must pay a fee to an Iran-affiliated entity, with the amount fluctuating based on vessel tonnage and cargo value. ...

Core Summary Japanese financial giant SBI Group has led Singapore-headquartered stablecoin payments firm dtcpay’s $25 million Series A financing. The new capital will primarily be deployed to expand Asia-Pacific business, strengthen cross-border payment infrastructure, and promote compliant integration of stablecoins into traditional payment scenarios. As a major player in Southeast Asia’s stablecoin payments space, dtcpay’s access to traditional finance capital will further accelerate compliance across the industry. Editor: GoodInfo Global News Team ...

The US House Ways and Means Committee released a sweeping crypto tax bill ahead of Wednesday’s markup, establishing tax treatment rules across crypto payments, stablecoins, mining, and staking, while introducing a $10 de minimis exemption for small crypto payments. The bill will shape US crypto industry compliance costs, tax architecture, and retail crypto payment adoption, and may become a baseline text for subsequent Senate legislation and bipartisan crypto legislative negotiations.