#payments News & Analysis

Crypto Venture Weekly: March 16-20, 2026

XRP Ledger's Payments Surge Past 1.5 Million Threshold as Institutional Adoption Continues

Stablecoin issuers and fintechs race to own payment rails

Visa (V) and Mastercard (MA) Battle Stablecoin Disruption With Bold 2026 Strategies

Ripple’s $500M Raise And Institutional Ties Keep XRP Firmly In Place

Bank of Korea launches Phase 2 of digital won pilot with real subsidies

Visa Bets on Agentic Commerce With CLI Payment Tool for AI Agents

Coinbase competes for Cloudflare deal to build an AI stablecoin

Bank of Korea adds two banks to digital won trials as real-world testing begins

Trump said the U.S. would “run” Venezuela and sell its oil. Now it’s starting to happen

RedotPay executive turnover clouds crypto payments firm's $4 billion U.S. IPO ambition

Jack Mallers Confirmed As A Bitcoin 2026 Speaker

Jack Mallers, CEO of Strike and Co-Founder/CEO of Twenty One Capital (NYSE: XXI), has been confirmed as a speaker at Bitcoin 2026. He will return to discuss Bitcoin's expanding role in payments, capital markets, and global finance at the conference where he previously made Bitcoin history.

XRP Flips BNB, Hitting Highest Price in a Month as Ripple Plans to Seek Brazil License

XRP has surpassed BNB in market capitalization while reaching its highest price level in a month. The surge coincides with Ripple's announcement of plans to seek regulatory approval for operations in Brazil, supporting the company's expansion into Latin American markets.

Ripple looks to expand crypto and payment services in Brazil

Ripple is expanding its operations in Brazil by adding custody, payments, and brokerage services for digital asset management and tokenization. The blockchain firm plans to apply for regulatory approval from Brazil's central bank to offer these new services.

Ripple Takes Over Brazil: Inside the Massive Institutional Expansion and VASP Application

Ripple is expanding its operations into Brazil with a VASP (Virtual Asset Service Provider) application, continuing its global institutional growth strategy. This follows the company's recent expansion moves in Australia, the US, and Canada as it builds its international presence.

Ripple Expands US and Canada Payouts With i-payout Deal

Ripple partnered with i-payout to enhance cross-border payments into the US and Canada through integration of Ripple Payments technology. The collaboration aims to accelerate settlement times from several days to faster processing while reducing working capital requirements and improving payment transparency for global platforms.

Tax Policy, Not Technology, Is Blocking Bitcoin Payments, Advocates Say

Current US tax law requires every Bitcoin transaction to be reported as a taxable event to the IRS, forcing users to calculate capital gains even on small purchases like coffee. This regulatory burden, rather than technological limitations, is the primary barrier preventing widespread Bitcoin adoption for everyday payments.

Amazon Gold Smuggling Turns to USDT for Payments

Circle’s Kash Razzaghi: Crypto’s Next Phase Is Payments, Not Speculation

Is Mastercard embracing crypto or trying to contain it?

XRP Back In The Spotlight As Mastercard Explores Ripple Technology

Circle stock jumps 120% as USDC cements role as core stablecoin rail

Metaplanet forms new venture firm as it expands Bitcoin playbook

Metaplanet has established a new venture capital firm to expand its Bitcoin strategy beyond treasury holdings. The firm will focus on investing in Japan-based Bitcoin projects in payments and lending, as well as stablecoins and tokenization startups.

Circle (CRCL) Stock Surges 49% YTD as Bernstein Forecasts $190 Price Target

Circle (CRCL) stock has surged 49% year-to-date in 2026, with investment firm Bernstein setting a bullish $190 price target. The positive outlook is driven by USDC stablecoin growth, expanding payments adoption, and emerging AI finance opportunities.

Why banks are moving beyond single-provider stablecoin payment rails

Banks are evolving their stablecoin payment infrastructure beyond single-vendor pilot programs to adopt multi-provider systems that enable global scalability. This shift represents institutional recognition of stablecoins as a viable payment rail requiring diversified infrastructure for widespread adoption.