Increasing interest rates, regulatory actions, financial insolvencies, and instances of fraud have significantly contributed to shrinking the overall digital asset economy in the past year. The world’s second-largest stablecoin – USDC – wasn’t immune to these forces either. The total circulating supply has declined from approximately $45 billion to about $25 billion by the conclusion of November 2023. The rise in interest rates in conventional markets elevates the opportunity...
Read More »Insights from Davos 2024 World Economic Forum: AI, Growth, Climate
The 54th World Economic Forum in Davos gathers global leaders to discuss challenges ranging from geopolitical tensions to AI impact. Key themes include security, economic growth, AI ethics, and climate strategy. From January 15 to 19, 2024, the small Swiss alpine town of Davos will once again become the epicenter of global discussions with the celebration of the 54th edition of the World Economic Forum (WEF), under the theme “Rebuilding Trust”. With over 1,000 leading companies from...
Read More »Hong Kong Leads Asia’s Crypto Regulatory Evolution in 2023
Aside from Hong Kong, another country that has contributed significantly to the growth of the Asian crypto economy is Singapore. As the curtain draws nearer towards the end of 2023, Hong Kong has emerged as a significant player in shaping the regulatory landscape for crypto assets in Asia, the Block reported on Tuesday. Despite the many challenges faced in other jurisdictions around the world, there has been notable progress in the regulatory environment for the digital asset industry...
Read More »Latin America Takes the Lead as Stablecoin Global Settlements Reach $7 Trillion
Circle recently reported that the global settlement volume of stablecoins reached $7 trillion last year, nearly half the $14 trillion settled by financial powerhouses Visa and Mastercard. This marks a shift towards digital currencies, especially in Latin America, where they have become part of everyday transactions. Stablecoins Spearhead Financial Revolution in LATAM The rise of stablecoins creates a new wave of financial interoperability and easier global commerce. Latin...
Read More »What’s Driving the Crypto Bull Market? Circle CEO Weighs In
Bitcoin (BTC)’s appeal among investors is rising as both a store of value and a hedge against “the world going to hell,” according to Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire. During an interview with CNBC on Tuesday, the crypto exec outlined three catalysts that he believes are behind crypto’s latest rally – all of which are irrespective of macroeconomic factors. Building During The Bear According to Allaire, part of the rebound was already being staged during the depths of the bear market...
Read More »Circle: 51% of Consumers Latin America Use Digital Assets for Purchases
Latin America has identified that regulated, blockchain-based financial services will soon be the order of the day. The world of finance, as we have it today, has changed drastically, and stablecoins and tokenized data may be at the center of this change. So much so, that what used to be a difficult task for businesses and private individuals, especially in international payments and settlements, has now become significantly easier. For clarity, transactions worth over $7 trillion were...
Read More »USDC Stablecoin Issuer Circle Rejects Accusations of Facilitating Illicit Financing
Stablecoin issuer Circle has dismissed false claims of facilitating illicit financing activities. In a letter addressed to US Senators Sherrod Brown and Elizabeth Warren, the company also said it does not provide banking services to Justin Sun, the Tron Foundation, or HTX (formerly known as Huobi Global). In February 2023, Circle terminated all accounts belonging to Sun and companies associated with him. “False” Claims of Illicit Financing In response to a previous letter...
Read More »SBI Holdings and Circle Collaborate to Boost USDC Circulation in Japan
SBI Holdings, Inc., a leading Tokyo-based financial services firm, has announced its strategic partnership with Circle Internet Financial, the USD Coin (USDC) issuer. This collaboration aims to increase the circulation of USDC and promote the use of Circle’s cutting-edge Web3 services in Japan while establishing a banking relationship. SBI and Circle’s Partnership This agreement, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), paves the way for enhanced adoption of...
Read More »Here’s What You Need to Know About Circle’s v2.2 Upgrade for USDC and EURC Stablecoins
Stablecoin issuer and fintech firm Circle has announced the launch of a new v2.2 upgrade to USDC and EURC. It is aimed at significantly reducing gas costs, improving support for account abstraction, and further strengthening transaction security on EVM blockchains. This phased rollout is expected to be completed over the next few months. The USDC and EURC smart contracts will undergo six modifications, all incorporated in a unified v2.2 upgrade for each supported EVM...
Read More »Stablecoin Issuer Circle Explores 2024 IPO Possibility a Year After Failed SPAC Deal: Report
Stablecoin issuer Circle is looking into the possibility of becoming a publicly traded company in the early months of 2024. The development comes almost a year after its failed SPAC deal with Concord. Despite the collapse of this particular deal, Circle’s co-founder and CEO, Jeremy Allaire, later emphasized the company still planned to become a publicly traded entity. Circle IPO for 2024? Per the latest information from undisclosed sources cited in a Bloomberg report, Circle...
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