Editor’s note: As TransFi marks a major milestone in cross-border payments, the company reports more than $1 billion in processed volume and a broadened network reaching 70+ countries and 250+ payment methods. This expansion highlights growing demand from businesses for faster, more reliable money movement, especially in Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East, where payroll, remittances, vendor payouts, and treasury moves are increasingly based on modern infrastructure rather than legacy rails. The press release underscores how real-world use cases are driving the shift toward streamlined, global finance that works for high-growth markets.

Key points

• TransFi surpasses $1B in processed volume on its platform.
• Expanded cross-border reach to 70+ countries with 250+ payment methods.
• Focus on real-world use cases: payroll, remittances, vendor and trade payouts, and e-commerce checkouts.
• Plans to reach $5B processed volume in the next 12 months based on current pipeline.

Why this matters

This milestone signals a shift toward faster, more predictable cross-border payments in emerging markets, where legacy rails are costly and fragmented. TransFi’s broader coverage and local-language support aim to unlock opportunities for businesses expanding across Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East, enabling payroll processing, remittances, vendor payouts, and treasury movements with greater speed, transparency, and control that improves cash flow planning in high-growth markets.

What to watch next

• TransFi is set to achieve $5 billion processed transaction volume in the next 12 months.
• Expansion to more countries and additional payment methods continue to broaden use cases.
• Raj Kamal, CEO and Founder, is available for an interview to discuss the announcement and broader trends.

Disclosure: The content below is a press release provided by the company/PR representative. It is published for informational purposes.

TransFi Hits $1B in Processed Volume, Expands to 70+ Countries

Dubai, UAE, 10 March 2026–TransFi, a global payments infrastructure and orchestration company focused on emerging markets, today announced that it has surpassed $1 billion in processed volume on its platform, marking a significant milestone in the company’s growth.

The company also said it is set to achieve $5 billion processed transaction volume in the next 12 months, based on the current pipeline and expected business conversions, reflecting growing demand from businesses seeking faster, more reliable, and more accessible cross-border payment infrastructure.

TransFi now supports payments across 70+ countries and 250+ payment methods, enabling cross-border transfers on stablecoin rails with a particular focus on key emerging markets across Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

The platform supports a range of real-world business use cases, including payroll processing, remittances, vendor and trade payouts, and checkout for e-commerce platforms. TransFi’s infrastructure is designed to help businesses move money across borders with greater speed, predictability, and transparency, while reducing friction in markets where legacy payment rails can be costly, fragmented, or unreliable.

“Cross-border payments remain too slow, too opaque, and too difficult to navigate in many of the markets where businesses need reliable infrastructure the most,” said Raj Kamal, Founder and CEO of TransFi. “Crossing the $1 billion mark is an important milestone for us, but more importantly, it reflects a wider shift in how businesses are approaching global money movement. Companies increasingly want payment infrastructure that is fast, predictable, easy to use, and built for the realities of emerging markets.”

TransFi’s value proposition is centered on helping businesses accesspredictable and fast payments, transparent services, simple onboarding, broad local payment method coverage, and 24×7 customer support in local languages. By combining global reach with localized payment access, the company aims to make cross-border transactions more inclusive and operationally practical for businesses serving high-growth markets.

As businesses expand across borders and expectations for always-on payments continue to rise, TransFi is focused on building infrastructure that supports global commerce with stronger coverage, greater reliability, and a better user experience for both enterprises and end customers.

About TransFi

TransFi is a global payments infrastructure and orchestration company providing secure, reliable, and compliant cross-border payments for businesses and individuals, with a focus on emerging markets.

Operating across 100+ countries, 250+ payment methods, and 40+ currencies, TransFi enables real-time global payments with seamless onboarding, reduced friction, and competitive pricing.

Website: www.transfi.com

Media Contact

essam@lunapr.io

The European Central Bank on Wednesday unveiled the timeline for the eurozone’s initiative to shape the development of a tokenized wholesale financial ecosystem based around the single currency and ensure the euro’s continued relevance as an international currency.

The strategy comprises Pontes, a distributed ledger technology (DLT) layer for transactions seen debuting in the third quarter, and Appia, which will “focus on working with the market to develop an entirely innovative and integrated financial market ecosystem embracing tokenisation and DLT,” the bank said in a post on its website.

Appia is the heart of the strategy and is planned to run through 2028, when the Eurosystem — the monetary authority comprising the ECB and euro-using nations’ central banks — plans to publish a blueprint outlining its vision for a tokenized financial ecosystem. It is designed to explore the long-term architecture of a tokenized financial system, including infrastructure, governance and standards.

“The initiative seeks to foster a more integrated, competitive and innovative European payments and securities environment, strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy and resilience, and ensuring the euro’s continued relevance as an international currency,” the statement said.

European policymakers have increasingly framed financial infrastructure as a geopolitical issue, warning that reliance on non-European payment networks and dollar-centric financial systems exposes the bloc to external pressure. An analysis for the European Parliament last year found Europe’s dependence on foreign payment networks represented a “structural vulnerability” for its financial sovereignty and could become a source of geopolitical leverage.

The project is also part of the Eurosystem’s broader push to adapt financial infrastructure to the rise of distributed ledger technology, or blockchains, which allows financial assets such as bonds, funds and securities to be represented as digital tokens on shared networks.

“Appia is about building a road from today’s financial system to tomorrow’s tokenized markets, firmly grounded in central bank money,” ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone said in a statement.

Wells Fargo (WFC), one of the largest U.S. banks overseeing $1.7 trillion in assets, has filed a trademark application for a new digital asset-focused platform branded as WFUSD, signaling that the bank is pushing deeper into crypto and blockchain.

According to a Tuesday filing for the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), WFUSD would offer services such as “cryptocurrency payments processing,” “execute trades of digital assets” and “services featuring software for tokenization of assets,” among others.

The move mirrors global bank JPMorgan’s similar, digital asset-related trademark filing last year for “JPMD.” That foreshadowed the launch a permissioned USD deposit token under the same name on Base, the layer-2 network built on Ethereum.

In Wells Fargo’s case, the “WFUSD” trademark may hint for the offering being a tokenized deposit or stablecoin.

The bank did not re

The bank’s filing come as traditional financial institutions and global banks increasingly embrace digital assets, exploring tokenized assets and stablecoins. Last May, the Wall Street Journal reported that several U.S. banks including Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Bank of America (BAC) and Citigroup (C) held early-stage discussions to jointly launch a stablecoin.

Notably, Wells Fargo unveiled plans in 2019 to pilot an internal settlement service called Wells Fargo Digital Cash, running on the bank’s own distributed ledger technology (DLT) platform.

Editor’s note: S&P Global today releases Bitcoin volatility and market dynamics findings, highlighting Bitcoin’s shift from a niche asset to a market-connected instrument. The full report, Bitcoin Volatility Trends: A Deep Dive into Market Dynamics and Risk, examines price patterns, volatility, and the interplay with traditional markets, while noting that tokenized assets and new products introduce additional risks beyond the asset itself. As Cristina Polizu, Managing Director of S&P Global Ratings, emphasizes, volatility has trended down in the long term, yet remains linked to broader market conditions and carries custodial, smart contract, and operational risks.

Key points

• Volatility Trends: Bitcoin’s price swings are on a long-term downward trend as institutional adoption grows, with increased liquidity from futures and ETFs.
• Bitcoin Hedge Insights: Bitcoin functions more effectively as a hedge against long-term currency debasement than as a hedge against short-term inflation.
• Structural Market Risks: Bitcoin’s trading structure, featuring leveraged perpetual futures markets and automated liquidations, amplifies price volatility compared to other financial assets.
• New Product Risks: Innovations like tokenized bitcoin, ETFs, and Digital Asset Treasury companies introduce extra risks beyond the asset, including counterparty, custodial, smart contract, and operational risks.

Why this matters

This research suggests Bitcoin’s volatility is trending lower over time while its market connections deepen, linking its performance to broader financial conditions. The addition of new products and tokenized offerings can add complexity and risk, influencing how investors assess exposure to digital assets and their role in diversified portfolios.

What to watch next

• Monitor institutional adoption and liquidity trends as futures and ETFs expand.
• Watch developments in tokenized bitcoin and other new-product offerings for risk implications.
• Observe Bitcoin’s price behavior and its relationship to traditional markets as the asset evolves.

Disclosure: The content below is a press release provided by the company/PR representative. It is published for informational purposes.

S&P Global Finds Bitcoin’s Evolving Role in Markets

— Bitcoin now accounts for more than half of cryptocurrency markets’ nearly $2.33 trillion capitalization*

— Bitcoin’s price has dropped by nearly half since October 2025

— Price volatility for bitcoin is on a long-term downward trend – though it remains higher than that of traditional assets

NEW YORK (March 5, 2026) – S&P Global today published new research (see report link) examining how bitcoin has evolved from a niche asset to one with meaningful linkages to traditional financial markets.

‘Bitcoin Volatility Trends: A Deep Dive into Market Dynamics and Risk,’ provides a detailed analysis of bitcoin’s market behavior, price patterns, and market trends.

Key findings from the research reveal:

• • Volatility Trends: Bitcoin’s price swings are on a long-term downward trend as institutional adoption grows, though they remain larger than those of traditional assets. A growing market for bitcoin futures and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) increased bitcoin adoption, which in turn increased liquidity.
  • Bitcoin Hedge Insights: The analysis indicates bitcoin functions more effectively as a hedge against long-term currency debasement than as a hedge against short-term inflation.
  • Structural Market Risks: Bitcoin’s trading structure, featuring leveraged perpetual futures markets and automated liquidations, amplifies price volatility compared to other financial assets.
  • New Product Risks: Innovations like tokenized bitcoin, ETFs, and Digital Asset Treasury companies introduce extra risks beyond the asset, including counterparty, custodial, smart contract, and operational risks.

Cristina Polizu, Managing Director, S&P Global Ratings, said: “Our research indicates that bitcoin’s volatility has trended down over the long term, and that its behavior is increasingly linked to broader market conditions. At the same time, the added complexity of new bitcoin-related products can introduce risks beyond the asset itself, including custodial, smart contract, and operational risks.”

Bitcoin Volatility Trends: A Deep Dive into Market Dynamics and Risk,’ is part of the Look Forward research series, special reports that offer a deep dive into the most important themes, trends, and topics that are transforming the global economy.

S&P Global: Building on Growth in Digital Assets

S&P Global has continued driving growth in Digital Assets markets, underpinned by its leading analyst-driven research and opinions:

Media Contacts

Isabel Allanwood

S&P Global

+ 44 7483 368 605

isabel.allanwood@spglobal.com

PR_COE@spglobal.com

Russell Gerry

S&P Global Ratings

+44 7817 126 628

russell.gerry@spglobal.com

About S&P Global

S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI) enables businesses, governments, and individuals with trusted data, expertise and technology to make decisions with conviction. We are Advancing Essential Intelligence through world-leading benchmarks, data, and insights that customers need in order to plan confidently, act decisively, and thrive economically in a rapidly changing global landscape.

From helping our customers assess new investments across the capital and commodities markets to guiding them through the energy expansion, acceleration of artificial intelligence, and evolution of public and private markets, we enable the world’s leading organizations to unlock opportunities, solve challenges, and plan for tomorrow – today. Learn more at www.spglobal.com.

Key Highlights

• Precious metal slipped 0.1% to approximately $5,187 per ounce Wednesday, maintaining levels well above $5,000
• Escalating oil costs, fueled by Middle East conflict involving the U.S. and Israel, are stoking inflation concerns
• Critical Strait of Hormuz passage has been essentially closed, putting approximately 20% of worldwide oil and gas shipments at risk
• February’s U.S. Consumer Price Index registered 2.4% annually, meeting expectations but covering pre-conflict period
• Financial markets anticipate Federal Reserve will maintain current rates at upcoming March 18 policy meeting

The precious metal market remained relatively stable Wednesday as competing pressures balanced each other out. Spot gold declined a modest 0.1% to approximately $5,187 per ounce, while futures contracts for April delivery fell 0.9% to roughly $5,194.

The yellow metal has experienced significant swings since reaching a near-peak of approximately $5,600 per ounce in the final weeks of January. Despite the subsequent retreat, prices have consistently remained above the $5,000 threshold.

The military confrontation involving the United States, Israel, and Iran reached its twelfth consecutive day Wednesday, with aerial bombardments persisting among all parties involved. President Trump indicated Monday evening that hostilities were nearing conclusion, though actual combat operations demonstrated little evidence of de-escalation.

The ongoing military engagement has virtually closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime corridor responsible for transporting approximately one-fifth of global petroleum and liquefied natural gas supplies.

Oil prices gained ground Wednesday as traders expressed skepticism about whether the International Energy Agency’s unprecedented reserve release initiative could adequately compensate for potential Middle Eastern supply shortfalls.

Escalating energy costs are elevating inflation projections. This development weighs on gold because it diminishes the probability of Federal Reserve interest rate reductions. Since the precious metal generates no yield, it becomes less appealing when borrowing costs remain elevated or increase.

An appreciating U.S. dollar combined with climbing Treasury yields are applying additional downward force on gold values. A robust dollar increases the cost of gold for international purchasers.

Consumer Price Data Meets Projections

The Labor Department disclosed Wednesday that American consumer prices advanced 2.4% during the twelve-month period ending February, aligning with both the previous month’s figure and expert predictions.

On a monthly basis, prices climbed 0.3%, accelerating from January’s 0.2% gain. Both energy and food expenses registered increases. The core Consumer Price Index, which excludes volatile food and energy components, posted a 2.5% year-over-year reading, matching January’s level.

Nevertheless, the February data predominantly reflects conditions before the Iran confrontation commenced in late February. Market observers anticipate March statistics will reveal a more pronounced inflationary uptick.

Upcoming Fed Meeting and PCE Release

Market participants are currently focused on two crucial forthcoming data releases. The Personal Consumption Expenditures index for January arrives Friday, with forecasters projecting a 3.1% annual rate.

The PCE serves as the Federal Reserve’s primary inflation gauge and has registered higher readings than CPI throughout recent months.

The Federal Reserve’s two-day policy gathering wraps up March 18. Market consensus strongly anticipates officials will keep interest rates unchanged.

Swissquote analyst Carlo Alberto De Casa observed that market participants seem to be expanding their positions in gold as a protective asset amid the continuing Middle East crisis.

Spot gold was quoted at $5,187 per ounce during Wednesday’s European trading session.

The European Central Bank (ECB) on Wednesday published its Appia roadmap, setting out a long-term plan for building tokenized wholesale financial markets in Europe anchored in central bank money.

The roadmap is built around two linked initiatives. Pontes is the Eurosystem’s distributed ledger technology settlement solution, while Appia is the broader strategic framework for developing a future tokenized financial ecosystem. The ECB said Pontes is scheduled to launch in the third quarter of 2026.

“With Appia, we are building a road from today’s financial system to tomorrow’s tokenized markets, firmly grounded in central bank money,” ECB executive board member Piero Cipollone said.

Pontes is the Eurosystem’s DLT solution, while Appia is a strategic roadmap

Pontes, a key component of the Appia roadmap, introduces the Eurosystem’s distributed ledger technology (DLT) solution, designed to enable central bank money settlement for market transactions through interoperable networks.

The Eurosystem is the monetary authority of the euro area, comprising the ECB and the national central banks of the EU member states that have adopted the euro.

By the end of the third quarter of 2026, Pontes aims to bridge market DLT infrastructures with the Eurosystem’s “TARGET” Services, which stands for Trans-European Automated Real-time Gross settlement Express Transfer system.

TARGET Services are a set of Eurosystem-operated payment and settlement systems that support euro-denominated transactions across Europe. They include three main types: TARGET2 for large-value payments, T2S for securities settlement and TIPS for instant payments.

ECB invites public and private sector stakeholder feedback

Alongside the launch, the ECB opened a public consultation and invited both public- and private-sector participants to comment on the roadmap and express interest in contributing to its implementation.

The consultation is divided into two parts: Part one collects feedback on specific chapters of the roadmap, which may be published with the respondent’s name, while part two allows stakeholders to submit proposals to actively contribute to Appia’s building blocks, with responses treated confidentially.

Related: Tokenized stocks surpass $1B as Ondo, xStocks dominate sector

Responses will help shape the long-term blueprint for Europe’s tokenized financial ecosystem. All feedback must be submitted via the online survey by April 22.

The Appia rollout also comes as the ECB continues work on the digital euro. Earlier this month, the central bank said it planned to begin selecting payment service providers in 2026 ahead of a 12-month pilot scheduled to start in the second half of 2027.

Magazine: Clarity Act risks repeat of Europe’s mistakes, crypto lawyer warns