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Anchorage Digital Builds Federal Rails for Stablecoin Payments

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Nexo Partners with Bakkt for US Crypto Exchange and Yield Programs

TLDR:

  • Anchorage Digital Stablecoin Solutions enables international banks to settle USD transfers using regulated stablecoin infrastructure.
  • Federal oversight through the OCC places stablecoin custody and issuance under a single national banking framework.
  • The platform replaces correspondent banking with programmable balances that reduce settlement time and trapped liquidity.
  • Support for multiple USD stablecoins creates a unified rail for minting, custody, and cross-border dollar movement.

Anchorage Digital has launched a new banking platform designed to move U.S. dollars across borders using stablecoin infrastructure. The product targets licensed international banks seeking regulated access to blockchain-based settlement. 

The rollout aligns with recent U.S. legislative efforts to formalize stablecoin oversight. The initiative positions stablecoins as an institutional payment rail rather than a retail crypto product.

Anchorage Digital Stablecoin Solutions targets regulated global settlement

The new service allows foreign banks to onboard directly with Anchorage Digital and access both fiat and stablecoin wallets. Institutions can conduct outbound and inbound U.S. dollar transfers using supported blockchain networks.

According to statements shared at ETHDenver and on social media, the platform consolidates minting, redemption, custody, and treasury management into a single system.

This replaces correspondent banking flows that often rely on pre-funded nostro and vostro accounts.

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By shifting settlement to programmable stablecoin balances, banks can reduce idle capital and shorten transfer timelines. Settlement windows compress from several days to minutes while maintaining regulated custody standards.

Company co-founder Kevin Wysocki described the product as consistent with federal goals under the GENIUS Act. His comments framed stablecoins as an extension of dollar dominance through compliant digital infrastructure.

Federal oversight anchors stablecoin issuance and custody model

Anchorage Digital operates as a federally chartered trust bank supervised by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. This structure removes the need for state-by-state licensing and places client assets under a single regulatory framework.

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Funds remain segregated and bankruptcy remote, according to product documentation released with the launch. Digital assets are stored in vaults using institutional policy controls designed for compliance and risk management.

The platform supports multiple dollar-backed stablecoins across major chains. These include USA₮ from Tether, USDtb from Ethena Labs, USDGO from OSL, and future issuances such as Western Union’s USDPT.

Anchorage Digital stated that it will provide primary mint and redeem access for federally issued stablecoins once the GENIUS Act reaches final implementation. The system remains stablecoin-agnostic, allowing banks to custody and transfer other approved tokens through the same interface.

Nathan McCauley, the company’s chief executive, said the service aims to modernize settlement while preserving compliance controls. He emphasized that blockchain rails can operate behind the scenes without altering bank-facing workflows.

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The launch follows growing onchain settlement volumes tied to dollar-pegged tokens. Industry data shows stablecoins now process trillions of dollars annually, driven by demand for faster and cheaper cross-border transfers.

By combining regulated issuance, qualified custody, and blockchain-native settlement, the product connects banks into a shared network of compliant counterparties. This approach positions stablecoins as financial infrastructure rather than speculative assets.

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Crypto World

Bitcoin $60K Retest Odds Rise As Bearish Options, ETF Outflows Show Fear

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Bitcoin $60K Retest Odds Rise As Bearish Options, ETF Outflows Show Fear

Key takeaways:

  • Professional traders are paying a 13% premium for downside protection as Bitcoin struggles to maintain support above $66,000.

  • While stocks and gold remain strong, $910 million in Bitcoin ETF outflows suggest that institutional investor caution is rising.

Bitcoin (BTC) price entered a downward spiral after rejecting near $71,000 on Sunday. Despite successfully defending the $66,000 level throughout the week, options markets reflect growing fear as professional traders avoid downside price exposure. 

Even with relative strength in the stock market and gold prices, traders seem to be effectively betting on a $60,000 retest rather than overreacting to Bitcoin price dips.

BTC two-month options delta skew (put-call) at Deribit. Source: laevitas.ch

Bitcoin put (sell) options traded at a 13% premium relative to call (buy) instruments on Thursday. Under neutral conditions, the delta skew metric typically ranges between -6% and +6%, indicating balanced demand for upside and downside strategies. The fact that these levels have been sustained over the past four weeks shows that professional sentiment is leaning heavily toward caution.

Top BTC options strategies at Derbit past 48h, USD. Source: Laevitas.ch

This bearish bias is clear in the neutral-to-bearish positioning seen in Bitcoin options. According to Laevitas data, the bear diagonal spread, short straddle and short risk reversal were the most traded strategies on the Deribit exchange over the past 48 hours.

The first lowers the cost of the bearish bet because the short-term option loses value faster, while the second maximizes profit if Bitcoin price barely moves. The short risk reversal, on the other hand, generates profit from a downward move with little to no upfront cost, but it carries unlimited risk if the price spikes.

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Weak institutional demand for Bitcoin ETFs fuels discontent

To better gauge the risk appetite of traders, analysts often look at stablecoin demand in China. When investors rush to exit the cryptocurrency market, this indicator usually drops below parity.

USD stablecoin premium/discount relative to USD/CNY rate. Source: OKX

Under neutral conditions, stablecoins should trade at a 0.5% to 1% premium relative to the US dollar/Yuan exchange rate. This premium compensates for the high costs of traditional FX conversion, remittance fees and the regulatory friction caused by China’s capital controls. The current 0.2% discount suggests moderate outflows, though this is an improvement from the 1.4% discount seen on Monday.

Part of the current discontent among traders can be explained by the lackluster flows in Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which serve as a proxy for institutional demand. 

Related: Bitcoin ETFs still sit on $53B in net inflows despite recent outflows–Bloomberg

US-listed Bitcoin ETFs daily net flows, USD. Source: Farside Investors

US-listed Bitcoin ETFs have seen $910 million in total outflows since Feb. 11, which likely caught bulls off balance, especially as Bitcoin traded 47% below its all-time high while gold prices hovered near $5,000, up 15% in just two months. Similarly, the S&P 500 index sat only 2% below its own all-time high, indicating that this risk-aversion is largely restricted to the cryptocurrency sector.

While Bitcoin options signal a fear of further downside, traders are likely staying extremely cautious until a clear rationale for the crash to $60,200 on Feb. 6 finally emerges.

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