Circle has reached an agreement to acquire Singapore-based cross-border payments platform Tazapay in a deal expected to close in 2027, the company announced Tuesday. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and requires approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

The proposed acquisition would deepen Circle’s payments infrastructure reach across Asia-Pacific and emerging markets, while extending the role stablecoins play in Tazapay’s rail-based payment workflows. Circle said Tazapay’s customers should not experience disruption to services, APIs, pricing, or support as a result of the deal.

Key takeaways

• Circle plans to acquire Tazapay, a Singapore cross-border payments provider, with an expected closing in 2027 pending regulatory approval in Singapore.
• Tazapay processes significant volumes, with Circle citing stablecoins as roughly 60% of transaction volume.
• The acquisition is designed to strengthen Circle’s ability to originate and terminate payments globally, 24/7, with Circle pointing to USDC as a default rail for cross-border commerce.
• Circle says Tazapay customers should see no disruption to APIs, pricing, or support.

Why Circle wants Tazapay now

Circle framed the acquisition as a capability upgrade for cross-border payments—particularly the ability to route payments to and from Asia-Pacific and emerging markets more effectively. In its Tuesday announcement, Circle linked the deal to expanding its operational footprint for payment origination and termination “near-instant and 24/7,” a recurring theme in the company’s push to make stablecoins more practical for global transfers.

Circle is also positioning the move as an incremental step toward its longer-term aim of using USDC as a baseline payment rail for cross-border commerce. Irfan Ganchi, Circle’s senior vice president of payments, said the deal would “increase Circle’s capability to originate and terminate payments globally” and described it as a meaningful step toward making USDC the default payment rail for cross-border activity.

Scale and stablecoin reliance in Tazapay’s payments network

Circle said Tazapay has more than $25 billion in annualized payment volume. The platform supports more than 60 banking and fintech partners and provides local payout rails covering more than 100 markets—an area that matters because cross-border payments often hinge on distribution and settlement access in the destination countries.

Circle also emphasized that stablecoins make up about 60% of Tazapay’s transaction volume. That data point reinforces the strategic fit for Circle: it’s buying into a business where stablecoin settlement is already a core component of how payments move, rather than an experimental or negligible portion of activity.

Tazapay previously stated that its annualized payment volume was $10 billion, according to reporting in August 2025. As part of Circle’s broader messaging, the acquisition proposal effectively updates the public narrative toward a higher run-rate figure, suggesting growth in how the platform is being used in stablecoin-enabled flows.

Investment history and network integration

Circle has not been a newcomer to Tazapay. The company previously invested in the platform, including participation in Tazapay’s August 2025 Series B funding round, which—according to Traxcn data cited in the announcement—took the total amount raised to $57.9 million. Ripple, the XRP issuer, also invested in that round.

Separately, Circle said Tazapay has served as a design partner for the Circle Payments Network since 2025. That matters because it implies the integration work needed for Circle’s stablecoin-based payment ecosystem has already had time to mature prior to the proposed acquisition.

Circle added that Tazapay customers should experience no disruption to their services, APIs, pricing, or support, indicating the company plans to maintain operational continuity while consolidating its infrastructure capabilities.

Deal terms, timing, and what to monitor

The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. The closing timeline also remains conditional: Circle said the deal is expected to close in 2027, subject to customary closing conditions and approval from Singapore’s monetary regulator.

For investors and market participants, the key question is how Circle will convert Tazapay’s existing network access—local payout rails across more than 100 markets—into broader stablecoin-based payment flows. The most immediate signal to watch will be whether Circle expands the Circle Payments Network’s coverage using Tazapay’s rails after the deal closes and whether stablecoin share in transaction volume persists or changes as integration progresses.

Circle’s announcement also indicates it intends to keep the platform’s customer-facing experience stable during the transition. Beyond that, the main uncertainty is regulatory and execution risk: the transaction cannot close until customary conditions are met and Monetary Authority of Singapore approval is granted.

Pump Fun and Kraken have deleted posts promoting the upcoming release of Hunter Biden’s laptop-themed memecoin on Base. 

On Monday, both crypto firms promoted “$LAPTOP,” due to launch on Wednesday, and trumpeted how it would be tradable on both platforms. 

However, the token’s release drew intense backlash from the crypto community, likely leading to the deletion of the posts. 

Read more: CHART: Which US president was best for bitcoin?

Crypto influencers hate Biden memecoin

Numerous prominent crypto influencers have also denounced the memecoin.

Ansem, real name Zion Thomas, compared it to previous celebrity launches that went poorly while Threadguy called the pre-announced token a “scam” that is going to dump “my low cap gems.”

Rasmr went even harder, comparing the launch to 9/11.

Threadguy said, “The problem is everybody knowing about it pre launch completely ruins any chance of success. malicious or not.”

The show Market Bubble, hosted by Thomas and Faze Banks, also cancelled its upcoming Thursday interview with Biden. 

Other onlookers criticised this crypto influencer narrative as hypocritical thanks to their previous support for various celebrity coins, such as Donald Trump’s.

Read more: Iggy Azalea allegedly mis-sold MOTHER, leading to investor losses

Base staff distance company from laptop memecoin

$LAPTOP is being launched on Base. The platform’s creator Jesse Pollak and prominent crypto investor Cobie have been on damage control since the launch was announced by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). 

Pollak said they were approached by Biden’s team, but that they chose “to be hands off” due to politics. Cobie was busy dispelling rumours that Base itself was launching the token. 

WSJ reported that 30% of the memecoin’s supply will go to Biden and other co-founders, while 20% will go to Biden’s substack subscribers, subscribers of YouTube journalist Andrew Callahan’s mailing list, and traders who lost funds on Trump’s memecoin.

The token would reportedly be tradable on Pump Fun at 8 am EST, and will launch on September 9.

Channel 5 also distances itself from laptop

Channel 5, Callahan’s YouTube-based news channel that’s frequently interviewed Joe Biden’s son, claimed it has no connection to his coin and that it will never “advertise crypto.”

You stack sats. You farm yield, and you’d rather sell your car than part with your BTC. But does that mean you should bank your golden years on Bitcoin?

Many retirement industry professional such as MIT finance professor Jonathan Parker say there is a sweet spot level for crypto exposure in a diversified retirement portfolio:

“Yes, zero.”

Parker, whose research spans portfolio choice, personal finance, retirement finance and Bitcoin, is unusually blunt about where the cryptocurrency belongs. But it’s a view shared by the average citizen.

A recent survey by the National Institute on Retirement Security found that 77% of Americans consider cryptocurrency in workplace retirement plans as risky.

But regulators and investment firms alike have been steadily opening the door to greater crypto exposure in retirement savings in recent years.

BlackRock, for example, says a 1%-2% Bitcoin allocation can be reasonable for a diversified portfolio, where investors can tolerate the risk, while Fidelity says allocations of 2%-5% could improve retirement outcomes. A smaller position allows investors to benefit from Bitcoin’s volatility while limiting the downside.

But there’s a more interesting question than whether crypto is too risky in the abstract.

Can you be a passionate believer that Bitcoin is the ultimate in sound money, or that Ether will be the future of finance — and still decide your retirement savings are better off without it?

Bitcoin is already creeping into retirement portfolios

Ryan Firth is the founder of Mercer Street Personal Financial Services, a financial planner who specializes in digital assets. He views Bitcoin as something that can sit within a conventional portfolio rather than a stand-alone retirement bet. He says BTC can potentially replace some stock exposure rather than simply being piled on top of it. He tells Magazine:

“Bitcoin offers higher return potential than stocks but with more volatility.”

Americans have mixed views on cryptocurrency in retirement plans. Source: National Institute on Retirement Security

He says his general rule of thumb is that crypto assets shouldn’t make up more than 5% of your investable assets, adding:

“The conservative approach is to invest only what you are willing to potentially lose.”

Related: US lawmakers push back on Labor Department plans to include crypto in 401(k)s

Retirement funds are taking positions themselves

The average person might think the crypto industry is too risky, but institutional investors see it as an opportunity.

Public filings show pension funds and other large investors holding regulated spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), while others have gained exposure through publicly traded companies closely tied to the sector.

CalPERS, for example, the largest public pension fund in the United States, has disclosed an investment in Strategy, the largest corporate Bitcoin treasury holder, as part of its index-oriented public equity portfolio.

CalSTRS, is the largest educator-only pension fund. While it tells Magazine it has not made direct investments in cryptocurrency it has invested in firms that “some might consider crypto companies,” such as Coinbase, “a publicly traded company that operates a cryptocurrency exchange platform.”

That difference here is that institutional investors are trying to gain exposure to the growth of the crypto industry, rather than just making Bitcoin a core retirement asset.

Your retirement portfolio has one job Bitcoin doesn’t

Bitcoin’s frequent drawdowns and year long bear markets make it a tricky asset to hold for those nearing or in their retirement years.

BlackRock recommends up to a 2% Bitcoin allocation, where investors can tolerate risk. Source: BlackRock

When you’re young a drawdown is just a blip among a wider uptrend. When you are retired, spending retirement savings that have fallen significantly in value magnifies the damage considerably.

Related: Coinbase launches crypto service for Australian retirement funds

Bill Bengen, the financial planner and researcher whose work gave rise to the widely cited 4% retirement withdrawal rule, says capital preservation should be the “primary priority” for retirement portfolios.

He tells Magazine that although volatile assets like Bitcoin “can be useful,” he recommends limiting them to no more than 5% of a retirement portfolio to “help prevent a disaster.”

Firth says the question is not simply whether Bitcoin will recover, but if investors can afford to wait that long:

“Will they stay invested and avoid a knee-jerk reaction when prices inevitably fall? […] What if crypto goes to zero? How would that disrupt their plans and what’s their backup plan?”

What if your investment thesis is wrong?

This question has crossed the mind of even the staunchest Bitcoin HODLer: how much of your future should depend on one investment thesis being right?

A hypothetical allocation framework for those who want to invest in Bitcoin. Source: Fidelity

What happens if you haven’t just wasted your life’s work but your retirement fund, if Bitcoin falls victim to quantum attackers, or if something better than Bitcoin is invented.

Bengen says many people believe AI is in a bubble.

“Bubbles eventually pop. The same could be said for Bitcoin.”

That problem rings true for anyone building a retirement portfolio around a high-conviction investment, since conviction does not eliminate the possibility of being wrong.

Parker says investors shouldn’t hold cash in retirement accounts and shouldn’t hold peer-to-peer digital cash either.

“Currencies are for transacting, not investing. Bitcoin is no different. People should invest in real assets that pay interest, coupon payments, or dividends.”

He says investors who want exposure to the success or failure of the crypto industry should own the equity or debt of companies that generate revenue from it, rather than holding Bitcoin itself.

You can believe in crypto without betting your retirement on it

If your retirement savings aren’t in Bitcoin, that doesn’t make you any less committed to its long-term growth.

You don’t have to choose between believing crypto is the future and casting it as a speculative gamble with no place in a serious portfolio, as Firth advises:

“It doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing proposition.”

You can still believe crypto will change the world — without making your retirement depend on being right.

Magazine: Recovery specialists crack $1B crypto wallet… but find just $10

Key takeaways

• XRP is approaching $1.40 after defending short-term support at $1.38.
• Futures open interest edged up to 2.24 billion XRP, indicating a modest increase in derivatives exposure.
• The open-interest-weighted funding rate remains positive at 0.01%, showing that bullish traders are paying to maintain long positions.
• A daily close above $1.42 could open the path toward $1.50 and $1.70.

Ripple’s XRP is down 1% on Tuesday, approaching the psychologically important $1.40 level after buyers defended support at $1.38.

The recovery follows an unsuccessful attempt to break through selling pressure around $1.50 last week. 

Holding above $1.40 would strengthen XRP’s short-term outlook, while another rejection could increase the risk of profit-taking and investor exhaustion.

Derivatives metrics remain broadly constructive, with futures open interest edging higher and funding rates staying positive. 

However, technical indicators show that bullish momentum has moderated, making the $1.42 resistance level critical to XRP’s next move.

XRP futures Open Interest edges higher

XRP’s derivatives market showed signs of stabilizing on Tuesday. Perpetual futures open interest increased marginally to 2.24 billion XRP, up from 2.23 billion XRP the previous day and 2.2 billion XRP on Sunday, according to CoinGlass.

Open interest measures the total number of unsettled futures contracts. A sustained increase alongside rising prices can indicate that traders are committing fresh capital to bullish positions.

However, current exposure remains below the 2.78 billion XRP recorded on August 15. This suggests that leverage has not fully recovered from its recent decline.

If retail traders continue increasing their exposure, the additional demand could support a sustained move above $1.40. Conversely, a decline in open interest would indicate weakening conviction and could leave XRP vulnerable to another pullback.

The open-interest-weighted funding rate held in positive territory at approximately 0.01%.

CoinGlass data shows that the rate has remained near this level since August 28. Positive funding means long-position holders are paying traders with short exposure, typically reflecting stronger demand for bullish bets.

The reading indicates that traders remain willing to pay a premium to maintain long positions despite XRP’s recent consolidation.

Nevertheless, positive funding does not guarantee further gains. If bullish positioning becomes overcrowded while XRP struggles to clear resistance, a sudden decline could trigger long liquidations and accelerate selling pressure.

Risk appetite across the broader cryptocurrency market also remains supportive. The Crypto Fear and Greed Index registered 69 on Tuesday, placing market sentiment within the “Greed” category. The reading was slightly below Monday’s level of 71.

Elevated optimism can encourage traders to increase exposure to assets such as XRP. However, a high reading may also indicate that the market is becoming vulnerable to profit-taking, particularly if prices fail to extend their gains.

Maintaining the current sentiment would support bullish positioning, while a sharp decline in the index could weaken demand for XRP and other major altcoins.

XRP must break $1.42 to target $1.50

XRP traded near $1.40 after rebounding from $1.38 support. The token remains above its major exponential moving averages, preserving its broader bullish structure.

Initial resistance sits near $1.42, where a descending trendline is limiting the recovery. A daily close above this barrier would confirm a short-term breakout and bring the recent high around $1.50 back into focus.

Clearing $1.50 could allow bulls to target the next major resistance level at $1.70.

The Relative Strength Index stands near 59, above its neutral midpoint of 50. This shows that buyers retain an advantage, although momentum is no longer as strong as it was during the earlier rally.

The Moving Average Convergence Divergence indicator has slipped modestly into negative territory. The signal points to fading upside momentum but does not yet indicate a decisive bearish reversal.

If XRP fails to break $1.42, the 200-day EMA near $1.36 represents the first major line of support.

A daily close below that level could increase selling pressure and expose the 50-day EMA around $1.26. The 100-day EMA provides deeper support near $1.24.

These moving averages form a broad demand zone that could attract buyers during a more significant correction. As long as XRP remains above the cluster, its wider bullish structure should remain intact.

The immediate outlook rests on whether buyers can convert $1.40 into support and secure a daily close above $1.42. Success would favor a renewed advance toward $1.50 and potentially $1.70, while another rejection could send XRP back toward $1.38 and the 200-day EMA.

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