Crypto World
Stablecoins to Scale if Tech Giants Continue Adoption: Bitwise
Stablecoins are more likely to go mainstream if adopted by major technology companies, a shift Bitwise says could help push the market closer to a projected $4 trillion by the end of the decade.
Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan said on Tuesday that DoorDash and Meta’s recent use of stablecoins for payments in limited projects is likely “the real killer app of stablecoins.”
“On a relative basis, these are not a big deal. Both are pilot projects and the dollar amounts are small,” Hougan wrote. “But they’ve answered a question I’ve had about stablecoins for a long time. They’ve also increased my confidence that stablecoins will scale to trillions in assets and hundreds of millions of users.”
Multiple large non-crypto institutions have been testing stablecoin technology. Meta on Thursday launched stablecoin payouts for creators in the Philippines and Colombia, while the food delivery app DoorDash said on April 21 it would offer stablecoin payments to its users, workers and merchants.
The market value of all stablecoins is currently just under $318 billion, but Hougan said projections, such as one from Citigroup in September, say the market could grow to $4 trillion by 2030 in a best-case scenario.
Matt Hougan, pictured at Bitcoin 2026. Source: YouTube
“To get there, stablecoins will have to expand beyond their current primary use case of crypto trading and be embraced for everyday activity, like payments,” Hougan said. “To really scale to hundreds of millions of users, stablecoins are going to need the support of very large players.”
He said that the current pitch to businesses about stablecoins is that they are cheaper and faster, but another main reason multinational companies would adopt the technology is to simplify their global payments infrastructure.
Related: Stablecoin firms have a $112B additional opportunity in LATAM remittance
“Stablecoins make global payments simple,” he argued. “One wallet address, no banking infrastructure, no currency conversions. For a global business managing millions of micropayments, that type of simplicity is worth a lot.”
Companies in the US have been more confident in testing stablecoins after Congress passed the GENIUS Act last year, a bill regulating stablecoin issuers and forming a framework for how the tokens should be backed.
Visa is among the companies that have adopted stablecoins, and the payments giant expanded its pilot of the tokens on Thursday to include five more blockchains as the volume of settlements on its stablecoin settlement network has grown.
US banks have meanwhile grown wary of stablecoins and have lobbied to restrict them, arguing they compete with and threaten bank deposits, which could harm the banking system.
The Senate is shaping legislation outlining how crypto will be regulated, which currently includes a clause banning platforms such as crypto exchanges from paying rewards on idle stablecoin holdings, but allowing other forms of rewards.
However, banking groups on Tuesday argued the clause that lawmakers pitched as a compromise between crypto and banking lobbyists’ interests, did not go far enough.
Magazine: GENIUS Act reopens the door for a Meta stablecoin, but will it work?
The social sentiment surrounding Bitcoin (BTC) has swung to its most bullish level in four months as the asset surged past the $80,000 mark earlier in the week.
This is according to data shared by Santiment on May 7, with the shift reflecting a market that has quickly moved from fear to optimism after weeks where BTC’s price was weighed down by macro uncertainty and crypto-related security concerns.
Traders Turn Optimistic as Bitcoin Rebounds
Now, retail traders are once again piling into bullish calls across social media, with Santiment’s data capturing this through its Positive/Negative Sentiment metric, which runs posts and threads from major platforms through a machine-learning model to separate bullish from bearish commentary and calculate the ratio between them.
At 1.37, the current reading is at its highest since early January, when the market was coming off a strong end to 2025. Back in mid-April, sentiment had done the opposite, collapsing deep into bearish territory in the wake of the KelpDAO exploit.
Santiment noted at the time that the widespread panic was actually a healthier environment for a rebound, as it cleared out less committed holders.
That rebound came, and with optimism now back near multi-month highs, the firm is highlighting the other side of that dynamic.
“As fear disappears and FOMO rapidly takes over social media discussions, traders often enter positions late into rallies,” Santiment wrote, “increasing the probability of local tops, profit-taking, and sudden volatility.”
The firm was direct that this does not mean the rally is finished, but that the risk profile is meaningfully higher now than it was a few weeks ago, when most of the crowd was still panicking.
What the Data Needs to Confirm a Bottom
On the price side, Bitcoin was trading at around $81,000 at the time of writing, up by about 7.5% over the past seven days and 18% in the last month.
It briefly tapped $82,000 on May 6, marking a new three-month peak before pulling back slightly, with the 24-hour range having sat between approximately $80,800 and $82,800 per CoinGecko.
However, not everyone is treating the price recovery as a clean setup. Analysts at Bitfinex described the rally to $80,000 as misleading and argued that the market is not positioned for upside movement.
On the other hand, some traders are closely watching whether BTC can reclaim higher realized price bands tied to underwater holders from late 2025 and early 2026.
According to market commentator IT Tech, Bitcoin needs to break above roughly $89,000 and hold that level before a durable bottom can be confirmed.
The analyst pointed to several realized price zones between $89,000 and $112,000 where trapped buyers may look to exit positions once prices recover.
The post The FOMO Is Back: Why Bitcoin’s Latest Rally Has Analysts Flashing Warning Signs appeared first on CryptoPotato.
The bnb price prediction gained its biggest institutional catalyst yet when Teucrium launched the first US-listed 2x Long Daily BNB ETF under the ticker XBNB on NYSE Arca on April 28. Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao announced the product on X, and the fund gives traditional brokerage accounts leveraged exposure to BNB price moves for the first time without a crypto wallet or futures account.
Pepeto lines up its Binance listing with $9.89 million committed, showing smart money building positions. The bnb price prediction points toward $700 and then $1,000 over the year, and analysts model Pepeto at 100x from the current presale price once the Binance listing opens trading.
The Teucrium xETFs 2x Long Daily BNB ETF began trading on NYSE Arca on April 28 as the first US exchange-traded product tied to BNB price movements, per BusinessWire. FalconX Bravo, a CFTC-registered swap dealer, provides the derivative exposure, and the fund targets twice the daily performance of BNB before fees.
VanEck’s spot BNB ETF filing still sits with US regulators, and clearance would add billions in institutional demand. Teucrium’s earlier leveraged XRP product attracted hundreds of millions within months, and the BNB fund expands that access into another top-five asset.
The BNB Price Prediction Entry Worth Watching Right Now
Pepeto: The Trading Platform That Earns While BNB Grinds Through the XBNB ETF Launch
The Binance listing window narrows and presale stages load faster each round. Pepeto is a contract-scanning and zero-fee platform that rewards holders when the broader market trades sideways and the bnb price prediction stays range-bound, which is where BNB sits as institutional products like XBNB take time to draw capital.
While BNB holders wait for the Teucrium ETF and VanEck spot filing to move price, Pepeto already scans tokens across Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Solana, flagging risky contracts before capital touches them. PepetoSwap processes swaps at zero fee, and capital starts producing returns right away rather than sitting inside an $84 billion cap waiting for the next buyer.
The presale crossed $9.89 million at $0.0000001868. Its low fully diluted value and role as the exchange’s utility token place 100x within range. SolidProof signed the codebase, a senior Binance developer designed the exchange from the ground up, and the founder who took Pepe to $11 billion built every tool. Staking at 175% APY grows the position with every block.
The bnb price prediction will keep pulling capital toward BNB, but the wallets locking positions today know 100x on Pepeto is built on returns that already happened with Pepe. Entering the presale now while BNB grinds sideways is how the biggest gains of this cycle get captured before the listing removes the presale advantage for good.
BNB Price at $634 as the XBNB ETF Opens Institutional Access and the VanEck Spot Filing Waits
BNB (BNB) trades at $634 on May 6, down roughly 54% from its $1,369 all-time high reached in October 2025, per CoinMarketCap. The bnb price prediction depends on holding $607 support and clearing $647 resistance to open the path toward $700 and then the $900 zone.
Changelly projects an average BNB price of $653 for May with upside toward $1,000 by December 2026. But the bnb price prediction math from an $84 billion cap means meaningful targets still take quarters to reach, not the timeline a presale-to-listing event delivers when the entry is $0.0000001868.
Conclusion
A bull run is flashing. BNB broke $1,369 in October because the last wave lifted everything, and the XBNB ETF plus the VanEck filing are laying the tracks for the next one. But history shows that when Bitcoin doubles, the strongest presale entries do not just follow the move.
They return 100x. BNB at $634 with an $84 billion cap will grind higher over quarters. Pepeto at $0.0000001868 with a Binance listing days away covers that same distance the moment trading opens.
Missing Pepeto at this stage could easily become the kind of regret that stays, the same feeling every person who knew about SHIB early and watched it run without acting still carries today. Pepeto is positioned where SHIB was before its breakout, with a live exchange and a founder who already proved the model once. The presale will not wait, and the bnb price prediction crowd that sees this clearly is already inside.
Click To Visit Pepeto Website To Enter The Presale
FAQs
Can the bnb price prediction reach $1,000 in 2026 after the Teucrium XBNB ETF and the VanEck spot filing?
The bnb price prediction needs the XBNB ETF to draw sustained institutional volume, the VanEck spot BNB ETF to advance through regulators, and BTC to hold above $80,000 before $1,000 comes into play. Changelly projects BNB averaging $653 in May with a year-end target near $1,000.
What makes Pepeto the best crypto presale for high returns before the next bull run leg?
Pepeto is the best crypto presale because it runs a SolidProof-audited exchange with zero-fee trading, a token scanner, and a cross-chain bridge across three networks. The presale raised $9.89 million at $0.0000001868 with 175% APY staking and an approaching Binance listing.
Disclaimer: This is a Press Release provided by a third party who is responsible for the content. Please conduct your own research before taking any action based on the content.
The crypto industry may have fundamentally misunderstood the metaverse, according to Animoca Brands chairman Yat Siu, who argues that the next phase of virtual economies would arrive not through VR headsets or immersive digital worlds, but through fleets of AI agents transacting across blockchain networks behind the scenes.
Siu said the metaverse maybe coming to us rather than being a place that humans go to, during his keynote at Consensus Miami 2026.
For Animoca, this marked a distinct pivot from the pandemic-era vision of the metaverse it once championed, in which users were expected to spend increasing amounts of their social and economic lives in immersive virtual worlds.
Siu now says the more consequential shift may be AI systems operating in the physical world on behalf of humans, handling transactions, bookings, coordination and commerce in the background while blockchain networks function as the infrastructure connecting those agents.
Instead, Siu argued the next phase of the internet may revolve around AI systems operating continuously in the background of everyday life, handling tasks such as bookings, payments, scheduling, and online transactions on behalf of users.
He said consumers could eventually rely on dozens, or even hundreds, of AI agents to coordinate their digital activities, with blockchain networks serving as the financial and identity infrastructure connecting those systems.
“I think the point is that it’s going to be more agents than humans,” Siu said, predicting there could eventually be “50 to 100 billion agents roaming essentially on the internet.”
That shift, he argued, could also solve one of crypto’s longest-running problems: onboarding ordinary users.
While an estimated 700 million to 800 million people globally now own some form of cryptocurrency, Siu noted that fewer than 70 million actively use blockchain applications because crypto remains technically intimidating for mainstream consumers.
“My mom’s not going to be using MetaMask,” he said. “It’s hard for her.”
AI agents, however, may interact naturally with wallets, smart contracts, and decentralized finance systems because they operate directly through code, he argued.
Unlike humans, agents would not need traditional banking infrastructure and could transact autonomously on-chain.
“Blockchain technology is the ideal financial system for machines,” Siu said. “We, the humans, were basically the guinea pigs.”
The broader argument reflected a growing narrative within parts of the crypto industry that blockchain’s most scalable users may ultimately be autonomous software agents rather than humans.
In that framework, wallets, tokens, decentralized identity systems, and on-chain payments become machine infrastructure powering an emerging “agent economy.”
As part of that push, Animoca announced a $10 million investment initiative for developers building AI agent applications through its Animoca Minds platform.
If Siu’s vision materializes, the next major wave of blockchain adoption may not come from millions of new human users learning to navigate crypto wallets, but from billions of AI agents transacting autonomously with one another behind the scenes.
Bittrex has asked a U.S. federal court to overturn its $24 million settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission after the regulator abandoned the crypto enforcement approach used against the exchange under the Biden administration.
Summary
- Bittrex has asked a federal judge to cancel its $24 million SEC settlement after the regulator dropped similar crypto cases.
- Court filings stated that the SEC now no longer considers most crypto tokens to be securities under its current approach.
- The bankrupt exchange has also requested that the SEC return funds before the money is transferred to former customers through the Treasury Department.
According to a motion filed this week by attorneys representing Bittrex, the bankrupt crypto exchange has requested that the court vacate the earlier judgment and direct the SEC to return the $24 million penalty paid in 2023.
The filing argues that the regulator no longer supports the legal theory used to pursue the case, after repeatedly stating under President Donald Trump’s administration that most crypto tokens do not qualify as securities.
Filed in federal court on Monday, the motion stated that the SEC has already dropped nearly all comparable enforcement actions and investigations involving crypto exchanges and token issuers. Bittrex’s legal team argued that continuing to enforce the settlement while abandoning similar cases would be unfair treatment.
“Two-and-a-half years after extracting a settlement from a bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange premised on the legal theory that the tokens that traded on the exchange were securities, the SEC has (a) conceded that its legal theory was wrong and those tokens were not securities, (b) acknowledged that its enforcement strategy was misguided from the start, and (c) dropped every similar case and investigation except this one,” Bittrex’s attorneys wrote in the filing.
SEC’s crypto reversal becomes central to Bittrex request
The SEC originally sued Bittrex during Joe Biden’s presidency, accusing the Seattle-based exchange of offering unregistered securities through crypto token trading services. Bittrex later agreed to settle the case for $24 million without admitting or denying the allegations.
Court records cited in the latest filing also pointed to a March request from the SEC seeking permission to transfer the $24 million to the U.S. Treasury Department for distribution to former Bittrex customers who allegedly suffered financial losses.
Bittrex’s attorneys have now asked the judge to stop the transfer process and return the funds before any distribution takes place.
Operations at the exchange were shut down shortly after the settlement, with Bittrex stating at the time that continuing business operations in the existing U.S. regulatory and economic environment was no longer economically viable.
Separate from the SEC case, Bittrex reached another settlement with the U.S. Treasury Department in 2022 over alleged sanctions violations involving countries including Iran, Cuba, and Syria. Treasury officials announced at the time that the exchange had agreed to pay roughly $29 million tied to what regulators described as apparent violations of sanctions and anti-money laundering rules.
Since Trump returned to office last year, SEC leadership has repeatedly pulled back from the agency’s earlier crypto enforcement campaign. The regulator has dismissed or paused several high-profile lawsuits against crypto companies, while senior officials have publicly stated that many digital assets fall outside securities laws.
Bitcoin’s price just tapped a new multi-month peak at $82,000, where it faced some resistance but continues to trade close to that level.
Almost all altcoins are in the green today, with ETH inching closer to $2,400 and XRP decisively reclaiming the $1.40 resistance. SOL is up to $90, while ZEC has stolen the show.
BTC Touched $82K
The primary cryptocurrency fell hard last week after it was rejected at $79,500, and the culmination took place on Wednesday following the third FOMC meeting for the year. Although the Fed’s decision to maintain the interest rates unchanged was highly expected, BTC still dipped below $75,000.
However, its subsequent rebound has been very impressive. The asset first neared $79,000 on Friday after Iran sent a peace proposal to the US and remained close to that level during the weekend, even though the US rejected it, and the second one, sent on Sunday.
Moreover, BTC rocketed on Monday morning to over $80,000 for the first time since late January. It slipped in the following hours after some confusing reports, but went back on the offensive and quickly reclaimed that level. The bulls kept the pressure on, and the cryptocurrency briefly tapped $82,000 minutes ago to mark a new three-month peak.
It remains close to that level now, with its market cap climbing to over $1.630 trillion and its dominance over the alts standing above 58.5% on CG.
Alts Turn Green
ZEC has reignited hopes of its massive run from several months ago when it exploded from under $80 to over $700 within weeks. Its daily surge of roughly 40% has reminded of that rally, as the asset now sits at $575. The only more notable gainer in the past day is SKYAI, which has soared by over 40% to $0.78.
TON has continued with its massive streak, posting another 25% surge on a 24-hour scale. DASH, ICP, FIL, and NEAR complete the double-digit price pump club.
A lot more modest gains are evident from XRP, BNB, ETH, and TRX, while SOL, DOGE, and ADA are up by almost 5% daily.
The total crypto market cap has added roughly $50 billion in a day and now sits at $2.8 trillion on CG.
The post Massive 40% Gains From SKYAI and ZEC as BTC Taps $82K: Market Watch appeared first on CryptoPotato.
Key Highlights
- Gold extended its rally for three consecutive sessions, holding above the $4,700 per ounce mark
- Diplomatic progress between Washington and Tehran is alleviating inflation concerns while pressuring crude prices downward
- The US dollar retreated to levels seen before the recent conflict, enhancing gold’s appeal
- Silver posted its largest single-session gain in weeks with a 6% surge on Wednesday
- Market participants are now eyeing Friday’s employment data for insights into Federal Reserve policy direction
The yellow metal has extended its upward trajectory for a third consecutive session as optimism surrounding potential diplomatic resolution between Washington and Tehran sent crude oil prices tumbling and reduced worries about persistent inflation.
Spot gold advanced 1% to reach $4,736.61 per ounce during Thursday trading. Meanwhile, US Gold Futures contracts for June delivery climbed 1.1% to settle at $4,746.86.
Wednesday witnessed gold’s most impressive single-session performance since the final days of March, with prices surging more than 3%. This substantial rally followed a sharp decline in crude oil prices triggered by encouraging reports of diplomatic advancement in US-Iran discussions.
According to reporting from Axios, the administration was nearing completion of a memorandum of understanding with Iranian officials to resolve the ongoing conflict. Tehran indicated it was evaluating the proposal, while President Donald Trump expressed confidence that Iranian leadership was interested in reaching an agreement.
Trump communicated via social media Wednesday that Washington would conclude its military operations and remove its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, contingent upon Iranian compliance with specified conditions — though he acknowledged this might be “perhaps, a big assumption.”
Oil experienced a dramatic 7% decline on Wednesday before stabilizing Thursday as traders awaited additional details regarding the ongoing negotiations.
The Connection Between Energy Prices and Precious Metals
Decreasing energy costs diminish the probability of sustained inflation pressures. This development subsequently pressures US Treasury yields downward and undermines dollar strength, creating favorable conditions for gold prices.
Gold is denominated in dollars globally, meaning a softer greenback enhances affordability for international purchasers. Additionally, since gold generates no yield, declining interest rates improve its competitiveness relative to interest-bearing assets like government bonds.
“The potential easing in energy prices gives the Fed more room to cut rates, which is positive for gold,” analysts at ING said in a note.
The US Dollar Index declined 0.1% during Asian market hours Thursday, stabilizing near levels observed before the conflict erupted.
Prior to the recent rally, gold had declined 11% following the outbreak of US-Iran tensions in late February. The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz had propelled energy costs higher and intensified concerns that inflation would remain stubbornly elevated, forcing monetary policymakers to maintain restrictive interest rate policies for an extended period.
Federal Reserve Officials Maintain Vigilance on Price Pressures
Not all observers share the optimistic outlook. Chicago Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee and St. Louis Federal Reserve President Alberto Musalem both emphasized that inflation continues to exceed the central bank’s 2% objective.
Strategists at TD Securities cautioned that positive headlines surrounding peace negotiations are “extremely fragile to reversal” given that fundamental positions from both Washington and Tehran appear largely unchanged from previous negotiating rounds.
Silver advanced 1.9% to $78.79 per ounce Thursday, following Wednesday’s impressive 6.2% surge. Platinum registered modest gains, while copper traded relatively unchanged.
Market attention has now shifted to Friday’s US non-farm payrolls release. The employment figures could provide critical insights into whether the Federal Reserve will implement interest rate reductions during the remainder of the year.
Spot gold traded at $4,701.96 per ounce as of 1:59 p.m. Singapore time Thursday.
Bitcoin price rebounded back above $81,000 as investor risk-on sentiment improved after Iran signalled that it was reviewing a U.S. proposal to end the war between the two nations.
Summary
- Bitcoin price rebounded above $81,000 after Iran said it was reviewing a U.S.-backed peace proposal that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
- Oil prices declined for a third straight day amid optimism around a potential U.S.-Iran ceasefire, supporting renewed risk appetite across crypto markets.
- Bitcoin’s Supertrend remained green while MACD formed a bullish crossover, with traders watching the $84,000–$85,000 zone as the next resistance area.
After falling over 2.3% from a 4-month high of $82,751 on Wednesday to an intraday low of $80,771, Bitcoin (BTC) price rebounded back above $81,500 at press time.
The bellwether reclaimed the $81K figure as oil prices continued to drop for the third straight day, as the U.S. and Iran made more progress toward a peace deal currently “under review” that aims to bring a permanent end to the war between the two nations and ease disruptions at the Strait of Hormuz.
Reports indicate that Iran is mulling over the peace deal presented by the U.S. through Pakistani intermediaries and is expected to provide a formal response within the coming days. The one-page memorandum of understanding includes a comprehensive framework for a ceasefire and the restoration of trade routes. However, it excludes sensitive discussions surrounding Iran’s nuclear program, which would reportedly take place at a later date.
Despite the growing optimism, U.S. President Donald Trump clarified that a deal has not yet been finalized, adding that the U.S. would continue with its attacks on Iran if it fails to comply with the proposed terms.
Crude oil prices, which have largely been affecting global market sentiment since the war began, fell for a third straight day on Thursday, boosting investor confidence in riskier assets. Notably, WTI crude futures fell toward $93 per barrel while Brent oil had fallen 1% to $100.
Safe haven assets such as gold and silver have continued to show volatility as investors rotated capital away from traditional hedges and back into Bitcoin and other crypto assets. Gold price rose over 1.2% today, while silver gained nearly 4%.
The Coinbase premium fell to a negative reading, suggesting a slight cooling of demand from U.S. institutional buyers
Bitcoin price analysis
On the daily chart, Bitcoin price has been trading within an ascending parallel channel pattern ever since late March. It has formed higher highs and higher lows consistently over the past several weeks.
The Supertrend has continued to remain green, a sign that the overall bullish momentum is still firmly in control. At the same time, the MACD lines have formed a positive crossover, which means that buying pressure is increasing in the short term.
Hence, the path of least resistance for Bitcoin lies above the current levels with bulls eyeing the $84,000 to $85,000 range as the next major target. On the contrary, $80,000 remains the psychological floor that must hold to prevent a deeper correction.
Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.
South Korean crypto exchange Upbit has added B3 to its Korean won market, giving local traders direct access to the Base-linked token.
Summary
- Upbit opened B3 trading against the Korean won, giving the Base token local market access.
- The exchange delayed trading to 14:00 KST and applied early order restrictions for stability.
- B3’s Base network support links the listing to growing Korean interest in OP Stack projects.
Trading was first scheduled for 13:45 KST on May 7, before Upbit moved the start time to 14:00 KST.
B3 is a layer-3 blockchain built on Base, the Ethereum layer-2 network developed with the OP Stack. The Upbit listing gives the token access to one of Asia’s most active retail crypto markets.
Exchange sets early trading limits
Upbit said deposits and withdrawals will only support B3 through the Base network. The exchange also asked users to confirm the contract address before sending funds. Deposits through unsupported networks may face a long refund process.
The exchange placed normal controls on early trading. Buy orders were restricted for about five minutes after launch. Upbit also limited low-price sell orders and restricted non-limit order types for about two hours.
Upbit warned, “If a certain level of liquidity is not secured after the commencement of deposit and withdrawal services, the start of trading support may be postponed.” The notice shows the exchange kept room to adjust trading if market depth was weak.
B3 joins recent Upbit listing wave
The listing comes after several Upbit market additions drove fresh attention to selected tokens. As crypto.news reported yesterday, Dogwifhat rose after Upbit added WIF trading pairs against KRW, BTC, and USDT on May 6. The report also noted that new listings can expose traders to fast price swings.
Earlier, crypto.news reported that Centrifuge jumped more than 180% after Upbit announced trading support. Another report said Internet Computer added about $100 million in market value after Upbit opened ICP trading against KRW, BTC, and USDT.
These cases show why new KRW pairs draw close market attention. They create direct local currency access and can bring sudden liquidity from South Korean retail traders.
OP Stack link adds market context
B3’s Base and OP Stack link also fits a wider infrastructure trend at Upbit. Crypto.news reported this week that Upbit partnered with Optimism to build GIWA Chain, an Ethereum layer-2 network using the OP Stack.
That report said GIWA Chain will let Upbit run its own infrastructure under Optimism’s self-managed enterprise setup. The exchange will operate its own sequencer, which controls transaction ordering and collects network fees.
The B3 listing is separate from GIWA Chain, but both relate to OP Stack-based blockchain activity. For traders, the listing places B3 inside South Korea’s won market while giving Base-linked layer-3 projects more visibility.
Crypto World
OpenPayd’s CCO on the Future of Payments, Stablecoins and Unified Financial Infrastructure
As financial infrastructure continues to evolve, the lines between traditional banking, payments, forex, and digital assets are becoming increasingly blurred. Businesses operating globally now need faster and more transparent ways to move money across currencies, markets, and even platforms.
To explore the ways this shift is reshaping the future of financial services, we spoke with Lux Thiagarajah, Chief Commercial Officer at OpenPayd.
With a career spanning FX trading at JP Morgan, senior roles at institutions such as HSBC, as well as leadership positions across digital-native companies such as BCB Group and FalconX, he brings a unique perspective on the convergence of legacy finance and modern fintech infrastructure.
In the following interview, he talks about how his trading background informs his view of payments, why unified financial infrastructure is becoming essential for global businesses, and where the next phase of fintech growth will be coming from.
You began your career as an FX trader at J.P. Morgan before moving into senior leadership roles across trading and payments. How has that trading background shaped the way you think about payments infrastructure and financial services today?
More than anything else, my trading background shaped how I think about efficiency and timing.
On a trading desk, you are constantly focused on execution. Speed matters, pricing matters, and small inefficiencies compound very quickly. If settlement is delayed or costs are unclear, that directly impacts profitability. That mindset carries through into how I view payments today.
When I look at payments infrastructure, I see it through that same lens. It should be fast, transparent and predictable. Too much of the legacy system still operates with delays, opaque FX spreads and multiple intermediaries. That may have been acceptable historically, but it is increasingly out of step with how businesses operate today.
It also taught me the importance of liquidity. Whether in FX markets or payments, access to liquidity at the right time, in the right currency, is what ultimately determines how efficient a system is. That is why the convergence of fiat and stablecoin liquidity is such an important development for financial services.
You’ve worked across both traditional finance institutions like HSBC and newer digital-native companies such as FalconX and BCB Group. What are the biggest structural differences you’ve observed between legacy financial systems and modern fintech infrastructure?
I believe that the biggest difference is not just technology, it is mindset.
Legacy financial systems were built for a different era. They are robust and trusted, but they are also rigid. Processes are often batch-based, infrastructure is fragmented, and change takes time because everything is layered on top of decades of existing systems.
Modern fintech infrastructure is designed with flexibility from day one. It is API-first, modular and built to scale across markets quickly. Instead of stitching together multiple providers, you are creating a single layer that orchestrates everything behind the scenes.
The other key difference is how problems are approached. Traditional institutions tend to optimise within existing frameworks rather than remove the constraints, whereas fintechs are more willing to rethink the model entirely. That is why we are now seeing infrastructure that connects payment rails, FX and digital assets in a unified way, rather than treating them as separate systems.
What has become clear over time is that neither side can do it alone. The future is not one replacing the other. It is about combining the resilience and trust of traditional finance with the flexibility and speed of modern infrastructure.
As Chief Commercial Officer at OpenPayd, you’re responsible for driving growth across both new and existing clients. What are the key capabilities that fintechs, exchanges, and digital platforms are now looking for in payments partners?
Clients are no longer looking for a single payment rail or a point solution. They want infrastructure that grows with them without constantly re-engineering their setup. That means access to accounts, payments, FX and increasingly digital assets, all through one integration. The days of stitching together multiple providers for different functions now feels outdated.
There is also a much sharper focus on reliability. When payments sit at the core of your product, there is no margin for error. It is not just about speed; it is about consistency and control at scale.
And then there is optionality. Clients do not want to be locked into one rail or one model. They want the flexibility to route transactions in the most efficient way, whether that is through traditional rails or newer settlement methods like stablecoins, without adding complexity to their operations.
Embedded finance and programmable payments are becoming central themes across fintech. How do you see these trends reshaping the relationship between platforms, financial institutions, and end users over the next few years?
Embedded finance is changing how financial capabilities are delivered. Instead of being accessed separately, they are now built directly into platforms, becoming part of the product itself. Programmable payments take that further by automating how money moves, reducing manual processes and improving efficiency at scale.
The roles are becoming clearer. Platforms own the user experience, infrastructure providers manage the complexity behind the scenes, and banks continue to provide the regulatory foundation.
For users, it feels seamless. For businesses, it means far greater control over how money flows through their ecosystem.
OpenPayd operates at the intersection of payments, banking, and digital assets. How important is a unified financial infrastructure for companies operating globally, particularly those scaling across multiple jurisdictions?
It is becoming essential. Businesses with global ambitions deal with different banks, different rails, different regulatory frameworks, and now different asset types. Each layer adds complexity, and that complexity does not scale well.
A unified infrastructure simplifies that environment. It allows businesses to access local and international payments, FX and digital assets through a single framework, rather than building separate systems for each market or use case.
The real value of a unified infrastructure is operational – consistent and standardised processes for compliance, reporting, settlement and treasury management across all regions. It unlocks scale. Without it, expansion into new markets becomes slower, more expensive and more operationally complex than it needs to be.
Strategic partnerships are a major part of your role. What makes a partnership truly valuable in today’s fintech ecosystem, and how should companies think about building long-term collaboration rather than simple integrations?
The difference comes down to alignment. Is the goal to solve a specific or short-term need, or are both sides working towards a shared objective? The most valuable partnerships I have seen are the ones where each side brings something the other cannot easily replicate, whether that is distribution, regulatory coverage or technical capability.
There is also an element of trust. Not just in terms of compliance, but in how you operate together day to day. In a fast-moving environment, things change. The partnerships that last are the ones that can adapt without constantly renegotiating the fundamentals.
Looking ahead, what do you think will define the next phase of growth for fintech infrastructure providers, and where do you see the biggest opportunities for companies like OpenPayd in the next 3–5 years?
The next phase will be defined by convergence across financial infrastructure. A lot of the core building blocks already exist. Stablecoins have proven they can operate at scale, APIs are standard, and regulatory frameworks, such as MiCA and the GENIUS Act, are becoming clearer. The challenge now is making all of these components work together in a way that feels simple to the end user.
That is where the opportunity sits – in orchestration. The underlying rails already exist, but they are fragmented. The providers that can unify those rails and abstract the complexity will become the backbone of global financial services.
For OpenPayd, that means continuing to build the universal financial infrastructure that allows businesses to move money globally, across both fiat and digital assets, without friction.
Disclaimer: The content shared in this interview is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, investment recommendation, or endorsement of any project, protocol, or asset. The cryptocurrency space involves risk and volatility. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with qualified professionals before making any financial decisions. This interview was conducted in cooperation with OpenPayd, who generously shared their time and insights. The content has been reviewed and approved for publication in mutual understanding. Minor edits have been made for clarity and readability, while preserving the substance and tone of the original conversation.
The post OpenPayd’s CCO on the Future of Payments, Stablecoins and Unified Financial Infrastructure appeared first on CryptoPotato.
The Australian dollar continues to strengthen, pushing to fresh 2021–2022 highs, supported by a combination of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s tight monetary stance and a weaker US dollar. This week’s rate hike by the RBA has been a key driver, widening yield differentials and boosting demand for the Australian currency, which has reinforced the ongoing uptrend. Additional pressure on the US dollar came from weak labour data, including the ADP report, increasing expectations of a more accommodative Fed policy.
The current market structure suggests that both AUD/USD and AUD/CAD have broken out of recent consolidation ranges and are now advancing towards multi-year highs. Trading at these levels creates a decision zone where liquidity is being reallocated, with the market assessing whether prices can hold above extremes or fall back into prior ranges.
In the near term, the key event for markets will be the US Non-Farm Payrolls report, while other macro releases are likely to play a secondary role. The NFP reaction could significantly influence expectations for Fed policy and set the direction for the US dollar.
AUD/USD
AUD/USD is trading near yearly highs, maintaining bullish momentum after breaking out of its range. Dollar weakness combined with RBA policy support continues to favour further gains, with the current area acting as a key test for breakout confirmation.
From a technical perspective, continuation of the uptrend depends on the 0.7230 level holding as support. However, in the absence of fresh catalysts ahead of key data releases, a pullback towards 0.7130–0.7160 remains possible.
Key Events For AUD/USD:
- today at 15:30 (GMT+3): US initial jobless claims
- today at 17:00 (GMT+3): US construction spending
- today at 18:30 (GMT+3): Atlanta Fed GDPNow indicator
AUD/CAD
AUD/CAD reached a new yearly high yesterday at 0.9870 and still shows potential for a move towards 2021 extremes near 0.9990. If the upper boundary of the recent range turns into support, the bullish momentum could strengthen further.
At the same time, a slowdown at current levels could lead to a return back into the broken range, creating a false breakout scenario and opening the door for a corrective move.
Key Events For AUD/CAD:
- today at 13:00 (GMT+3): Canada leading economic indicators
- today at 23:30 (GMT+3): US Federal Reserve balance sheet
- tomorrow at 15:30 (GMT+3): Canada employment change
Overall, both currency pairs remain in a strong upward phase supported by fundamental drivers. The current resistance zone is a key decision area: a sustained breakout would open the way for further gains, while weak follow-through or stronger US data could trigger a return into prior ranges and a corrective pullback. Upcoming macroeconomic releases are likely to be the decisive catalyst for the next market move.
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This article represents the opinion of the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand only. It is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation with respect to products and services provided by the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand, nor is it to be considered financial advice.
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