Stablecoin News - Koin Bülteni

Bank of Italy Stablecoin Report: Hidden Costs Rise to 9%

Selim Kuşçu — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 16:45:27 +0000

A new study conducted by the Bank of Italy has revealed that the use of stablecoins for international money transfers is not always cheaper than traditional methods, and that costs increase particularly during fiat currency conversion processes.

Cross-border payments, cited as one of the strongest use cases for cryptocurrencies, have come under the scrutiny of the Bank of Italy. The study published by the bank, titled “Markets, Infrastructures and Payment Systems Paper No. 86,” used a “mystery shopper” method to test whether stablecoin transfers are as low-cost as claimed. In this experiment covering 10 different corridors, including Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and Japan, 200 USDC (USDC) transfers were sent from Italy.

Research results proved that total transfer costs varied widely, ranging from 0.3% to 9% of the amount sent. The surprising point was that the main expense did not stem from network fees on the blockchain—the technical transfer cost. While network fees accounted for a negligible portion of the total cost, it was determined that the primary financial burden emerged during the phases of moving from Euro to USDC and then converting back to the local currency (on-ramp and off-ramp).

Hidden Costs Are Concealed in Conversion Processes

The stablecoin ecosystem, which set out with the promise of eliminating intermediaries in the traditional banking system, encounters different intermediary institutions in the real world. When users want to convert money into local currency to pay their rent or go shopping instead of keeping it in a crypto wallet, exchanges, payment providers, and exchange rate spreads come into play. This situation makes it difficult for stablecoin remittances to establish a systematic cost advantage over traditional operators.

Despite this, the report does not argue that the technology is a total failure. It is anticipated that these costs could decrease as legal frameworks like Europe’s MiCA regulation evolve and local instant payment systems integrate with digital asset infrastructure. Connections reflecting complex data flows between global financial networks show that while the technology maintains its speed and accessibility advantages, a more transparent conversion process is needed for economic efficiency.

Bank of Italy Stablecoin Report: Hidden Costs Rise to 9% isimli makale Selim Kuşçu tarafından hazırlanmış ve koinbulteni.comda yayınlanmıştır.

A Critical Move for Tether’s Regulation-Compliant Stablecoin USAT: For the First Time on This Network After Ethereum

Fatih TAŞDEMİR — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 14:20:02 +0000

Tether’s US regulation-compliant stablecoin, USAT, is expanding its ecosystem by launching on the Celo (CELO) network for the first time following Ethereum.

Crypto giant Tether has taken a significant step as part of its regulation-compliant strategy. The USAT stablecoin, developed by the company in accordance with the GENIUS Act, has officially launched on the Celo network, its first destination outside of Ethereum. This move is not just a network expansion but also brings technical features that will fundamentally change the user experience.

One of the greatest advantages offered by the Celo network, gas fee abstraction (CIP-64), provides significant convenience in USAT transactions. Thanks to this feature, users do not have to keep a different native token in their wallets to pay for transaction fees on the network. Being able to pay gas fees directly with USAT eliminates complex processes, especially for new users, and accelerates the adoption of regulated stablecoins in daily life.

A New Era in Celo and Tether Collaboration

Tether US CEO Bo Hines emphasized that the choice of Celo was a conscious decision, stating that USAT should be present on platforms where digital dollars are already heavily used. Celo stands out with a 28% share in transfers of Tether’s flagship USDT. Furthermore, the wallet solution launched by the Opera browser on Celo has reached more than 18 million users, proving the network’s distribution power and potential.

As of now, USAT, which has a market cap of approximately $185 million, is issued by the federally licensed Anchorage Digital Bank. Regulated by the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), this asset is backed 1-1 by high-quality liquid assets such as cash or Treasury bills. While still at the beginning of its journey compared to USDT’s massive $180 billion volume, USAT offers a secure alternative for institutional and individual users through its regulatory compliance.

A Critical Move for Tether’s Regulation-Compliant Stablecoin USAT: For the First Time on This Network After Ethereum isimli makale Fatih TAŞDEMİR tarafından hazırlanmış ve koinbulteni.comda yayınlanmıştır.

Massive $7.7 Billion Contraction in Stablecoin Market: A First Since Terra-Luna, But That Metric Hit a Record High

Selim Kuşçu — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 03:14:03 +0000

While the stablecoin market experienced a historic decline in June, shrinking by $7.7 billion, transaction volume reached a record $1.79 trillion, proving that these assets have strengthened as payment infrastructure.

Considered the lifeblood of the cryptocurrency market, the stablecoin sector faced its largest liquidity contraction in recent years during June. Despite the sharp decline in total market capitalization, on-chain activity reached an all-time high, creating a surprising contrast.

According to data, the stablecoin market lost $7.7 billion in value during June. This figure was recorded as the largest monthly contraction since the Terra-Luna collapse in May 2022. Having lost approximately $10 billion since its peak in May, the total market size has receded to the $300 billion level.

Historic Volume Record in Stablecoin Usage

Despite the contraction in market supply, the opposite picture dominates on the usage side. In June, adjusted transaction volume increased by 63 percent compared to the previous month, reaching a record $1.79 trillion. This volume, which grew by 125 percent compared to the same period last year, shows that stablecoins are no longer just speculative investment tools but have become a global payment and transfer infrastructure.

The fact that transfer and settlement transactions remain so strong despite the decrease in circulating supply indicates that users have adopted these assets as active payment methods rather than mere stores of value. This intensity, especially in institutional and individual transfers, reinforces the strategic importance of stablecoins in the crypto ecosystem.

Massive $7.7 Billion Contraction in Stablecoin Market: A First Since Terra-Luna, But That Metric Hit a Record High isimli makale Selim Kuşçu tarafından hazırlanmış ve koinbulteni.comda yayınlanmıştır.

A New Era for the $1 Billion Bitcoin Vault: Institutional Credit Move with Global Giant

Fatih TAŞDEMİR — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 13:17:04 +0000

Lombard Finance has launched a new strategy in collaboration with Flow Traders, allowing Bitcoin holders to use their assets as collateral in institutional credit transactions.

Crypto financial products startup Lombard Finance (BARD) has announced its new product, the Bitcoin Onchain Credit Strategy, through a partnership with global trading giant Flow Traders. This innovative step paves the way for market makers to borrow stablecoins without needing to deposit their own on-chain collateral.

The system is based on the assets collected in Lombard’s Bitcoin Earn vault. The Bitcoin (BTC) assets deposited into this vault by users serve as collateral through a specialized credit infrastructure provided via the Cap platform. This allows institutional investors to access liquidity while individual investors earn yields from premiums generated by institutional demand.

The Era of Bitcoin-Backed Institutional Credit

The Bitcoin Earn vault has already successfully attracted over $1 billion in investment from more than 38,500 users. The platform aggregates various asset types, such as LBTC, WBTC, and native Bitcoin, into a single pool, offering yields to users via BTCe receipt tokens. Thanks to the new strategy, investors gain access to a more stable earning model based directly on institutional demand and less affected by fluctuations in DeFi markets.

Lombard utilizes Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) to strengthen its technical infrastructure. This allows assets on the Avalanche network to be securely transferred to Ethereum-based vaults. The startup, which recently raised $17 million in seed funding, also provides infrastructure support to giants like Binance and Bybit. By remaining at the center of the financial ecosystem, Bitcoin continues to bridge traditional credit mechanisms into the digital world.

A New Era for the $1 Billion Bitcoin Vault: Institutional Credit Move with Global Giant isimli makale Fatih TAŞDEMİR tarafından hazırlanmış ve koinbulteni.comda yayınlanmıştır.

World’s Largest Custody Bank BNY Makes Ripple Move: 24/7 Settlements Starting in 2027

Selim Kuşçu — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 08:53:25 +0000

BNY, the world’s largest custody bank, aims to eliminate weekend liquidity risk by offering 24/7 settlement of U.S. Treasury bonds by 2027, following a successful test with Ripple’s RLUSD and OpenEden’s USDO stablecoins.

Traditional finance giant BNY is taking a revolutionary step to keep pace with the cryptocurrency world. The bank is developing an infrastructure to support the seamless transfer of both traditional and tokenized U.S. Treasury bonds to solve liquidity issues, particularly those known as “weekend lag.” This move aims to address reserve management disruptions, one of the biggest structural challenges in the stablecoin market.

At the core of this new plan is a successful trial conducted with Ripple and OpenEden. In this transaction, which took place outside the Fedwire Securities system’s operating hours, the transfer of bonds representing RLUSD and USDO reserves was successfully completed via Tradeweb. As the current primary custodian for Ripple’s stablecoin reserves, BNY aims to minimize the liquidity risk faced by stablecoin issuers during large-scale redemptions or margin calls.

Liquidity Risk in Stablecoin Reserves is Coming to an End

Although stablecoins are traded 24/7 in the market, the Treasury bond reserves backing these assets are often tied to weekday business hours and the traditional banking calendar. This creates a significant risk by making it difficult to convert reserves into cash during sudden market volatility. BNY’s 2027 goal promises to move the financial system toward a more secure and fluid state by making the settlement process for these assets as seamless as cryptocurrencies.

The bank will continue to test tokenized bonds on a private blockchain until the end of the year. Having introduced tokenized deposit balances for its institutional clients in January, the giant institution plans to integrate its financial power into the digital asset world, eliminating disruptions caused by time zone differences between Asian, European, and U.S. markets. This will ensure that the collateral backing stablecoins is accessible and manageable at any time.

World’s Largest Custody Bank BNY Makes Ripple Move: 24/7 Settlements Starting in 2027 isimli makale Selim Kuşçu tarafından hazırlanmış ve koinbulteni.comda yayınlanmıştır.

It Was Supposed to Be $1 but It Hit Zero: A 99% Collapse

Fatih TAŞDEMİR — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 11:00:09 +0000

Balance, an algorithmic stablecoin, effectively hit zero after losing 99% of its value following the exploitation of a pricing vulnerability in its protocol.

As security vulnerabilities continue to plague the cryptocurrency world, Balance Coin was the latest target. This algorithmic stablecoin, which is normally expected to remain pegged to the $1 level, plummeted to as low as $0.0014 following an attack on Wednesday. Approximately $3.5 million in nominal market capitalization evaporated almost entirely within minutes.

According to blockchain data, the attacker seized approximately $912,000 worth of assets from Bitcoin vaults within 42DAO, the governance entity behind the project. According to the system’s operation, users minted this stablecoin by providing Bitcoin (BTC) as collateral. However, the attacker managed to input an erroneous Bitcoin price into the system by manipulating the mechanism known as an oracle, which provides price data from the external world.

Oracle Manipulation and Security Vulnerability

Security firm SlowMist stated that the attacker exploited a loophole in the system to show the Bitcoin price as abnormally low. The protocol’s lending contract accepted this faulty price without any verification or liquidation delay. This situation allowed the attacker to instantly seize numerous vaults that should not have been liquidated and swap the collateral inside for profit.

This incident once again highlights how critical security vulnerabilities are in the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem. Especially on platforms involving complex code structures and technical processes, the smallest logic error can lead to millions of dollars in losses. With recent technological developments, including the integration of artificial intelligence systems, protecting digital assets has become more challenging than ever.

It Was Supposed to Be $1 but It Hit Zero: A 99% Collapse isimli makale Fatih TAŞDEMİR tarafından hazırlanmış ve koinbulteni.comda yayınlanmıştır.

Next-Gen Stablecoin and AI-Focused Bank Becomes a Unicorn with $180 Million Investment

Selim Kuşçu — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 14:47:30 +0000

Augustus has reached a $1 billion valuation after receiving a $180 million investment to establish a next-generation clearing bank focused on stablecoins and artificial intelligence.

While stablecoin usage is spreading rapidly in the financial world, infrastructure projects that will enable the integration of these assets with traditional systems continue to receive massive investments. In the latest investment round led by Tiger Global, Augustus drew significant attention with its $180 million in support. The company aims to modernize the cumbersome and slow-moving traditional correspondent banking system, placing blockchain-based assets at the center of the financial system.

Instead of issuing its own cryptocurrency, Augustus provides an infrastructure that allows financial institutions to seamlessly transfer money between traditional payment systems and blockchain networks. The company’s CEO, Ferdinand Dabitz, argues that current clearing systems are inefficient because they are closed on weekends and transactions take days to settle. According to Dabitz, within the next 10 years, all clearing banks will be forced to use stablecoin infrastructures, much like today’s traditional systems.

Next-Generation Stablecoin-Focused Banking Infrastructure

Having received a conditional national bank charter from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Augustus plans to gain direct access to the U.S. dollar clearing infrastructure. The firm, which already serves a broad client base including giant cryptocurrency exchanges like Kraken, is building a 24/7 system suitable for the era of AI and programmable money. This move could pave the way for trillions of dollars in liquidity currently sitting idle in correspondent bank accounts worldwide to be managed much faster and more efficiently.

With this massive investment, the company aims to expand its service network to regions where access to U.S. dollar banking is limited, such as Latin America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Built entirely from scratch instead of using legacy software, this platform is preparing for a future where AI agents will play an active role in financial transactions. Augustus’ vision focuses on accelerating global money flow by making blockchain technology the invisible but most critical gear of finance.

Next-Gen Stablecoin and AI-Focused Bank Becomes a Unicorn with $180 Million Investment isimli makale Selim Kuşçu tarafından hazırlanmış ve koinbulteni.comda yayınlanmıştır.

Exodus Movement Cuts Workforce by 25%: Pivots Toward Stablecoin and Card Infrastructure

Fatih TAŞDEMİR — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 14:11:01 +0000

Crypto wallet giant Exodus Movement has decided to reduce its global workforce by 25% as part of its strategy to transform into a payment platform.

Popular cryptocurrency wallet provider Exodus Movement (EXOD) is taking a strategic step that will fundamentally change its business model. The company is significantly reducing its headcount to transition from being just a wallet service into a comprehensive payment platform focused on stablecoin payments and card infrastructure. This major shift in the workforce will move the brand’s position in the crypto world from a wallet provider to a full-scale financial technology company.

The Nebraska-based company stated in its official announcement that these layoffs are part of an effort to reduce costs. However, this decision is not just a simple cost-cutting move; it also aims to accelerate the process of integrating the company’s strategic acquisitions, such as Monavate and Baanx, into its system. These two significant acquisitions expand Exodus’s payment capabilities while strengthening its international presence.

Exodus Focuses on Payment Infrastructure

The restructuring process is expected to cost the company between $2.5 million and $3.5 million. A large portion of this amount consists of severance pay and employee support packages. Through this operation, the company plans to achieve annual cash operating expense savings of between $10 million and $13 million by 2027.

With this transformation, Exodus aims to play a more active role in card infrastructure and daily payments made with digital assets. While the company’s stock, EXOD, recorded a slight increase in the markets following the news, the overall strategy is built on ensuring long-term financial sustainability. In this new era, the company will focus on providing a more integrated financial experience to its users.

Exodus Movement Cuts Workforce by 25%: Pivots Toward Stablecoin and Card Infrastructure isimli makale Fatih TAŞDEMİR tarafından hazırlanmış ve koinbulteni.comda yayınlanmıştır.

$2.3 Billion Outflow from Binance and Bybit: What’s the Reason?

Selim Kuşçu — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 09:47:20 +0000

While a massive stablecoin outflow of approximately $2.3 billion has occurred from Binance and Bybit exchanges over the last 30 days, the reasons behind this situation are MiCA regulations and users turning to on-chain yield products.

Giant cryptocurrency exchanges Binance and Bybit faced a significant loss of liquidity over the last month. According to data shared by CryptoQuant analyst @Darkfost_Coc, a total of nearly $2.3 billion in stablecoin outflows occurred from both platforms. This movement is considered a concrete indicator of general regulatory pressures in the market and changes in investor strategies.

When the data is detailed, it is understood that a reserve decrease of approximately $1.55 billion was seen on the Binance front. Similarly, the Bybit exchange recorded an outflow worth approximately $786 million. As seen in the shared charts, this sharp decline, especially in ERC20-based assets, led to a significant narrowing in the exchanges’ liquidity pools.

MiCA Regulation and the Search for On-Chain Yield

Analysts point to the European Union’s MiCA regulations as one of the primary reasons for this large-scale fund movement. With increasing regulatory pressure, it is estimated that especially Europe-based users are withdrawing their assets from exchanges and turning to different platforms or self-custody methods, such as personal wallets. Additionally, the weakness of new inflows into the market makes it difficult for reserves to recover.

Investors’ tendency to move away from exchanges and toward on-chain yield products continues to pressure the stablecoin supply on centralized platforms. Although it has not yet been precisely confirmed exactly which addresses these funds are going to, it appears that users are shifting their assets to decentralized areas offering higher yields. This situation signals a strategic shift in user behavior within the cryptocurrency ecosystem.

$2.3 Billion Outflow from Binance and Bybit: What’s the Reason? isimli makale Selim Kuşçu tarafından hazırlanmış ve koinbulteni.comda yayınlanmıştır.

Visa’s Future Payment AI Report: These Cryptocurrencies Should Be Used in Future Payments

Selim Kuşçu — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 13:00:12 +0000

Payment giant Visa views the use of stablecoins for micropayments as an inevitable necessity in the new economy driven by AI agents.

A new report published by Visa and analytics firm Artemis examines the role of AI agents in the future of commerce and the payment methods to be used in this process. According to the report, while traditional card systems remain ideal for large-scale transactions, stablecoins will play the leading role in very small payments occurring between software entities. Visa defines this new era as the “agent economy” and predicts that payments will take shape in a hybrid structure.

Existing card infrastructures will continue to be used for human-centric macro transactions such as travel bookings or subscription management. However, for micropayments under $1, such as API calls between software systems or renting processing power, stablecoins will be preferred due to low transaction costs. Fixed fees in existing card systems make such small payments uneconomical, whereas next-generation blockchains make this process possible by reducing transaction costs to under a cent.

Hybrid Payment Model in the AI Economy

Visa emphasizes that card systems and stablecoins are not competitors, but rather complementary parts of the same system. The company has begun integrating stablecoin support into its existing infrastructure through initiatives such as the Trusted Agent Protocol, Agent Payments Protocol, and Visa Intelligent Commerce. In this way, the trust and authorization mechanisms of traditional finance are brought together with the fast and cheap settlement capabilities of blockchain technology.

Furthermore, Visa has joined the Open USD (OUSD) project by collaborating with giants like BlackRock, Mastercard, and Coinbase. This new stablecoin project, which shares reserve revenues with participants, is at the core of Visa’s digital asset strategy. The company states that despite obstacles such as legal regulations and trust issues, stablecoins will be an inevitable force in this new machine-driven economy.

Visa’s Future Payment AI Report: These Cryptocurrencies Should Be Used in Future Payments isimli makale Selim Kuşçu tarafından hazırlanmış ve koinbulteni.comda yayınlanmıştır.

Fed Chair Warsh: We Have No Plan to Bail Out the Crypto World, But the Door Is Open

Fatih TAŞDEMİR — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 11:16:05 +0000

Fed Chair Kevin Warsh stated that they do not have a comprehensive bailout plan covering the cryptocurrency sector, while leaving a strategic opening by not completely closing the door on intervention in the event of a potential stablecoin crisis.

U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Kevin Warsh made statements of significant interest to the markets during a session held on July 14 before the U.S. House Financial Services Committee. Warsh stated that the institution is focused on reforms to reduce excessive risks in the financial system and that, as a fundamental principle, they have no intention of bailing anyone out. These remarks resonated widely, especially at a time when the cryptocurrency market is anticipating regulation and support.

Warsh clearly emphasized that the Fed’s primary purpose is not to be “in the bailout business.” Stating that they hope the financial system reaches a structure where no one needs external support, the Fed Chair noted that this also applies to the crypto industry. However, questions later in the session revealed critical points where this rigid stance might soften.

The Fed’s Role and Risks in Stablecoin Crises

In response to lawmakers’ questions regarding the Fed’s stance on a potential wave of panic in the stablecoin market or sharp sell-off pressures in the general crypto market, Warsh avoided making a clear commitment. Although the general policy is anti-bailout, it was notable that he did not provide a definitive “no” regarding whether there would be intervention under any circumstances in a systemic risk event. This is interpreted as the Fed keeping its distance from crypto assets but remaining on alert against the risk of potential financial contagion.

Systemic risks that could be created by assets with direct ties to traditional finance, particularly stablecoins, cause the Fed to keep its function as the “lender of last resort” on the table. Although the institution wants to maintain market discipline and prevent moral hazard, it prefers to leave a strategic door open against the possibility of disrupting global financial stability. This approach shows that the Fed is not completely ignoring the crypto ecosystem but is keeping the bar for intervention very high.

Fed Chair Warsh: We Have No Plan to Bail Out the Crypto World, But the Door Is Open isimli makale Fatih TAŞDEMİR tarafından hazırlanmış ve koinbulteni.comda yayınlanmıştır.

Stripe’s $53 Billion Move for PayPal: A New Era in the On-Chain Economy

Selim Kuşçu — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:00:10 +0000

Stripe and Advent’s attempt to acquire PayPal could significantly accelerate the transition of giants into the on-chain economy through stablecoin projects.

Payment systems giant Stripe and private equity firm Advent International have submitted a massive $53 billion acquisition bid for PayPal, a move that has sent shockwaves through financial markets. This historic offer not only pushes the boundaries of traditional finance but is also considered a critical turning point in the process of moving capital onto blockchain networks.

Aishwary Gupta, Head of Business Development at Polygon (POL) Labs, argues that this merger will trigger the digitization process of money. According to Gupta, when Stripe’s commercial depth and PayPal’s hundreds of millions of users are combined, a massive volume of global transactions could be moved onto the blockchain. Specifically, PayPal’s own stablecoin, PayPal USD (PYUSD), and Stripe’s soon-to-be-launched Open USD (OUSD) will be at the heart of this new ecosystem.

A New Balance of Power in the Stablecoin World

Following the acquisition news, PayPal shares surged 17 percent during the day, reaching $55.52. While Stripe prepares to enter the market with OUSD, developed in collaboration with giants like Visa and Mastercard, PayPal’s existing PYUSD—which can also be issued on the Polygon network—stands out as one of the strongest elements supporting this strategy.

However, not every analyst views this merger with the same optimism. Analysts at William Blair point out that PYUSD‘s market capitalization is approximately $2.8 billion, which represents only 4 percent of USDC‘s market share. The analysts state that Stripe does not necessarily need to acquire PayPal to achieve its stablecoin goals, but if this merger occurs, the resulting user base would act as a massive catalyst for the on-chain economy.

Stripe’s $53 Billion Move for PayPal: A New Era in the On-Chain Economy isimli makale Selim Kuşçu tarafından hazırlanmış ve koinbulteni.comda yayınlanmıştır.