Stripe

MoneyGram has extended MoneyGram Ramps to Solana, giving wallets, exchanges and developers access to its global cash network. The rollout supports cash deposits in more than 25 countries and withdrawals across more than 170 countries and territories.

Mastercard has completed its acquisition of BVNK, a stablecoin infrastructure firm, in a deal valued at $1.8 billion. The transaction highlights how major payments companies and crypto platforms are competing for influence in a stablecoin market worth about $300 billion.

Swift’s blockchain settlement expansion and Stripe’s proposed PayPal bid highlight a new phase in the fight over global payment infrastructure. The focus is shifting from proving stablecoin technology to controlling wallets, merchant acceptance and settlement rails.

A potential Stripe acquisition of PayPal is stirring debate across fintech and crypto over who controls the rails behind consumer payments. Market participants say the biggest prize may be PayPal’s wallet reach, merchant network and stablecoin distribution rather than any single token.

The x402 Foundation has launched as a neutral open-source venue for companies including Visa, Mastercard, Stripe, Google, Coinbase-linked participants and blockchain groups to shape a standard for AI-driven payments. The protocol aims to let AI agents, machines and users transact over HTTP without relying on subscriptions, advertising models or manual card entry.

Stripe has offered to acquire PayPal in a $53 billion proposal backed by Advent International, setting up a potential blockbuster payments deal. The approach comes as both companies push deeper into stablecoins and blockchain-linked payment infrastructure.

Bitcoin’s latest advance has lost momentum as investors reassess the meaning of softer U.S. inflation data for Federal Reserve policy. With producer price data due later today and oil prices pressuring the inflation outlook, crypto traders are watching macro signals closely.

The Linux Foundation has launched the x402 Foundation with 40 members, including Ripple, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Stripe, Google, Amazon Web Services and Cloudflare. The protocol processed about 75 million transactions worth $24 million over the past 30 days, highlighting demand for small stablecoin payments between software agents.

Mizuho lowered Circle to underperform from neutral and cut its price target to $50 from $85, citing competition from Open USD. The bank warned that a yield pass through model could pressure Circle margins by shifting more reserve income toward distribution partners.

Mizuho reiterated a neutral view on Circle after the company secured final OCC approval to establish First National Digital Currency Bank. The firm said the milestone is constructive, but it does not resolve concerns around USDC supply trends, competitive pressure and the broader commoditization of stablecoins.

Circle shares bounced after a sharp selloff, but Jefferies warned that fresh competition from bank and fintech-backed stablecoins could weigh on USDC growth. The Open USD consortium, backed by major payments and finance firms, is emerging as a possible challenge to Circle's market share.

Circle shares dropped after the launch of Open Standard’s Open USD, a consortium stablecoin designed to rival USDC by sharing reserve income with partners. Analysts say the market may be overreacting, but the new token still faces a difficult test around structure, incentives and real-world adoption.

Circle shares tumbled after a consortium of more than 140 companies unveiled Open USD, a rival stablecoin network designed to challenge the economics of USDC. Backers include Stripe, Coinbase, Mastercard, Visa and BlackRock.