Stablecoin infrastructure delivers velocity but issuers and exchanges capture the rent. Velocity beats market cap as digital dollars become invisible financial plumbing. Opinion by: Jeff Handler, co-founder at OpenTrade. The tech has been solved. The digital dollars are flowing. In 2026, the only variable left is understanding who actually gets to collect and enjoy the fare. 2025 wasn’t the year stablecoins “went mainstream”, at least not how crypto pundits had envisioned. No specific app that dominated the download charts, nor was there a particular moment when stablecoins suddenly clicked for normies. Instead, by intentional design, digital dollars quietly and efficiently became working capital, nestling neatly into the world’s financial plumbing. Read more
A Coinbase Institute survey suggests crypto has become the financial starting point for most 16-25-year-olds in the UK, as digital assets become a powerful credibility test for political parties. The United Kingdom’s move to pause political donations in cryptocurrency is colliding with rising digital asset awareness among younger people, with more than 80% of 16- to 25-year-olds now familiar with crypto, according to a new survey shared with Cointelegraph. Research by Coinbase Institute and JL Partners, shared with Cointelegraph, found that crypto, led by Bitcoin (BTC), has overtaken traditional banking products as many young people’s entry point to understanding money, risk and financial opportunity. Just 43% recognize a Stocks & Shares Individual Savings Account and 20% a Help to Buy ISA, reflecting what the report describes as a “crypto first, TradFi second” re-ordering of financial literacy. The findings come as the United Kingdom advances plans for a moratorium on political donations in crypto, highlight...
OpenFX raised $94 million in a Series A round to expand its stablecoin-based FX network, as firms explore faster cross-border payment infrastructure. OpenFX, a fintech startup focused on foreign exchange and remittances, raised $94 million in a Series A funding round to expand its stablecoin-based payments network. The round included Accel, Atomico, Lightspeed Faction, M13, Northzone and Pantera. The company said it plans to use the funds to increase liquidity, enter new markets and expand operations in Southeast Asia and Latin America. “The global FX market processes more than $200 trillion annually, yet the core settlement infrastructure remains largely unchanged from decades ago,” founder Prabhakar Reddy said, adding that he launched OpenFX in 2024 to address what he described as a gap in the FX market. Read more