Strategic Partnership for Cross-Border Payments Visa has chosen BVNK to develop new pilot programs for Visa Direct using stablecoins, allowing customers to pre-fund cross-border payments in stablecoins and deliver digital U.S. dollars directly to recipient wallets in selected markets. The partnership, announced on Wednesday, expands Visa's previous experiments with stablecoins, including on-chain settlement tests with…
Bitcoin Stabilizes Close to Yearly High Bitcoin has remained stable near its yearly highs, hovering around $96,500, as traders analyze geopolitical risks and a possible verdict from the U.S. Supreme Court regarding trade tariffs, which the markets seem to have already priced in. Despite uncertainties, traders are increasingly influenced by liquidity conditions and the relative…
France Prepares to Open a Consulate in Greenland France is set to open a consulate in Greenland next month, an action that reflects the semi-autonomous island's desire to remain part of Denmark and the European Union. Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stated on RTL radio that the opening of the consulate in the self-governing Danish territory,…
Perpetual DEXs Gain Popularity Over Traditional Finance Perpetual decentralized exchanges (DEXs) are becoming increasingly attractive as traders turn to blockchain-based platforms that promise lower costs and fewer intermediaries compared to traditional banks and exchanges. These platforms allow traders to leverage their positions on the underlying asset without a specified expiration date. Crypto research firms like…
Backpack Exchange Initiates Beta Testing of Prediction Market Platform Backpack Exchange has launched an exclusive beta testing phase for its "Unified Prediction Portfolio," enabling users to hedge and trade across various markets from a single cryptocurrency account. CEO of Backpack, Armani Ferrante, announced the platform's launch in a post on X on Tuesday. "This isn't…
China Reports Record Trade Surplus of $1 Trillion China announced on Wednesday a record trade surplus, reaching $1.19 trillion in 2025, in a year when U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policies created turbulence in the global economy. This marks the first time that China's annual trade surplus has exceeded $1 trillion, surpassing the previous record…
Current Context of Protests in Iran The head of Iran's judiciary has pledged to expedite trials for individuals arrested during a series of protests, termed "clashes" by authorities. Human rights groups warn that the justice system is expected to broadly employ the death penalty. Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, the President of the Supreme Court, stated on state…
A Surprising Moment at the Summit A K-pop drum duet between the leaders of South Korea and Japan has sparked a wave of reactions online, highlighting the diplomatic relationship between the two nations. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi appeared on Tuesday in matching blue jackets, performing popular K-pop…
Galaxy Warns About New Treasury Powers in the Crypto Sector Galaxy Digital has raised alarms regarding a proposed legislative framework for the crypto market introduced by the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, which would grant the U.S. Treasury extended oversight and enforcement powers. This initiative has been described as the largest expansion of financial oversight authorities…
Aleppo: Tunnels Constructed by SDF Fighters Al Jazeera has gained access to an extensive network of tunnels in the Sheikh Maqsoud area of Aleppo, built by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Security forces began searching these passages following the withdrawal of the SDF, and reporter Bernard Smith was present inside. Published on January 14, 2026.