payment

AI Economic Settlement Agreement AEON announced its integration with Colombia's national instant payment system Bre - B, allowing users to complete payments using cryptocurrency through the Bre - B standard QR code, while merchants receive payments in Colombian pesos (COP). AEON has supported over 50 million merchants globally, and this integration further extends the AI settlement network into the local payment systems of Latin America, providing the infrastructure support for AI and AI Agents to access real commercial scenarios and complete transactions and fiat currency settlements through local payment networks.

Korean BC Card announced that it has completed the "Overseas Digital Asset Wallet - Connection of Korean Local Bank Card Payment Infrastructure" pilot test with Coinbase and Wavebridge.The test verified that foreign tourists can directly use USDC in their wallets to make payments at Korean BC QR merchants, achieving a full process linkage from stablecoin payment to Korean won settlement.

The Bank of England (BOE) has entered the second phase of the digital pound project, testing whether publicly issued stablecoins can operate in conjunction with central bank currency within a single payment process for trade finance.BOE will collaborate with NOBO Finance, Dun & Bradstreet, and Polygon Labs in the digital pound laboratory to explore the establishment of reusable credit profiles for small businesses and to study the use of stablecoins in conjunction with potential digital pounds in invoice factoring. The related experiments do not involve real customers or funds and aim to provide a reference for BOE and the UK Treasury to assess the interoperability of different forms of digital currency.

The B.AI platform officially launched the "Recharge for Others" feature on August 12, allowing users to top up platform points for team members or friends with one click. Users can input the recipient's email or on-chain address (compatible with TRON, EVM, and Solana networks) for precise targeting and real-time crediting.In terms of payment channels, this feature has fully integrated with fiat channels such as WeChat, Alipay, UnionPay, Visa, Mastercard, Google Pay, and Apple Pay, while also supporting mainstream cryptocurrency payments. To encourage user adoption, the platform has simultaneously launched a recharge reward campaign: recharging via BNB Chain allows users to receive a 1:1 equivalent point bonus, while other payment methods offer a 1:0.5 reward. Each user can receive up to $100 in additional rewards.

Morph Network officially announces the launch of Morph Payments, positioned as an enterprise-level stablecoin payment platform for global businesses. Enterprises can register via email and generate payment links, while customers can use any wallet and network to pay with stablecoins, with funds arriving within seconds. The recipient can choose their preferred network for receiving payments.The payment side supports single or bulk payments to suppliers, employees, or contractors. Morph Network states that the platform is aimed at real business scenarios, covering the global flow of funds from receiving to paying.

During the US stock market, Circle (CRCL) stock price rose over 6%, reaching a high of $73.35 during the session, with a market capitalization of approximately $18 billion.Recently, Bitwise Research Director Ryan Rasmussen stated that as the stablecoin market expands to trillions of dollars, Circle's value is underestimated by the market, and it will not only become a stablecoin giant but also a payment giant.

The UK Parliament's Crypto and Digital Assets APPG co-chair Gurinder Singh Josan and Lord Vaizey of Didcot have written to the CEOs of all major UK banks, requesting clarification on how they treat cryptocurrency and digital asset businesses. The letter raises six questions regarding the banks' current policies, whether they provide services to crypto businesses, related transaction restrictions and their determining factors, and whether they have adjusted their practices since the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulatory regime came into effect.The group stated that many crypto businesses find it difficult to open bank accounts in the UK, and some banks restrict related payments. This letter stems from the parliamentary inquiry into access to banking services launched on July 21, with written submissions due by August 31. A January survey by the UK Crypto Asset Business Council indicated that the proportion of transactions blocked or delayed by banks when transferring to crypto exchanges is estimated to be as high as 40%. HSBC, NatWest, Monzo, and Nationwide limit the amount transferred to crypto exchanges each month to between £5,000 and £10,000, while Starling and Chase UK prohibit such transfers altogether. Lucy Rigby, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, stated that the government does not want FCA-licensed businesses to be restricted by banks solely because of their industry; the FCA completed the relevant rules in June, and the regime will be enforced from October 2027.

According to a16z crypto, the monthly spending on crypto payment cards has grown from a niche scale to $759 million. These cards allow users to pay with cryptocurrency in all scenarios that support traditional card organizations, with stablecoins converted to local currency at the point of sale, making it no different for merchants than regular card transactions.As of July 31, looking at the spending composition from various card programs, RedotPay has long held the majority share, while EtherFi, KAST, Karta, and others have gradually increased their share since the end of 2025. a16z crypto states that crypto cardholders do not need traditional bank accounts and can deposit stablecoins with the issuer or hold them directly through self-custody. These cards have expanded global users' access to dollar accounts and provided a convenient spending method for stablecoin holders.

According to a video released by Bitcoin Magazine on the X platform, U.S. President Trump stated that he is seeing more and more people using Bitcoin for payments, "they don't even know what cash is anymore." Trump said, "Cryptocurrency is a big deal."

According to Jinshi reports, Guangdong Province is publicly soliciting opinions on the "14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone (Draft for Comments)," which aims to orderly expand financial openness and promote the expansion of pilot projects for cross-border payments using digital RMB.The plan mentions supporting the establishment of headquarters for international financial institutions, promoting innovative businesses such as cross-border finance and green finance, and deepening pilot projects for the transfer of cross-border credit assets.

Global Stablecoin Arrangement and Liquidity Network Borderless.xyz announced a partnership with Mastercard to launch a pilot program exploring how to enhance trust and compliance in cross-border stablecoin payments through Mastercard Crypto Credential.The pilot will utilize the standardized framework of Mastercard Crypto Credential to provide verifiable trust signals for stablecoin payment processes, helping participants optimize approval, compliance, and risk management. Participants in the pilot include Infinia, Walapay, and Koywe from the Borderless.xyz network.

According to Cointelegraph, payment giant Mastercard has announced a pilot project with the stablecoin infrastructure network Borderless to explore the use of the Mastercard Crypto Credential standard framework to provide more reliable identity verification and compliance support for cross-border stablecoin payments.Both parties stated that the pilot will test how to provide "trust signals" that can be used for approval, compliance review, and risk management for transaction participants through a standardized certification mechanism, reducing compliance friction in cross-border stablecoin payments.The Mastercard Crypto Credential framework provides identity confirmation and credibility assurance for blockchain transactions through unified standards and verification mechanisms. Kevin Lehtiniitty, co-founder and CEO of Borderless, stated that compliance has always been a major barrier to the scalable development of stablecoin payments, and Mastercard is attempting to apply the compliance trust model from traditional finance to the digital asset payment space. He pointed out that the Mastercard Crypto Credential will serve as a governance and verification layer in this pilot, but Mastercard will not directly handle or settle funds. This collaboration is the latest move in Mastercard's ongoing strategy in the stablecoin space.Previously, Mastercard had just completed the acquisition of stablecoin infrastructure company BVNK for approximately $1.8 billion, further strengthening its infrastructure layout in the digital asset payment field. In June of this year, Mastercard also announced plans to expand its settlement capabilities to support round-the-clock card payment settlements using stablecoins, including USDC issued by Circle, PYUSD, USDG, USDP issued by Paxos, and RLUSD issued by Ripple.The market believes that as stablecoins gradually enter cross-border payment scenarios, identity authentication, compliance verification, and risk control infrastructure will become important factors driving institutional adoption.

Cryptocurrency platform Bybit announced that its local subsidiary Bybit Payments GmbH has been granted an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license by the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA), allowing it to provide regulated electronic money and payment services in Europe through Bybit.eu.Bybit EU GmbH has been authorized as a crypto asset service provider under the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR) since May 2025. Bybit stated that Bybit Payments will be responsible for fiat and electronic money operations, while Bybit EU GmbH will handle digital asset operations. Bybit Payments plans to launch peer-to-peer transfers, open banking features, merchant solutions, card programs, and strong customer authentication tools based on the EMI framework. Company representatives indicated that this license will support its direct collaboration with European financial institutions and payment processors.

According to official news, Cloudflare announced the launch of Cloudflare Wallets, providing payment and identity infrastructure for AI Agents.Cloudflare stated that currently, when AI Agents attempt new APIs, they typically need to go through registration, login, payment, and API key generation processes designed for humans. This lack of stable identity and native payment capabilities makes it difficult for agents to autonomously explore and compare different services, limiting the development of agent commerce. The newly launched wallet system aims to address this issue, allowing AI Agents to more conveniently purchase APIs, content, and other digital services.Cloudflare Wallets will support two modes: Account Wallets and Virtual Wallets. Among them, Account Wallets are aimed at individual and business users, allowing them to recharge, manage funds, and allocate budgets for AI Agents; Virtual Wallets are specifically designed for AI Agents, operating through API keys and allowing users to set spending limits, whitelists, and single transaction caps as security rules, enabling agents to autonomously call APIs and purchase services within a controlled range.In addition, Cloudflare Wallets will support stablecoin storage, micropayments based on the x402 protocol, and will integrate with Cloudflare's previously launched Monetization Gateway, providing automated trading capabilities for websites and applications aimed at AI Agents.Cloudflare stated that the future internet will gradually form a new "agent economy" driven by AI Agents, where wallets, payments, and identity verification will become key infrastructure. Through the cloudflare.pay identity identifier, AI Agents can obtain a readable identity name, helping merchants identify their associated accounts and organizations while enhancing transaction transparency.Cloudflare claims it will continue to improve the agent commerce ecosystem, providing developers and businesses with the foundational tools to support AI Agents in autonomously purchasing, selling, and interacting, promoting the transition of the internet from a human-oriented service model to an agent-oriented automated market.

Global remittance giant Western Union announced that its Stablecard, built on the Rain stablecoin infrastructure, is officially launched.Users can directly receive the stablecoin USDPT issued by Western Union and issued on Solana by Anchorage Digital Bank, and can make instant purchases at Visa-supported merchants worldwide through an integrated Visa card, or choose to withdraw cash.The first batch of Stablecard covers 37 markets, and Western Union plans to expand to more than 60 markets by the end of the year. The company stated that the stablecoin will help reduce the pre-funding requirements for cross-border remittances, improve capital efficiency, and support the launch of more digital financial services.