stablecoins

According to official news, Gate will upgrade the Gate Card points reward program on August 14, 2026. After the upgrade, the assets that can be redeemed with Gate Card points will expand from primarily supporting USDT and GT to include USDT, GT, BTC, ETH, GUSD, as well as tokenized stock assets such as NVDAG, AAPLG, GOOGLG, SPCXG, TSLAG, MUG, SNDKG, and SKHYG, corresponding to Nvidia, Apple, Google, SpaceX, Tesla, Micron Technology, SanDisk, and SK Hynix. The newly added tokenized stock assets cover several popular fields such as AI, semiconductors, and consumer technology. After earning points through eligible daily spending, users can redeem mainstream crypto assets like BTC and ETH according to their preferences, or they can redeem corresponding tokenized stock assets like Nvidia, Apple, Tesla, and SpaceX. In addition, Gate Card points will also support the redemption of gold-backed stablecoins (XAUT), effectively enriching users' options for point redemption.The redemption ratio for Gate Card points remains at 100 points = 1 USDT equivalent asset, and points are permanently valid, with other core rules unchanged. Users can still earn cashback points through eligible Gate Card spending, with the cashback ratio continuing to be calculated based on the user's T0--T5 / VIP level. This upgrade will not affect the existing point acquisition mechanism but will provide users with more asset choices at the redemption end, expanding the application scenarios for Gate Card points. By upgrading the points reward program, Gate Card will further connect payment consumption with asset accumulation, offering users richer rights options and a more flexible asset management experience.

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.

Trader Ansem (@blknoiz06) posted on the X platform stating that currently, there are tens of billions of dollars in stablecoin funds on-chain waiting to re-enter the risk asset market. Ansem believes that in the coming weeks, market participants will gradually realize that mainstream crypto assets (Majors) do not need to reach new historical highs, and capital rotation may occur earlier.He stated that as stablecoin funds flow back into the risk asset market, the market may welcome a stronger upward trend.

CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost stated that since May, the total market capitalization of stablecoins has lost nearly $15 billion, decreasing from about $280 billion to $266 billion.From October last year to May this year, the market capitalization remained stagnant, indicating that there has been no liquidity inflow or insufficient liquidity. Now, even though Bitcoin's price has stabilized, demand has not recovered, and this weakness hinders the rebound of Bitcoin's price. In contrast, the decline in the market capitalization of stablecoins indicates that liquidity in the crypto market is actually draining away.

On-chain analyst Tom Wan posted on the X platform, stating that the total market value of on-chain assets related to Robinhood has reached 1 billion USD. Among them: stablecoin assets account for about 58%; Ethereum (ETH) accounts for about 28%; yield-bearing stablecoins account for about 10%.

According to Cointelegraph, Dan Katz, the First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), stated that local currency stablecoins, aimed at reducing dependence on dollar stablecoins, may instead make it easier for users to turn to digital dollars. Once local currency stablecoins operate on the same blockchain infrastructure as dollar stablecoins, users can easily switch between the two through decentralized exchanges, liquidity pools, or peer-to-peer exchanges.This could accelerate the shift of foreign exchange activities from banks and currency traders to on-chain, weakening authorities' ability to monitor and manage capital flows. Katz mentioned that while it is still too early to draw conclusions, many users may prefer dollar tokens due to their strong liquidity, network effects, and ability to be used across platforms and borders. Katz pointed out that risks vary by country. In highly dollarized economies, stablecoins may primarily replace existing dollar holdings; whereas in countries where access to dollars is restricted and economic frameworks are weak, it may further increase demand for foreign currencies. Katz urged authorities to include deposit/withdrawal channels and on-chain exchange points in the regulatory framework.

ARK Invest stated that despite the latest U.S. employment data appearing weak, the overall economic situation is not as pessimistic as it seems. Cathie Wood mentioned that the U.S. federal deficit as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is currently 5.6%, and if productivity and technology adoption continue to improve, it may approach 5% by the end of the year.

The European Union (EU) has decided to review the current regulatory framework for crypto assets and stablecoins, even as the European Commission's Directorate-General for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union is still consulting on whether to review the MiCA-related stablecoin provisions. This review aims to address the issue of non-EU stablecoin issuers being unable to obtain licenses due to current requirements.The review will be influenced by the passage of the U.S. GENIUS Act and the Trump administration's push for stablecoin policies. The current framework does not include major foreign stablecoin issuers, including Tether, and Patrick Hansen, Senior Director of Stablecoin Strategy and Policy at Circle, stated that this leaves European crypto users unprotected or isolated. EU diplomats will also assess whether to expand the scope of MiCA to include tokenized payment methods and tokenized deposits. The transition period for MiCA, aimed at crypto asset service providers, ended on July 1, and the framework was approved by the EU Council on May 16, 2023, with some provisions based on market conditions from over three years ago.

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.

The Financial Services Agency of Japan announced personnel appointments. As part of an organizational restructuring, the agency has established a new "Department of Crypto Assets and Stablecoins," specifically responsible for regulating crypto assets and stablecoins. Toshiaki Adomi has been appointed as the first section chief.Toshiaki Adomi graduated from Osaka University Faculty of Law in 2002 and then joined the Financial Services Agency. He later obtained a Master of Business Administration from the University of Birmingham in the UK and a Master of Laws from the London School of Economics. He has held positions in bank supervision and policy coordination, and from July 2025, he will serve as a councilor in the Comprehensive Policy Bureau. Until August 1, 2026, he served as the councilor overseeing postal savings and insurance supervision.

Circle's Senior Director of Strategy and Policy, Patrick Hansen, stated that after the comprehensive implementation of the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), licenses have been issued for 35 electronic currency tokens from 21 issuers, and local issuers are making good progress. Patrick Hansen pointed out that the strict regulations of MiCA have made it impossible for most major stablecoin issuers, including Tether, to meet operational requirements. Currently, only USDG, USDC, and EURC comply with the framework requirements, while other stablecoins fall outside the regulatory scope of MiCA, leaving EU users unprotected or unable to access services.He believes that the upcoming review of MiCA should address this issue and provide a more pragmatic operational pathway for foreign issuers. The EU's Directorate-General for Financial Stability, Financial Services, and Capital Markets Union launched a public consultation on May 20 to assess whether the current framework is still applicable, with the consultation continuing until September 30.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury issued a joint statement outlining the discussions from the U.S.-UK Financial Regulatory Working Group meeting held on July 8 in London. The regulatory agencies from both sides expanded their collaboration in areas such as digital assets, stablecoins, payment modernization, AI, financial stability, capital markets, and cross-border financial cooperation. Participants included the finance departments of both countries, the Bank of England, the Federal Reserve, the UK's Financial Conduct Authority, and several U.S. financial regulatory agencies.The U.S. side introduced the implementation progress of the stablecoin GENIUS Act and the market structure for digital assets, while the UK side presented the digital strategy for wholesale financial markets. Both sides support comparable regulatory standards for stablecoins, including cross-border use, comparable treatment of similar risks, and that stablecoins used as currency should be backed by high-quality liquid assets at least on a one-to-one basis. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation has proposed implementation standards for the GENIUS Act, covering reserves, redemption, capital, liquidity, risk management, custody, and safekeeping.The Bank of England has released a draft rule for stablecoins that could achieve systemic scale in the UK economy, including a temporary issuance cap of £40 billion for each systemic stablecoin, unrestricted use by individuals and businesses, and reserve requirements. The Financial Regulatory Working Group is expected to hold another meeting in early 2027.

According to Cointelegraph, at the 13th U.S.-U.K. Financial Regulatory Working Group (FRWG) meeting held in London on July 8, both the U.S. and U.K. reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening financial regulatory cooperation and discussed topics such as stablecoin regulation, digital asset market structure, tokenization, and the U.K. wholesale financial market digitalization strategy.The joint statement indicated that the U.S. informed the U.K. about the implementation progress of the GENIUS Act and related work on digital asset market structure, expressing support for "responsible" digital asset innovation while emphasizing financial stability and international regulatory cooperation. On July 14, the "Transatlantic Taskforce on Future Markets" (TTMF) further released preliminary recommendations on stablecoins and a joint statement, laying the foundation for continued U.S.-U.K. leadership in the digital asset and capital markets sectors.

According to NADA NEWS, the Financial Services Agency of Japan announced the establishment of a new "Cryptocurrency and Stablecoin Division," specifically responsible for the regulation of cryptocurrencies and stablecoins. The organizational restructuring took effect on August 7. Previously, cryptocurrency-related business was managed by the "Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Innovation Office" and the "Cryptocurrency Monitoring Office," which were under the Risk Analysis Division of the Comprehensive Policy Bureau.After the restructuring, the new Cryptocurrency and Stablecoin Division was established under the Asset Utilization and Insurance Supervision Bureau, upgrading from an office-level to an independent division-level department. This division includes the "Cryptocurrency Monitoring Office," responsible for exchange regulation, as well as the "Innovation Promotion Office" and the "Digital Payment Planning Office." The Financial Services Agency stated that the restructuring is aimed at addressing new challenges such as financial digitalization and regulatory demands.