May 18, 2026 @ 11:05 am By JD Alois  |  

Iran has announced it intends to offer insurance for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz using Bitcoin. Fars News Agency and Iran’s Ministry of Economy state that the system provides cryptographically verifiable insurance policies. By using Bitcoin, Iran aims to circumvent the many sanctions imposed… Read More

May 18, 2026 @ 10:53 am By JD Alois  |  

Tether has announced an investment in LemFi, a Fintech that enables cross-border transfers. LemFi (formerly known as Lemonade Finance) supports users living in the US, Canada, the UK and Europe to send payments and transfers to more than 30 countries. As Tether is the issuer of USD₮,… Read More

May 18, 2026 @ 10:39 am By JD Alois  |  

Tokenization is quickly becoming commonplace, and it is vital that regulators and policymakers work in concert with both current industry participants and future firms that will eventually incorporate digital assets, including tokenized securities. The Bank of England and the UK Financial Conduct Authority issued a… Read More

May 18, 2026 @ 9:22 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Anchorage Digital and Grupo Salinas have unveiled a strategic collaboration aimed at transforming international settlements. The alliance leverages regulated stablecoins to enable faster, more efficient, and transparent cross-border transactions, marking a step forward in the integration of digital assets into traditional banking systems. Anchorage Digital,… Read More

May 18, 2026 @ 8:48 am By JD Alois  |  

The Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) have issued a joint statement on tokenization and the wholesale market. The comment is described as a “shared vision” that has the potential to streamline markets while benefitting from additional functionality. The discussion is driven… Read More

May 18, 2026 @ 7:46 am By Omar Faridi  |  

A decentralized finance project called Verus is grappling with a serious security incident involving its cross-chain connection to Ethereum. Blockchain monitoring experts have confirmed that malicious actors have extracted roughly $11.58 million in cryptocurrency assets from the bridge so far, sparking immediate concerns across the… Read More

May 18, 2026 @ 6:52 am By Omar Faridi  |  

PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) like other Fintech companies in this challenging environment is navigating a strategy of workforce optimization and artificial intelligence integration with key players like Anthropic. This approach aims to enhance operational efficiency while addressing competitive pressures in a digital-first economy. Recent developments highlight how… Read More

May 18, 2026 @ 6:04 am By Tony Zerucha  |  

V-Track, an African asset intelligence platform, recently introduced a new platform designed to give users real-time insight into their asset management effectiveness As organizations across Africa intensify their focus on financial discipline, cost optimization, and governance, a critical vulnerability is the lack of accurate, real-time… Read More

May 18, 2026 @ 5:53 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The cryptocurrency and digital tokens market witnessed a rally in HYPE tokens on news of a significant collaboration involving Hyperliquid, Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN),  and Circle (NYSE:CRCL). HYPE climbed to an impressive peak of $46.93, reflecting strong investor enthusiasm for the latest developments in decentralized finance infrastructure…. Read More

May 18, 2026 @ 1:24 am By Michael Wong  |  

US startup Sprouts.ai has raised $9 million in a pre-Series A funding round led by True Global Ventures and Accel, as investors continue backing companies building autonomous tools for enterprise sales and marketing teams. The latest round brings Sprouts.ai’s total funding to $14 million since… Read More

May 18, 2026 @ 12:23 am By Michael Wong  |  

Hong Kong regulators and market participants have released a sector-focused transition finance guide for the technology industry, as the city seeks to give banks, investors, and issuers more practical tools for assessing climate transition plans in digital infrastructure and ICT financing. The Hong Kong Green… Read More

May 18, 2026 @ 12:19 am By Michael Wong  |  

Singapore’s central bank will ease some rules governing the sale of complex investment products to retail investors, as regulators seek to balance investor protection with growing demand for self-directed investing platforms and digital financial services. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said it will proceed… Read More

May 17, 2026 @ 11:21 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Asset managers VanEck and Grayscale Investments have taken fresh steps to advance their proposals for spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tracking BNB, the native token of the BNB Chain ecosystem. On May 15, 2026, both firms submitted updated registration statements to the US Securities and Exchange… Read More

May 17, 2026 @ 11:20 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has chosen UK data analytics and AI specialist Quantexa for a £175 million, ten-year partnership. Announced on 14 May 2026, the agreement represents one of the largest Decision Intelligence projects ever undertaken in government. It will overhaul the tax authority’s… Read More

May 17, 2026 @ 7:22 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

A recent report indicates that China’s artificial intelligence venture market is demonstrating notable resilience amid a broader slowdown in venture capital activity, according to a new Q2 2026 analyst note from PitchBook. While overall VC deployment has contracted significantly since its 2021 peak, AI-related investments… Read More

May 17, 2026 @ 7:06 pm By Michael Wong  |  

Qatar has launched a $30 million deep-tech venture fund that will invest in early-stage startups headquartered in the country that are developing tech with measurable social or climate impact. The fund adds to a wave of state-backed investment vehicles across the Gulf aimed at attracting… Read More

May 17, 2026 @ 6:59 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The online commerce ecosystem has long centered on human consumers navigating endless feeds, targeted promotions, algorithmic suggestions, search engine tweaks, and casual browsing. Yet a significant shift is said to be currently underway. Stripe co-founder and president John Collison argues that “agentic commerce”—where autonomous AI… Read More

May 17, 2026 @ 3:36 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Digital asset traders and investors focused on the decentralized finance (DeFi) sector are increasingly favoring high-return strategies while sidelining protective measures, leaving substantial capital exposed to sophisticated attacks. This behavior persists despite warnings from leading blockchain analytics providers and evolving regulatory scrutiny from US authorities…. Read More

May 17, 2026 @ 3:35 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Harvard University’s endowment is said to have significantly scaled back its cryptocurrency exposure, while Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company has steadily expanded its commitment to Bitcoin. Recent 13F filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) highlight these shifts among major institutional players navigating… Read More

May 17, 2026 @ 3:30 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Nubank (NYSE: NU) and Revolut decisively stand out as leading global digital banks, each pursuing distinct strategies for growth and monetization. Nubank, primarily operating in Latin America, has built a model centered on high-volume lending in emerging markets with elevated interest margins. It generates the… Read More