Stablecoin transactions in the U.S. have reached record highs following the passage of the GENIUS Act, a landmark law that formally regulates stablecoin issuers. According to new data from Artemis Analytics, payment volume using stablecoins surged to $10 billion in August 2025, up from $6 billion in February — a 70% increase in just six … Read more
Prediction markets have entered the financial mainstream. Once a niche concept limited to crypto circles and academic experiments, they are now attracting major players—from DraftKings and Kraken to Intercontinental Exchange (ICE)—signaling a new era in event-based trading. At the heart of this evolution lies an important question: Are prediction markets innovative financial instruments, or cleverly … Read more
In a landmark signal of changing priorities, Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said Tuesday (Oct. 21) that the central bank will take a more active and participatory role in the transformation of payments systems. Speaking at the Federal Reserve’s Payments Innovation Conference in Washington, Waller declared: “The revolution transforming payments is demanding change everywhere. I … Read more
Federal regulators’ push to simplify oversight and eliminate low-impact compliance burdens could dramatically ease the operational strain on U.S. banks. During PNC Financial Services Group’s third-quarter 2025 earnings call on Wednesday (Oct. 15), CEO Bill Demchak said the reforms could save banks “hundreds and hundreds” of full-time equivalents (FTEs) currently devoted to responding to regulators’ … Read more
U.S. Bank — one of the nation’s largest lenders and global custodians — is officially deepening its bet on blockchain and digital finance.The bank announced Wednesday (Oct. 15) that it has established a dedicated Digital Assets and Money Movement organization focused on four major areas: The new division will focus on both product innovation and … Read more
The Federal Reserve’s Beige Book, released Wednesday (Oct. 15), paints a cautious portrait of the U.S. economy: one that is stable but stagnant. Across its 12 regional districts, economic activity was mostly unchanged, reflecting a mix of modest expansion, flat performance, and slight decline. The 56-page report uses the word “uncertainty” 40 times, underscoring the … Read more
Federal banking regulators are reportedly finalizing a proposal to reduce the community bank leverage ratio (CBLR) from 9% to 8%, marking the most significant change to small-bank capital rules since the framework’s inception. According to a Bloomberg report on Wednesday (Oct. 15), the Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) and the Office of the … Read more
The Federal Reserve is taking a major step toward real-time, near-continuous settlement for large-value payments.The central bank said it will extend operating hours for its Fedwire Funds Service and the National Settlement Service (NSS) to 22 hours per day, six days a week, running from Sunday through Friday — including weekday holidays. The initiative, known … Read more
Four months after the Federal Reserve lifted its long-standing asset cap, Wells Fargo is signaling a strategic shift from regulatory remediation to sustainable growth and improved shareholder returns. During the bank’s third-quarter earnings call on Tuesday, Chairman and CEO Charlie Scharf emphasized that Wells Fargo has transformed into “a significantly more attractive company” since addressing … Read more