TronWeekly

Crypto World News

You are here: Home / Archives for Stablecoin Adoption

Stablecoin Adoption

Kima’s Mastercard Deal Unleashes Bold Stablecoin Prepaid Cards’ Top-ups

by

  • Kima partners with Mastercard to enable stablecoin top-ups for prepaid cards
  • Integration removes intermediaries and streamlines crypto-to-fiat transactions
  • Mastercard expands its crypto initiatives, to accelerate stablecoin adoption

Mastercard’s sandbox program has partnered with Kima, a decentralized settlement protocol, to enable users to top up prepaid cards with USDC and USDT. This partnership eliminates intermediaries in crypto-to-fiat transactions, which supports Mastercard’s plan to onboard digital assets into mainstream finance.

The partnership makes it easy for crypto users to add money to prepaid cards through self-custody wallets. Kima’s technology makes it easier for public blockchains, private ledgers, and banking systems to communicate with each other. It enables seamless payments, which increases the use of stablecoins in everyday financial transactions.

Eitan Katz, Kima’s CEO, said that this partnership makes it easier for customers to transfer stablecoins between different financial systems. The integration is part of Kima’s efforts to create settlement layers that are compatible with all types of assets, to boost security and efficiency, and to encourage wider crypto adoption.

Kima’s Partnership with Mastercard’s Sandbox

Kima has achieved important milestones in Mastercard’s ecosystem, such as partnerships with prepaid issuers and the introduction of stablecoin solutions on Mastercard’s Sandbox-as-a-Service platform. These solutions allow users to fund their accounts from self-custody wallets, which shows the real-world applications of Kima’s infrastructure.

Furthermore, Kima intends to replace traditional smart contracts with peer-to-peer financial transfers to enable seamless transactions between different ecosystems. This method improves security and makes it easier to transfer assets between blockchains and conventional bank accounts. Kima’s model makes transactions as easy as sending a message.

Mastercard enables Kima to access financial institutions, regulators, and technology experts. This partnership helps Kima work with banks and fintechs to enhance the secure integration of blockchain technology with full technical support.

Mastercard’s MoonPay Partnership Boosts Stablecoin Expansion

At the same time, Mastercard has collaborated with MoonPay to facilitate the adoption of prepaid cards across the world. With MoonPay’s infrastructure, the new prepaid cards enable users to send and receive payments in USDT and USDC. MoonPay’s recent purchase of Iron enables instant conversion of stablecoins to fiat currency.

The move strengthens Mastercard’s dedication to offering crypto services despite the lack of clarity in digital asset regulations. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not yet clarified the classification of yield-bearing and algorithmic stablecoins. However, Mastercard continues to develop  a stablecoin infrastructure, citing their importance in cross-border payments.

Mastercard has increased its efforts to include digital currencies in its payment system after Visa announced a stablecoin pilot program in Latin America. Mastercard’s alliance with MoonPay and previous deals with crypto companies show its ambition to lead in the crypto payments sector.

Related Reading | Bitcoin’s $2.05T Market Cap Breakdown: Who Holds the Most BTC?

Global Dollar Network Hits 25+ Members, Accelerating Stablecoin Adoption Worldwide

by

  • GDN adds 19 new partners that will push for the adoption of USDG with over 42 million users.
  • USDG on Solana ensures fast, low-cost, and secure stablecoin transactions.
  • GDN rewards partners with revenue sharing, boosting stablecoin network growth.

Global Dollar Network (GDN) has expanded its coalition, adding BitMart and Arculus, among other new partners, boosting its membership to over 25 leading companies. The announcement on 12 May marks the network’s rapid development and its increasing role in the stablecoin ecosystem. GDN currently serves over 42 million users globally through its US dollar-backed Global Dollar (USDG) stablecoin.

Network Model Drives Industry Participation

After its launch in November 2024, Global Dollar Network has built an open revenue-sharing model that compensates partners according to their contributions. The network’s founding members—Anchorage Digital, Bullish, Galaxy Digital, Kraken, Nuvei, Paxos, and Robinhood—created a framework to incentivize collaboration across custodians, exchanges, payment fintech, and banks. 

New additions like wallet provider Arculus and crypto exchange BitMart further diversify GDN’s blockchain infrastructure and financial services capabilities.

image 146
Source: GDN

Walter Hessert, Head of Strategy at Paxos, underscored the importance of this growth. “Global Dollar Network is reshaping stablecoin adoption by delivering tangible economic benefits to partners and users,” he said. “Members join Global Dollar Network because legacy models did not meet their needs. Our revenue-sharing approach makes stablecoins more accessible, efficient, and inclusive.” His comments affirm that GDN remains committed to an equitable economic model that redistributes network revenue to contributors.

USDG on Solana Enhances Accessibility

Issued by Paxos Digital Singapore, USDG runs on the Solana blockchain and complies with the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s upcoming stablecoin framework. The token’s multi-chain roadmap is intended to expand its reach beyond Solana. 

Global Dollar Network’s unique structure shares network earnings monthly through proprietary attribution technology, which promotes partners to sustain real-world use cases such as cross-border payments, remittance, and treasury management.

Mark Greenberg, the Global Head of Consumer at Kraken, also highlighted USDG’s role in bridging traditional finance and crypto. “The growth of the Global Dollar Network reflects real momentum toward stable, scalable digital currency solutions,” he said.

Stablecoin Market Trends and Future Outlook

The stablecoin market has surged more than fiftyfold in market capitalization over five years. Although established players such as Tether and Circle exist, GDN’s model sets the stage for the rapid adoption of USDG. GDN’s coalition has established a global presence, covering platforms from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, including CoinMENA, Rain, PDAX, BiLira, and Paribu.

Furthermore, GDN invites innovative enterprises to join its network. According to Hessert, by aligning partner incentives with adoption goals, GDN aims to grow USDG’s supply “by a few magnitudes” by year-end.

As regulatory clarity evolves, GDN expects new high-profile members to join, reinforcing its role in the trillion-dollar stablecoin opportunity. Although giants in payment providers such as Visa are negotiating to join the network, the network is expanding toward establishing a wider network and upscaling USDG’s capabilities.

Related Reading | Uniswap Becomes the First DEX to Hit $3 Trillion in Lifetime Trading Volume 

Tether’s Q1 Report Shows Over $1 B Profit and Near-Record $120B in U.S. Treasuries

by

  • Tether posted over $1B in Q1 2025 profit, supported by strong U.S. Treasury yield returns.
  • USD₮ supply rose by $7B as user wallets increased by 46M in Q1, showing rising adoption.
  • U.S. Treasury assets reached $120B for Tether, making up most of its backing reserves.

Tether International has released a Q1 2025 attestation report confirming financial success despite challenging crypto market conditions. The stablecoin issuer generated over $1 billion in operating profit, reaching its maximum ever U.S. Treasury holdings, which are near an all-time high of $120 billion. The figures, verified by accounting firm BDO, reflect a growing reliance on government securities for liquidity and reserve strength.

The latest performance indicates a more conservative income stream from Treasury yields than the $4.52 billion profit in Q1 2024, which was driven largely by Bitcoin and gold gains. As of March 31, the firm held assets worth $149.3 billion and liabilities worth $143.7 billion. The company maintains an excess reserve of approximately $5.6 billion, highlighting its interest in risk management through cash-equivalent assets.

Stablecoin Circulation and User Growth Expand

USD₮ circulation grew by about $7 billion in Q1 2025, bringing the total supply to nearly $148 billion. During the quarter, the user base adopting stablecoin wallets increased to 46 million, leading to a 13% rise. USD₮ has gained global adoption because of its position as a digital dollar alternative in various economic systems.

Tether attributes its growth to its stablecoin’s liquidity and operational attributes, including liquidity, transparency, and easy accessibility to digital assets. Moreover, 66% of the reserves backing USD₮ are in U.S. Treasuries, with a smaller portion in gold and Bitcoin. The reserves held by Tether in Bitcoin declined to $7.7 billion, down from prior quarters, due to new U.S. regulatory frameworks for stablecoin issuers.

Tether’s Regulatory Advances and Strategic Investments

Q1 2025 marked Tether’s first reporting period under regulatory oversight in El Salvador. According to El Salvador’s digital asset framework, the company operates as a licensed stablecoin issuer. The regulatory acknowledgment signifies positive movement in stablecoin legislation throughout the U.S., with the company distributing most of its reserves to government bonds to prepare for future compliance.

Tether makes investments outside its reserve holdings through its subsidiary, Tether Investments. The company has allocated over $2 billion to projects focusing on artificial intelligence, renewable energy, communications, and data infrastructure. The strategic investments made by Tether are not part of USD₮’s reserve backing, although they demonstrate the company’s commitment to emerging technological developments.

CEO Paolo Ardoino said, “We remain focused on delivering trust, transparency, and value to hundreds of millions of users.” While strengthening the US dollar’s digital presence, Tether is building its position within the worldwide digital finance industry through increased Treasury backing and an expanding user base.