USDC Partnership Signals Growing Stablecoin Adoption in Mainstream Finance Intuit is taking a major step toward modernizing digital payments by integrating USDC-based stablecoin settlement across its flagship platforms, TurboTax and QuickBooks. Through a multiyear partnership with Circle, the move reflects increasing interest among large financial software providers in using stablecoins to improve payment speed, cost efficiency, and global accessibility. The partnership enables Intuit to leverage Circle’s stablecoin infrastructure to support payments linked to tax refunds, small-business payouts, payroll, and invoicing. While specific rollout timelines have not been disclosed, the integration is designed to embed stablecoin settlement directly into existing products…
Author: Blockto Team
Cryptocurrency losses surged to $3.4 billion in 2025, driven by targeted attacks on major exchanges and personal wallets. According to recent analytics, the year marked the highest total crypto thefts since 2022, highlighting the continuing evolution of hacker strategies. Just three incidents, led by the $1.4 billion Bybit hack, accounted for 69% of total losses from January to early December. These large-scale attacks, described as “big game hunting,” were significantly larger than typical crypto thefts, demonstrating a growing focus on high-value targets. While exchanges faced the largest breaches, personal wallets remained a key target. Wallet thefts represented roughly 20% of…
New initiative aims to integrate traditional assets with blockchain-based markets in 2026 Brazil’s largest stock exchange, B3, is preparing to deepen its role in digital finance with plans to launch a tokenization platform and a stablecoin linked to the Brazilian real. Scheduled for 2026, the initiative is designed to bridge traditional capital markets and blockchain technology while maintaining institutional-grade liquidity and regulatory oversight. Tokenization Platform With Unified Liquidity The planned platform will enable real-world assets to be tokenized and traded directly on B3, allowing investors to access digital and traditional assets through the same marketplace. A defining feature of the…
AI Market Overheating May Spill Into Crypto, Says Paolo Ardoino The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence is creating optimism across global markets, but it may also pose unexpected risks to Bitcoin. According to Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino, an AI-driven market bubble could become Bitcoin’s biggest external risk by 2026, due to the cryptocurrency’s continued correlation with traditional capital markets. Ardoino believes Bitcoin remains too closely tied to equities, especially U.S. tech stocks. He highlighted concerns that massive investments in AI infrastructure, data centers, GPUs, and power generation may be unsustainable. If AI-related stocks experience a sharp downturn, Bitcoin could face…
Ethereum Blockspace Trading Gains Momentum Ethereum blockspace trading platform ETHGas has successfully raised $12 million in a seed funding round led by Polychain Capital. The announcement follows Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin’s endorsement of onchain “gas futures”, which aim to provide users with predictable transaction fees and hedging opportunities. ETHGas proposes a new approach to Ethereum blockspace, treating it as a tradable commodity. The platform launched with $800 million in commitments from validators, builders, and other participants. This system allows users to secure pre-confirmations, or guaranteed execution slots, enabling sub-block transaction times of 50 milliseconds. The initiative, dubbed “Real-Time Ethereum,” divides…
XRP Slips Below $2 as Bearish Momentum Strengthens XRP has decisively fallen below the critical $2 support level, signaling that sellers are gaining stronger control of the market. This breakdown is significant because the $2 zone previously acted as a psychological and technical floor, attracting dip buyers during prior corrections. Now that price is holding below this level, market structure favors continuation to the downside. From a technical perspective, lower highs and lower lows dominate the chart, confirming a bearish trend on the daily timeframe. Multiple breakdowns in market structure suggest that rallies are being sold into rather than sustained.…
Bank-Issued Stablecoin Targets 24/7 Payments and Institutional Infrastructure SoFi has entered the stablecoin market with the launch of SoFiUSD, a fully reserved U.S. dollar stablecoin issued directly by its nationally chartered bank. The move positions the company as a provider of blockchain-based settlement infrastructure for banks, fintech firms, and enterprise platforms seeking faster and more transparent payment rails. SoFiUSD is a 1:1 cash-backed stablecoin issued by SoFi Bank, an OCC-regulated and FDIC-insured institution. The stablecoin is initially deployed on Ethereum, with the possibility of expansion to other blockchains. Reserves are held in cash and maintained for immediate redemption, offering a…
Inflation Cools Sharply as Employment Data Meets Expectations The latest U.S. economic data presents a mixed but market-moving picture, as inflation eased more than anticipated while labor market conditions remained steady. The newly released figures show a notable slowdown in consumer price pressures alongside stable unemployment claims, offering fresh insight into the direction of the U.S. economy and future monetary policy expectations. According to the latest report, U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) year-over-year inflation came in at 2.7%, significantly below the forecast of 3.1% and down from the previous reading of 3.0%. This sharper-than-expected decline suggests that inflationary pressures across…
xStocks, a tokenized securities platform backed by Kraken, has officially launched on TON Wallet, the self-custodial wallet integrated with Telegram. This move brings access to tokenized US equities to a wide audience outside traditional financial markets. The rollout allows users in “nearly all markets” to access a variety of tokenized stocks and ETFs, including Coinbase, Robinhood, Circle, and TON Strategy. However, the launch is not available in the US, European Union, or Australia due to regulatory requirements. Access will expand gradually as jurisdictions provide clear guidance, ensuring compliance with local rules and licensing obligations. Integrating xStocks onto The Open Network…
Bitcoin’s security landscape is facing renewed scrutiny as debates around quantum computing threats intensify. With concerns over the vulnerability of Taproot transactions, a growing number of Bitcoin advocates are pushing for the adoption of a quantum-resistant upgrade, signaling a potential shift in the network’s future. A draft upgrade, known as BIP-360, is gaining attention for its post-quantum signature solution. The proposal aims to introduce addresses resilient to potential quantum computing attacks, which could compromise traditional Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) and Schnorr signatures. Supporters argue that proactive implementation is essential, with deployment targeted by 2026 to mitigate early market…