USDC

Circle and Nomura are planning a partnership to facilitate near-instant FX settlement for Japanese corporations using USDC. This development occurs amidst a broader shift in Japan's regulatory framework toward more favorable tax treatments and standardized financial oversight for digital assets.

Kraken and Maple Finance have introduced a new onchain credit facility designed for institutional crypto-backed lending. The arrangement utilizes an SPV structure to provide secure, overcollateralized access to digital assets like BTC and ETH.

Bitwise is promoting Hyperliquid as a critical piece of financial infrastructure, leveraging its HYPE ETF products to attract institutional capital. The firm argues that Hyperliquid's strong tokenomics and growth in perpetual futures position it well for mainstream adoption despite regulatory challenges.

Circle is launching the Arc blockchain to transition from a stablecoin issuer to a broader financial infrastructure provider. The project's $3 billion valuation reflects significant interest from major institutional investors like BlackRock and a16z.