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Stablecoin cross-border payments were priced below the interbank FX rate every month of Q2, a threshold that traditional rails rarely cross, according to Borderless.xyz.Sticking with one payment provider instead of routing to the best price cost businesses $2,330 per $1 million moved, the biggest cost lever left in cross-border payments, the firm said.

Coinbase Ventures led crypto VC activity with 30 startup deals in H1 2026.DeFi, payments, and AI remained the top sectors attracting venture funding.Overall crypto fundraising stayed weak despite a modest recovery in June and July.

Bolivia is considering recognizing USDT as an official payment option alongside the boliviano and U.S. dollar.Local banks already support USDT services as the country struggles with a prolonged dollar shortage.Tether is expanding institutional use of USDT while pursuing stronger reserve transparency through a KPMG audit.

South American nation Bolivia is considering the use of the largest dollar-backed stablecoin, USDT, per a local report.

Hyundai completed a $20,000 USDT treasury transfer between the U.S. and Mexico in about seven minutes.The Avalanche-based pilot tested stablecoin settlement without changing existing treasury compliance and accounting processes.Tether continues expanding its enterprise strategy through corporate pilots and recent investments in blockchain infrastructure.

The Bank of Thailand and the Thai SEC are jointly analyzing high-volume stablecoin transactions to catch illicit activities.Other measures include stricter controls on large cash deposits and withdrawals, gold trading, and accounts linked to online gambling.

Data analytics flagged stablecoin transfers meant to evade scrutiny, the central bank says, handing the findings to the securities regulator.

Webull EU has received MiCAR approval in the Netherlands to launch regulated crypto services.The company will provide crypto custody while Coinbase Luxembourg will execute client orders.The approval adds to a growing list of firms expanding across Europe under the EU’s MiCA framework.

Thailand has started auditing high value USDT transactions after identifying transfers that may have bypassed reporting rules.The Bank of Thailand and the SEC are using data analytics to investigate suspicious stablecoin activity and assess possible regulatory action.The review forms part of an ongoing crackdown on money laundering, online gambling, and other grey economy activities.

Pakistan’s top crypto regulatory official held talks with prominent Islamic scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani after a fatwa declared purchases made with USDT or other cryptocurrencies impermissible.PVARA Chairman Bilal bin Saqib argued that stablecoins, tokenized real-world assets and other blockchain-based products should undergo separate technical and Sharia assessments.The debate comes as Pakistan pursues a sovereign stablecoin, state-asset tokenization and crypto exchange licensing under a regulatory framework that requires Sharia compliance.

Stablecoin supply lost $10 billion since May as USDT and USDC redemptions reduced crypto liquidity.June recorded the largest monthly dollar decline since Terra, but the market contracted only 3%.Transaction volumes remained strong while tokenized assets expanded, showing blockchain finance activity continued despite redemptions.

Pakistan’s crypto chief seeks technical and Shariah reviews instead of one broad digital asset ruling.Mufti Taqi Usmani’s ruling rejects crypto purchases because tokens allegedly lack recognised Shariah wealth status.Pakistan continues licensing crypto firms while religious concerns add another layer to its regulatory rollout.

Thailand will require source checks for cash deposits worth five million baht or more nationwide.Regulators are reviewing large USDT trades for hidden ownership and bypassed domestic remittance channels now.Existing withdrawal checks cut high-value cash activity, prompting matching controls on deposits later this year.

Robinhood plans to let eligible U.S. users authorize AI agents to execute crypto trades.Robinhood Chain topped $115 million in TVL and reached $500 million in daily Uniswap volume.Blockchain AI payments are expanding, though onchain transaction volumes remain relatively small.

Hyundai Card announced that it has completed its first stablecoin remittance PoC with Tether and Avalanche.Hyundai Motor America converted $20,000 into USDT, which was sent to its Mexico affiliate.Visa and Circle will participate in Hyundai Card’s second stablecoin PoC, which is set to begin later this month.

Crypto exchange AscendEX announced on July 6 that its platform ceased operations on July 1, citing regulatory, financial, and operational challenges.The company’s statement indicated that the current liquidity issue may restrict full user withdrawals.