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Mastercard and BVNK Launch Global Money Platform

As bitcoin, ethereum and other cryptocurrencies see major legal, institutional, and technological developments, the financial landscape continues to adapt. Stay up on the crypto news that matters with the "Crypto Currents" weekly from The Fly. Also, join us for your essential daily recap, every day at 2 PM ET on FlyCast radio.MASTERCARD, BVNK LAUNCH MASTERCARD GLOBAL MONEY PLATFORM:Mastercardand BVNK announced Thursdaybringing together Mastercard's global payments capabilities with BVNK's stablecoin infrastructure through a single API. The launch marks the first major integration of Mastercard and BVNK capabilities since the acquisition of BVNK in August. Global Money Platform provides a full-stack, modular infrastructure layer for modern finance. Banks, fintechs and enterprises can now embed multi-currency accounts, including fiat and stablecoins, real-time conversion, stablecoin-linked cards and local bank payouts through Mastercard Move into their own products and under their own brand. They can also use the platform to manage their own treasury, payments and settlement activity directly.Raj Dhamodharan, EVP, Blockchain and Digital Assets at Mastercard, said, "We believe the future of commerce will be built on interoperability across multiple forms of money. Global Money Platform brings together Mastercard's trusted payment infrastructure and reach with BVNK's stablecoin capabilities, giving businesses a single foundation to move value across traditional and digital ecosystems. This is an important step in bringing our multi-money strategy to life and enabling the next generation of programmable and agentic commerce."VISA DIRECT LAUNCHES STABLECOIN-POWERED MONEY MOVEMENT:Visaannounced Thursdayas Visa Direct stablecoin capabilities advance from pilot stage to commercial deployment. In the initial rollout, Inyo Global, a Visa Direct processor, is the first enabler of this new offering, powering it for eligible Visa Direct clients and partners. Over the past year, Visa Direct has worked with clients and partners to explore how stablecoins can help improve the way businesses fund and move money across borders. As interest in faster, more flexible just-in-time funding solutions continues to grow, Visa is now seeing those efforts move beyond experimentation and into day-to-day business operations. As part of this next phase, Visa is working with Inyo Global to bring Visa Direct's stablecoin-enabled prefunding to market. Inyo has integrated the capability into its platform, giving the businesses it serves the option to prefund cross-border payouts through Visa Direct with USDC in near real time, rather than relying solely on traditional funding windows. Through a single connection, Inyo's platform lets businesses onboard users, manage fraud and compliance, accept payments and send domestic and international payouts across more than 180 countries, powered by Visa Direct."The next chapter for stablecoins is adoption," said Vira Platonova, Global Head of Visa Direct. "Over the last several years, we've worked with several partners and clients to explore how these technologies can improve money movement. We're now seeing those efforts translate into live implementations, helping businesses access more flexible and efficient ways to fund and move money globally through Visa Direct, starting with Inyo Global as our first enabler."CIRCLE TO REPORTEDLY ENTER 40 NEW MARKETS:Circleis enteringas blockchain adoption is set to scale significantly, Selena Li of Reuters reported Friday, citing comments made by CEO Jeremy Allaire. "We're kind of going through an inflection point...a transition right now, and that transition is essentially moving from the early adopter phase of blockchain technology into the mainstream scaling phase," Allaire told Reuters. Regions such as Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East have markers of rising organic demand for stablecoins and digital utility, Allaire added.TD Cowen noted that MasterCard's launch of the BVNK-integrated Global Money Platform and Visa Direct's move from pilot to commercial deployment reinforces the firm's view that stablecoin adoption is occurring as a complement to existing network infrastructure. Notably, Circle Internet's USD Coin was the only stablecoin referenced in Visa's commercial deployment announcement, and the firm would expect it to broaden, though it reinforces the view that institutional adoption will concentrate around the most established, regulated, and liquid stablecoins, the analyst said. The firm added that MasterCard and Visa announcements have positive read-through for Circle and USDC utility, though infrastructure remains multi-asset.MARQETA, COINBASE COLLABORATE FOR STABLECOIN-BACKED CARDS:Marqetaannounced Friday a collaboration with Coinbaseto bringLeveraging Coinbase's crypto infrastructure, Marqeta will enable businesses to offer a payment card solution that allows users to tap into the benefits of stablecoins by turning their stablecoin balances into everyday card spend. The collaboration will expand Marqeta's relationship with Coinbase, for whom Marqeta already issues crypto-backed cards. The expanded relationship will bring together capabilities suited to the stablecoin-backed card needs of Marqeta's enterprise customers. Coinbase will handle custody of stablecoin balances and manage the conversion between digital assets and fiat, while Base, Coinbase's blockchain, will provide the on-chain infrastructure for fast, secure, low-cost settlement. Marqeta will provide the card issuance and payment processing, and manage the bank and network relationships. Through the collaboration, businesses will be able to issue stablecoin-backed cards and fund their programs 24/7, while cardholders will be able to spend from a stablecoin balance at millions of merchants that accept cards globally."Coinbase is enabling businesses to move money with the speed and efficiency they require," said Alec Lovett, Head of Infrastructure Products, Coinbase. "Our collaboration with Marqeta will combine our stablecoin payment rails with their powerful issuing and processing capabilities to deliver real-time global transactions that meet the needs of modern consumers and businesses."Citi raised the firm's price target on Coinbase to $230 from $210 and kept a Buy rating on the shares. The firm adjusted ratings and targets in the digital asset group as part of a Q3 earnings preview. The sector is entering earnings season with a "considerably stronger backdrop" relative to a few months ago, the analyst said. Citi favors companies positioned around tokenization and market infrastructure, with a preference for "AI-enabled infrastructure stories."BITDEER AI EXPANDS MALAYSIA CAMPUS:Bitdeer AI, part of Bitdeer Technologies Group, announced Monday that it has entered intofor A103, a 60MW AI Cloud data center facility on the same Cyberjaya, Malaysia campus as its A101 and A102 facilities. A103 is designed for liquid-cooled, rack-scale NVIDIA systems, including the next-generation NVIDIA Vera Rubin platform, with energization expected in 1Q28. A103 is located on the existing Cyberjaya campus allowing Bitdeer AI to leverage established power, liquid cooling and networking to shorten the path to energization. Together with the A101 and A102 facilities, the Cyberjaya campus will represent approximately 71.5MW of AI Cloud data center capacity. With the addition of the A103 facility, Bitdeer AI's secured AI Cloud data center capacity totals approximately 333.5MW across facilities in Malaysia, Norway and the United States, representing approximately 95% of its target of up to 350MW to be delivered by 1Q28."We have secured approximately 95% of our up-to-350MW target with the addition of the A103 facility," said Michael Potter, CFO. "Adding 60MW alongside the A101 and A102 facilities means we benefit from the power, the cooling and the network infrastructure already in place, improving our time-to-market. A103 is also built for the Vera Rubin generation, which is the capacity customers are asking us about for 2028."OTHER CRYPTO NEWS:Strategyacquiresreports USD reserve of $4.88B as of October 11, price target raised to $208 from $186 at Cantor FitzgeraldSecuritizeprice targetat StoneX, downgraded to Neutral from Buy at CitiBitmine ImmersionreportsDeFi DevelopmentaddsStrivepurchases 3,311 bitcoin, reportsprice target raised to $37 from $21 at MaximTeraWulfinitiated with a Buy at TD Cowen,at Cantor Fitzgerald, Morgan Stanley says pullback 'at odds with underlying contract value'Hyperscale Datareportscompletes tokenization of 5,000 troy ounces of physical silverGeminiupgradedat CitiFigure Technologyinitiatedat Freedom CapitalGalaxy Digitalupgradedat CitiCoinShareslaunchesthrough Safe partnershipAmerican Bitcoinassumed with a Buy at H.C. Wainwright, price targetat MaximDigital Currency XtoCanaanminesBitFuFuproduceslaunches Hashrate Token with FinloopBakktselectsInteractive Brokersexpands digital asset offering withPerpetuals.comannounces plans to offeron its platformCantor Fitzgerald lowers Hut 8price targetCore Scientificto, Cipher MiningtoCleanSparktoKeel Infrastructuretoand Riot PlatformstoCRYPTO STOCK PLAYS:Publicly traded companies in the space include Bit Digital, Coinbase, Core Scientific, Mara Holdings, Strategy, Riot Platforms and TeraWulf.PRICE ACTION:As of time of writing, bitcoin dropped roughly 1% this week to $81,807 in U.S. dollars, according to CoinDesk.

CFTC Proposes Comprehensive Regulatory Framework for Crypto Assets

Catch up on the top industries and stocks that were impacted, or were predicted to be impacted, by the comments, actions and policies of President Donald Trump with this daily recap compiled by The Fly.RETAIL CRYPTO TRADING:The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has published an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to provide notice of, and seek public comment regarding, its intent to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework comprised of fit-for-purpose rules concerning section 2(2)of the Commodity Exchange Act and retail commodity transactions described thereunder involving crypto assets. "Today's action is a critical step in the CFTC's ongoing efforts to ensure America remains the crypto capital of the world," Chairman Michael S. Selig said."The American people deserve clarity, certainty, and consumer protections in the crypto asset markets and the agency is committed to delivering this by incorporating crypto asset transactions into its uniform national market regulatory framework. The Commission's announcement begins our process of new rulemakings grounded in the CEA's purpose and President Trump's directive to propose a federal crypto asset regulatory market structure using the CFTC's existing statutory authorities. Under my leadership, the Commission will take every necessary step to establish regulations that are designed to prevent, rather than only prosecute after the fact, fraudulent schemes such as FTX."Among other topics, the ANPRM solicits comment on the manners in which the Commission can: prevent abusive practices in crypto asset markets and CTXs under a uniform national regime; provide market participants with crypto asset-specific contextual information concerning certain requirements and practices that are commonly accepted in the industry and have been found, based on the Commission's experience in overseeing aspects of crypto asset markets since 2014, to represent industry best practices for compliance with the regulatory requirements that attach to CTXs; and codify through rulemaking a subcategory of designated contract market registration, known as a crypto asset market, that is purpose-built specifically for CTXs.Publicly traded companies in the space include Bit Digital, Bitfarms, Circle Internet, Coinbase, Core Scientific, Greenidge Generation, Mara Holdings, Riot Platforms, Strategy, Stronghold Digital Miningand TeraWulf.WARNING TO HOSPITALS:Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson has sent letters to 24 of the nation's largest healthcare services companies, reminding them of their legal obligation to provide patients with timely, accurate and complete pricing information for healthcare services, and that failing to do so can be an unfair or deceptive practice. The letters sent today are part of the Trump FTC's ongoing commitment to promote healthcare affordability and price transparency for consumers. The letters highlight concerns that healthcare services companies may violate the FTC Act by failing to provide transparent price information, particularly for routine and non-emergency medical care scheduled in advance. The letters emphasize that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' price transparency rules establish a critical baseline for ensuring that healthcare facilities provide pricing information.Chairman Ferguson urged the healthcare services companies to conduct a comprehensive review of their price disclosure practices and take swift corrective action as needed. The FTC has prioritized investigating and prosecuting deceptive and unfair practices in the healthcare industry, including through Chairman Ferguson's creation of the Healthcare Task Force earlier this year. Last week, the FTC sued online contact lens providers Lens.com for misrepresenting the price of contact lenses in search ads and on its website.Publicly traded companies in the space include Community Health, HCA Healthcare, Tenet Healthcareand Universal Health.AI TOOLS:The Pentagon has now confirmed it has ceased using Anthropic's AI products after previously designating the company a national security supply-chain risk, although sources said Claude remained embedded in defense workflows and was used for research, intelligence analysis, and operations against Iran as recently as the prior week, underscoring the difficulty of replacing deeply integrated AI systems, Kali Hays and Daniel Bush of BBC News. The Pentagon "has ceased the use of Anthropic products," a department official said in a statement.