News
Daily developments, policy and market moves across agentic payments and the agent economy.
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Hong Kong and Malaysia Central Banks Deepen Ties, Including Cross-Border Stablecoin Use
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority and Bank Negara Malaysia are expanding bilateral cooperation to cover cross-border stablecoin usage, aiming to deepen fintech and payment infrastructure links.
Visa Doubles Down on Stablecoins and AI Payments: Why Investors Are Watching
Visa is folding stablecoin settlement and AI-agent payments into its core strategy as the card giant races to lead in machine-to-machine transactions.
OKX Launches 50-Fiat Digital Dollar Platform, Betting on Stablecoin Demand in Emerging Markets
The crypto exchange now lets users convert 50 local currencies directly into dollar-pegged stablecoins, targeting savers in inflation-hit economies and bypassing traditional banking rails.
OneSafe Releases 2026 Payments Industry Outlook: Fiat, Crypto Assets and New Settlement Channels
The payments security provider outlines three parallel tracks for payment infrastructure over the next two years, arguing that the efficiency of interconnection between them will determine competitiveness.
Stable Partners with Visa Direct to Bridge Stablecoin Settlement and Bank Accounts
Stablecoin payment platform Stable has integrated Visa Direct to connect stablecoin settlement rails directly with bank accounts, aiming to streamline fiat off-ramps.
Cloudflare Adds a Paywall to MCP Tools: Who Signs Off on an Agent's Right to Spend?
Cloudflare is bringing paid access into MCP tool calls, turning 'who authorizes, who sets limits, who intercepts before settlement' from an engineering detail into foundational infrastructure for agent payments.
Apple and Google Simultaneously Ramp Up Stablecoin Efforts with Hiring Spree
Both tech giants have posted multiple stablecoin and digital asset settlement roles, signaling early preparations for stablecoin-based payments and machine-to-machine transactions.
Hong Kong Stablecoin License Applications Add 39 New Institutions; HSBC Names Its HKD Stablecoin 'HSBC RedCoin'
Hong Kong's stablecoin sandbox applicant list has grown by 39 domestic and overseas institutions spanning banking, brokerage and payments. Meanwhile, HSBC has officially branded its HKD stablecoin project 'HSBC RedCoin', making it one of the first bank-backed issuers to unveil a brand name.
Mastercard Launches Agentic Commerce Trust Services as Card Networks Begin Issuing 'IDs' to AI Agents
After opening Agent payment rails, Mastercard shifts its focus to the identity and authorization layer: when the payer is no longer a human, what card networks must resolve is 'who is paying, on what authority, and whether this payment should happen at all.'
Airbnb CEO Says It Won't Open Bookings to External AI Agents Like Meta Muse
Brian Chesky says travel planning is entertainment and Airbnb wants to keep direct consumer relationships, as tourism firms grow wary of AI assistants bypassing their platforms.
Synchrony Executive: AI Shopping Agents Stall at the Trust Layer, Payments Infrastructure Remains the Weak Link
AI agents can already recommend products and compare prices, but the missing piece between 'suggestion' and 'spending the consumer's money' is an entire stack of underlying infrastructure—from universal commerce protocols and identity verification to proof of authorized intent and a new trust layer for machine-initiated transactions.
Ethereum Foundation Launches zkAPI, Letting Users Pay for AI Model Calls Anonymously
The Ethereum Foundation has released a new tool called zkAPI that allows users to pay for AI model calls without disclosing their identity.