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<p>Republished from "Cobo Stablecoin Weekly No.19: After the Stablecoin Act Passes, Where Is the Next “Battleground”?"</p> <h3 id="h3-5biC5Zy65qaC6KeI5LiO5aKe6ZW/5Lqu54K5">Market Overview & Growth Highlights</h3><p>The total stablecoin market capitalization reached $269.696 billion, up $2.606 billion from the previous week. USDT remains the clear market leader with a 61.25% share. USDC comes in second with a $64.502 billion market cap, representing 23.92% market share.</p> <h2 id="h2-5Yy65Z2X6ZO+572R57uc5YiG5biD56iz5a6a5biB5biC5YC85YmN5LiJ572R57uc77ya">Top 3 Blockchain Networks by Stablecoin Market Cap:</h2><ol> <li>Ethereum: $135.786 billion</li><li>Tron: $82.995 billion</li><li>Solana: $11.431 billion</li></ol> <h3 id="h3-5ZGo5aKe6ZW/5pyA5b+r55qE572R57ucIFRPUDPvvJo=">Top 3 Fastest-Growing Networks This Week:</h3><ol> <li>Berachain: +96.57% (USDT: 43.15% share)</li><li>XRPL: +49.84% (RLUSD: 49.11% share)</li><li>Sei: +47.95% (USDC: 85.96% share)</li></ol> <p>Source: DefiLlama</p> <h2 id="h2-8J+Or+e+juWbveOAiumTtuihjOS/neWvhuazleOAi+WSjOeos+WumuW4geaUr+S7mOeahOmakOengeimgeaxgg==">U.S. Bank Secrecy Act and Stablecoin Payment Privacy Requirements</h2><p>After the U.S. Stablecoin Act passed, privacy is now the next key concern for both regulators and the market.</p> <p>With stablecoin market cap breaking $270 billion and moving rapidly into mainstream payments, the “total transparency” of on-chain transactions is exposing new issues. On a public blockchain, every transaction is permanently accessible, which means that for enterprises, complete financial histories, supply chain details, and payroll structures become visible to competitors. While a nuisance for retail users, this is a hard stop for institutions and businesses. Real-time visibility enables competitors to track every payment. Without a solution, stablecoin adoption in commercial payments and institutional settlements will be seriously limited.</p> <p>Should privacy remain a hurdle, stablecoin institutional and commercial adoption will stall. Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal recently noted that for the GENIUS Act and similar laws to be effective, simultaneous upgrades to the Bank Secrecy Act are essential. The current system is inefficient and creates centralized data honeypots of sensitive data, which are hacker targets and offer minimal benefits for anti-money laundering.</p> <p>Grewal emphasized privacy and security should not be mutually exclusive. Emerging technologies like zero-knowledge proofs (ZKP) and decentralized identity (DID) now provide “compliance verification without disclosing raw user data,” so institutions can view only the results of compliance checks—not the full data sets. This balances data minimization and effective regulation. He called for the U.S. Treasury Department to lead public-private collaboration, accelerate compliance processes that are ZKP-ready, focus monitoring on suspicious transaction triggers, and apply AI-driven risk control models to improve screening. The result: privacy protection without undermining regulatory rigor, removing obstacles to large-scale institutional adoption of stablecoins, and helping the US maintain global digital asset leadership.</p> <h2 id="h2-8J+Or+e+juWbveWIqeaBr+emgeS7pOS4i++8jOeos+WumuW4geeahOOAjOWlluWKsee7j+a1juWtpuOAjQ==">U.S. Interest Ban Spurs New Stablecoin “Reward Economics”</h2><p>Regulatory restrictions often spark unexpected innovation. The GENIUS Act prohibits stablecoin issuers from paying interest, intended to curb risky behaviors, but instead accelerated explosive growth in yield-oriented stablecoins. Since the Act, products like Ethena’s USDe have added billions in supply, using exchange funding rates (not Treasuries) for yields—sidestepping legal restrictions entirely.</p> <p>In this regulatory gap, Coinbase and PayPal have reframed stablecoin returns as “rewards,” circumventing issuer-only rules. Coinbase, acting as a USDC distributor, passes on Circle’s earnings to users. PayPal uses Paxos to isolate issuer risk and still delivers 4.5% annualized returns. Anchorage and Ethena Labs have even linked stablecoin yields to tokenized assets like BlackRock’s BUIDL, enabling compliant institutional yield channels.</p> <p>Paying returns to holders is a key strategy for attracting capital in both emerging and established markets. Coinbase has even API-integrated “interest rewards” via a wallet SDK, lowering integration barriers for developers. In high-inflation markets such as Latin America, Slash’s USDSL delivers a 4.5% annual reward, leveraging dollar-denominated assets to attract rapid inflows. Stablecoins are applying more complex, compliant financial engineering, efficiently channeling returns from underlying assets and rewriting user and value dynamics.</p> <h3 id="h3-8J+Or+mmmea4r+OAiueos+WumuW4geadoeS+i+OAi+eUn+aViOeahOWFs+mUruivjeKAlOKAlOmAj+aYjuS4juWFqOmTvui3r+ebkeeuoQ==">Transparency & End-to-End Oversight: The Core of Hong Kong’s Stablecoin Regulation</h3><p>With Hong Kong’s Stablecoin Ordinance now in force, market debates center on mandatory KYC, policies for offshore stablecoins, and DeFi compatibility. In reality, <a href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MzI0ODgzMDE5MA==&amp;mid=2247510734&amp;idx=1&amp;sn=368a5a6ed3d067ba05eacbb4be234dd7&amp;scene=21#wechat_redirect">the regulation’s essence is targeted control—not broad prohibition—for stablecoins issued or HKD-denominated in Hong Kong, especially RMB-related tokenized assets</a>. Offshore stablecoins like USDT, USDC, etc. remain largely unrestricted in secondary markets. The city’s strategy is clear: hold tight control over issuance and apply rigorous compliance to high-value scenarios such as RMB tokenization and offshore RMB stablecoins, establishing “quasi-sovereign settlement instruments” and differentiating from the US- and EU-driven models.</p> <p>Transparency and full-chain oversight are the ordinance’s keywords. Strict standards span the entire stablecoin lifecycle—from issuance, custody, and clearing to distribution—with steep licensing requirements. Downstream custody, distribution, and clearing providers must also meet compliance. Banks, payment services, and blockchain infrastructure firms are unified in a single framework, with the market moving from “open access” to “permissioned access.” MPC wallet, compliance, and risk control technology providers will become the primary partners for banks and tech firms alike.</p> <p>This regulatory rigor brings new challenges. Issuers are now fully responsible for downstream compliance—including custody, distribution, clearing, and other third parties. Any new entrant must meet both technical and organizational requirements, pushing the sector toward professionalization and giving infrastructure providers massive new opportunities. For example, technology vendors providing multi-signature, MPC, HSM, and related mechanisms—especially MPC wallets—will help issuers make private key security a foundation of trust, balancing asset sovereignty and legal traceability. Wallets now serve as critical entry points for compliance and security architectures, rather than merely back-end tools.</p> <h2 id="h2-5biC5Zy66YeH55So">Market Adoption</h2><h3 id="h3-8J+MseaRqeagueWkp+mAmu+8mkRlRmkg5ZKM6LWE5Lqn6YCa6K+B5YyW5aKe6ZW/44CM5LuN5Luk5Lq65aSx5pyb44CN">JPMorgan: “DeFi & Tokenization Growth Still Disappointing”</h3><h3 id="h3-6KaB54K56YCf6KeI">Highlights</h3><ul> <li>DeFi total value locked (TVL) has not yet returned to 2021 highs; primary players are still retail and crypto-native firms, with minimal traditional institutional activity.</li><li>Tokenized global assets total only about $25 billion—analysts call this “insignificant.” Of 60+ tokenized bonds, combined value is just $8 billion; secondary market trading is nearly zero.</li><li>Institutions face three hurdles: lack of cross-border regulatory alignment, ambiguous legal status for on-chain investing, and insufficient smart contract/protocol safety guarantees.</li></ul> <p>Why This Matters</p> <ul> <li>The report shows a major gap between DeFi/tokenization hype and real-world use. Infrastructure is improving and KYC-compliant vaults and permissioned lending pools are emerging, but traditional finance remains cautious. The report notes the mainstream system is moving toward faster, cheaper settlements via fintech, which may diminish the need for blockchain rails—pushing crypto to deliver more convincing institutional-grade apps.</li></ul> <h3 id="h3-8J+MsSBSZW1pdGx5IOWQr+eUqOeos+WumuW4geaKgOacr+S8mOWMlui3qOWig+aUr+S7mOS4muWKoSDvvIzlsIbmjqjlh7rlpJrluIHnp43mlbDlrZfpkrHljIXmnI3liqE=">Remitly Deploys Stablecoin Tech to Optimize Cross-Border Payments; Multi-Currency Wallet Coming</h3><p>Highlights</p> <ul> <li>Remitly’s multi-currency “Remitly Wallet” launches September, supporting both fiat and stablecoin balances—targeted at users in high-inflation/volatile markets.</li><li>In partnership with Stripe’s Bridge, Remitly will offer stablecoin payout to users in over 170 countries, expanding beyond fiat rails.</li><li>Remitly now uses USDC and similar dollar stablecoins for internal treasury management, enabling 24/7 capital flows, reducing pre-funding, and increasing efficiency.</li></ul> <p>Why This Matters</p> <ul> <li>This is the first large-scale use of stablecoin technology by a mainstream cross-border payments provider. Integrating stablecoins, Remitly offers both inflation-hedging for customers in unstable markets and liquidity solutions for remittance systems. Stablecoin adoption in real payments will advance, better serving hundreds of millions who depend on cross-border financial services, particularly in regions lacking traditional financial infrastructure.</li></ul> <h3 id="h3-8J+MsSBUZXRoZXIgQ0VP77yaNDAlIOWMuuWdl+mTvuaJi+e7rei0uea6kOiHqiBVU0RUIOi9rOi0pg==">Tether CEO: 40% of Blockchain Gas Fees Are USDT Transfers</h3><p>Highlights</p> <ul> <li>Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino posted that 40% of all blockchain transaction fees (across 9 major chains) are for USDT transfers.</li><li>Hundreds of millions in emerging markets use USDT daily to hedge against local currency depreciation and inflation—making it one of the world’s most active blockchain apps.</li><li>In the context of crypto, “transactions” usually refer to trading, arbitrage, etc. on exchanges—not always requiring on-chain transfers. A USDT on-chain transfer (with fee) typically signals real movement between wallets—not mere speculation.</li></ul> <p>Why This Matters</p> <ul> <li>USDT is now the dominant blockchain application, far ahead of other uses. Paolo predicts future competition in blockchain will center on gas fee optimization and USDT-related costs. Stablecoins have evolved from trading tools to real-world financial infrastructure, especially in volatile economies—demonstrating real progress in financial inclusion via crypto.</li></ul> <h2 id="h2-5a6P6KeC6LaL5Yq/8J+UrueRnuepl+mTtuihjO+8mkNvaW5iYXNlIFEyIOi0ouaKpeaYvuekuiBDaXJjbGUgVVNEQyDliKnmtqbnjofmraPlnKjokI7nvKk=">Macro Trends Mizuho: Circle USDC Profits Squeezed per Coinbase Q2 Earnings</h2><p>Highlights</p> <ul> <li>Mizuho analysts estimate Circle earned $625 million in Q2 interest from USDC reserves; $332.5 million of this went to Coinbase.</li><li>With Binance and other new partners joining, Circle’s net reserve margin faces growing cost pressure.</li><li>After the GENIUS Act, JPMorgan and Bank of America both plan to launch stablecoins, stoking USD stablecoin competition.</li></ul> <p>Why This Matters</p> <ul> <li>Despite strong IPO performance, Mizuho keeps an “Underperform” rating and $85 target for Circle, warning markets underestimate USDC risk. As profit-sharing with Coinbase ends and distribution broadens, Circle’s profitability faces headwinds—especially as rates fall and banks pile in. This shift could reshape the stablecoin market.</li></ul> <h3 id="h3-8J+Urue+jui0ouaUv+mDqOWIm+e6quW9leaJqeWkp+efreacn+WbveWAuuWPkeihjO+8jOeos+WumuW4geaIkOaWsOS5sOWutg==">U.S. Treasury Bill Issuance Hits Record—Stablecoins a New Source of Demand</h3><p>Highlights</p> <ul> <li>The U.S. Treasury will auction $100 billion in 4-week T-bills—a record, up $5 billion from last round. 8- and 17-week bill sizes remain unchanged.</li><li>Short-dated yields >4% are fueling inflows—$16.7 billion entered T-bill ETFs in Q2, double YoY.</li><li>The Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee flagged rising stablecoin issuance as a new source of T-bill demand. The GENIUS Act obliges issuers to hold Treasuries as safe collateral.</li></ul> <p>Why This Matters</p> <ul> <li>The Trump administration prefers short-term borrowing. Treasury Secretary Bessent says long-term issuance is too costly at current rates. Stablecoin demand is now a structural factor in T-bill markets, as regulation orders issuers to hold safe assets. Meanwhile, central banks are cutting USD reserves in favor of gold—BofA sees gold possibly breaking $4,000 as debt sustainability fears climb.</li></ul> <h3 id="h3-8J+UruOAikdFTklVUyDms5XmoYjjgIvpgJrov4fku6XmnaXmlLbnm4rlnovnqLPlrprluIHkvpvlupTmv4Dlop4=">Yield Stablecoin Supply Surges Post GENIUS Act</h3><p>Highlights</p> <ul> <li>Since July 18, supply of Ethena’s USDe yield stablecoin has grown 70% to $9.49 billion, now the #3 stablecoin by market cap.</li><li>Sky’s USDS grew 23% to $4.81 billion, ranking fourth. These coins yield through staking.</li><li>USDe yields 10.86% (annualized); USDS, 4.75%. After U.S. June inflation (2.7%), real yields are 8.16% and 2.05%.</li></ul> <p>Why This Matters</p> <ul> <li>The GENIUS Act’s yield payment ban spawned a boom in stakable stablecoins. Investors are migrating to protocol-native yield, bypassing regulatory limitations. The stablecoin market has grown from $205 billion to $268 billion this year and may reach $300 billion by year-end. Despite tighter regulation, demand for high-yield USD substitutes stays strong—driving new DeFi innovation and adoption.</li></ul> <h2 id="h2-5paw5ZOB6YCf6YCS8J+RgOWJjeiLueaenOW3peeoi+W4iOaOqOWHuumakOengeS/neaKpOWKoOWvhiBWaXNhIOWNoSBQYXl5">Product Launches Ex-Apple Engineer Debuts Privacy-Focused Crypto Visa Card, Payy</h2><p>Highlights</p> <ul> <li>Payy Visa card uses ZKP and its proprietary blockchain to ensure user stablecoin transaction amounts remain private and are not publicly accessible on-chain.</li><li>Developed by ex-Apple iOS engineer Sid Gandhi at Polybase Labs over three years, ensuring both privacy and compliance.</li><li>Payy is user-focused, with frictionless onboarding and simple self-custody—even for blockchain novices.</li></ul> <p>Why This Matters</p> <ul> <li>Payy solves two major crypto payment hurdles—privacy and usability. Regular blockchain payments reveal transaction history, but Payy preserves privacy within compliance. This enables daily self-custody stablecoin spending and presents a viable alternative to traditional banking.</li></ul> <h3 id="h3-8J+RgE1ldGFNYXNrIOaIluS4jiBTdHJpcGUg6K6h5YiS6IGU5ZCI5o6o5Ye656iz5a6a5biBIG1tVVNE">MetaMask May Partner with Stripe to Launch mmUSD Stablecoin</h3><p>Highlights</p> <ul> <li>Leaked Aave governance proposal suggests MetaMask and Stripe plan to launch the mmUSD dollar stablecoin, backed by M^0.</li><li>The proposal calls mmUSD MetaMask’s “cornerstone asset,” to be deeply integrated with all wallet/trading/yield functions.</li><li>The proposal was deleted; Aave Chan Initiative’s Marc Zeller confirmed authenticity but said release was premature.</li></ul> <p>Why This Matters</p> <ul> <li>This is another tech giant (after PayPal, Robinhood) entering stablecoins. MetaMask teaming up with Stripe could speed up integration of stablecoins for both Web3 and traditional payments.</li></ul> <h3 id="h3-8J+RgENvaW5iYXNlIOaOqOWHuuW1jOWFpeW8j+mSseWMheW3peWFt+WMhe+8jOeugOWMluW8gOWPkeiAhSBXZWIzIOeUqOaIt+W8leWFpea1geeoiw==">Coinbase Launches Embedded Wallet SDK to Streamline Web3 User Onboarding</h3><p>Highlights</p> <ul> <li>Coinbase’s developer platform (CDP) adds Embedded Wallets SDK: lets developers add self-custody wallet features easily.</li><li>SDK includes crypto onramp, token swap, and USDC 4.1% yield. It aims to remove the tradeoff between UX and custody risk.</li><li>Unlike legacy wallets, users can sign in via email/SMS/OAuth—no browser plugin or seed phrase needed—facilitating fast and straightforward onboarding.</li></ul> <p>Why This Matters</p> <ul> <li>Coinbase is lowering the barriers for Web3 app adoption by making wallet integration simpler and more secure. The SDK runs on Coinbase’s DEX-grade infra and is part of its “super app” strategy—positioning Coinbase as the essential bridge from Web2 to crypto.</li></ul> <h3 id="h3-8J+RgCDnvo7lm73mlbDlrZfpk7booYwgU2xhc2gg5o6o5Ye6IFN0cmlwZSBCcmlkZ2Ug5Y+R6KGM55qE56iz5a6a5biB77yM5pSv5oyB6Z2e576O5LyB5Lia6L275p2+5pS25LuYIFVTRCDlkoznqLPlrprluIE=">U.S. Digital Bank Slash Launches Stripe-Bridge Stablecoin: USDSL Offers Simple USD & Stablecoin Payments for International Businesses</h3><p>Highlights</p> <ul> <li>San Francisco digital bank Slash issues USDSL, a dollar stablecoin, via Stripe’s Bridge.</li><li>USDSL enables global dollar payments for businesses without a US bank account—cuts settlement time and FX fees.</li><li>The launch coincides with the GENIUS Act’s passage, which defines a US stablecoin regulatory regime.</li></ul> <p>Why This Matters</p> <ul> <li>With regulatory clarity, fintechs are rapidly entering the stablecoin field. Slash’s Stripe-issued USDSL shows how traditional and crypto finance are converging to solve global payments—proving that with regulation, stablecoins are moving from concept to real-world business solutions.</li></ul> <h3 id="h3-8J+RgOeJueacl+aZruWFs+iBlOmhueebriBXb3JsZCBMaWJlcnR5IOaOqOWHuiBVU0QxIOeos+WumuW4geW/oOivmuW6puiuoeWIkg==">Trump-Aligned World Liberty Debuts USD1 Stablecoin Loyalty Program</h3><p>Highlights</p> <ul> <li>Backed by the Trump family, World Liberty Financial’s USD1 loyalty program launches with Gate and others, modeled after airline miles.</li><li>Earn points by trading USD1 pairs, holding, staking, using in DeFi, and engaging via the WLFI app.</li><li>USD1 stablecoin, launched in April, claims to be fully backed by short-term US Treasuries, USD deposits, and other cash equivalents—issued via BitGo Trust.</li></ul> <p>Why This Matters</p> <ul> <li>With Trump and his sons as World Liberty ambassadors, potential conflicts-of-interest surface. Tying stablecoins and loyalty rewards together signals a new model for user retention amid fierce stablecoin competition—and reflects closer government-crypto sector ties.</li></ul> <h3 id="h3-8J+RgOaRqeagueWkp+mAmuaOqOWHuuWfuuS6jiBLaW5leHlzIOWMuuWdl+mTvueahOmTvuS4iuaXpeWGheWbnui0reino+WGs+aWueahiA==">JPMorgan Debuts On-Chain Intraday Repo on Kinexys Blockchain</h3><p>Highlights</p> <ul> <li>JPMorgan, HQLA-X, and Ownera launch cross-ledger repo: dealers swap funds/securities using Kinexys blockchain deposit accounts.</li><li>The platform covers all stages—from trade to collateral to settlement—down to the minute.</li><li>Can already handle $1 billion daily; built for scale with plans for more venues, assets, and digital cash tools.</li></ul> <p>Why This Matters</p> <ul> <li>JPMorgan is setting a new standard for institutional blockchain adoption. Kinexys (ex-Onyx) anchors its digital asset strategy and could eventually underpin deposit tokens, stablecoins, and CBDCs—reducing market fragmentation. With the debut of JPMD (a JPMorgan stablecoin) and expanded Coinbase partnerships, Wall Street is moving past pilots into production blockchain applications.</li></ul> <h2 id="h2-55uR566h5ZCI6KeE8J+Pm++4j1BheG9zIOWboCBCaW5hbmNlIEJVU0Qg5ZCI5L2c5YWz57O76KKr57q957qm55uR566h5py65p6E572a5qy+IDQ4NTAg5LiH576O5YWD">Regulatory Compliance Paxos Fined $48.5M for Binance BUSD Partnership by NYDFS</h2><p>Highlights</p> <ul> <li>Paxos Trust will pay $26.5M in fines to NYDFS plus $22M for compliance upgrades.</li><li>Regulators found flaws: In 2018, during BUSD launch with Binance, Paxos failed due diligence on its partner and its anti-money laundering efforts.</li><li>Paxos accepted Binance’s claim of “fully restricting US users” without confirming independently; NYDFS halted BUSD issuance in 2023.</li></ul> <p>Why This Matters</p> <ul> <li>This penalty shows that stablecoin issuer partnerships—especially offshore—face tough regulatory scrutiny. Paxos says it fixed these issues years ago, but the case sends a warning: issuers must conduct robust due diligence and build strong compliance. As the GENIUS Act takes effect and the stablecoin sector scales, regulatory risk for issuer-exchange partnerships is set to rise.</li></ul> <h3 id="h3-8J+Pm++4j+eJueacl+aZruetvue9suihjOaUv+WRveS7pO+8jOWBnOatoumTtuihjOWvueWKoOWvhui0p+W4geS8geS4mueahOOAjOS4jeWFrOW5s+ihjOS4uuOAjQ==">Trump Executive Order Ends Banks’ Unfair Practices Against Crypto Companies</h3><p>Highlights</p> <ul> <li>President Trump’s executive order bars federal agencies from penalizing banks that serve crypto firms based on “reputational risk.”</li><li>The order ends “Operation Choke Point 2.0,” blocking denials based on politics or “high-risk” labeling.</li><li>The Fed, OCC, and FDIC now vow not to consider “reputation” in customer vetting. Top lawmakers support the shift.</li></ul> <p>Why This Matters</p> <ul> <li>This directive removes a key lever from regulators, forcing banks to make decisions based on legal and financial—rather than reputational—risk. It establishes crypto’s legal status and ensures equal access to banking, paving the way for deeper traditional-crypto integration as regulatory reforms continue.</li></ul> <p>Capital Moves</p> <p>Tether Acquires EU MiCA-Licensed Exchange Bit2Me, Leads $32.7M Funding</p> <p>Highlights</p> <ul> <li>Tether has bought a minority stake in Spain’s Bit2Me and is leading a $32.7M (€30M) round set to close soon.</li><li>Bit2Me is the first Spanish-language exchange with an official MiCA license—authorized to operate across 27 EU states.</li><li>The investment funds Bit2Me’s expansion in Europe and Latin America (starting with Argentina). Founded 2014; serves 1.2 million users.</li></ul> <p>Why This Matters</p> <ul> <li>Tether’s deal is a strategic push to secure access to Europe as MiCA rules tighten. As several exchanges deprioritize USDT, Tether’s investment builds new compliant markets for its stablecoin—demonstrating the power of its $4.9B quarterly profit for global expansion.</li></ul> <h3 id="h3-8J+SsFJpcHBsZSDlsIbmlqXotYQgMiDkur/nvo7lhYPmlLbotK3nqLPlrprluIHmlK/ku5jlubPlj7AgUmFpbA==">Ripple to Buy Stablecoin Payment Platform Rail for $200M</h3><p>Highlights</p> <ul> <li>Ripple will acquire Rail for $200M, deal to close Q4 2025.</li><li>Rail is projected to power 10%+ of global stablecoin payments ($3.6B market) next year.</li><li>The deal lets Ripple deliver enterprise-grade stablecoin payments (RLUSD, XRP, others) with fiat on/offramps—no crypto custody needed for clients.</li></ul> <p>Why This Matters</p> <ul> <li>Ripple’s second major buy this year (after April’s $1.25B Hidden Road deal) marks its rapid stablecoin market expansion. With active MiCA licensing in the EU and RLUSD cleared in Dubai, Ripple is building a global stablecoin platform—shifting from cross-border specialist to full-service finance player as institutional competition intensifies.</li></ul> <h3 id="h3-5aOw5piO77ya">Disclaimer:</h3><ol> <li>This article is sourced from [<a href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/9eK_y7Hteu4QC2Af4zlPMA">Cobo</a>], original title: "Cobo Stablecoin Weekly No.19: After the Stablecoin Act Passes, Where Is the Next “Battleground”?". Copyright belongs to the original author [<em>Cobo</em>]. If you have concerns about republication, please contact the <a href="[https://www.gate.com/questionnaire/3967](https://www.gate.com/questionnaire/3967">Gate Learn Team</a> for assistance.</li><li>Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely the author’s and do not constitute investment advice.</li><li>The Gate Learn Team translated other language versions. Reproduction, distribution, or translation is strictly prohibited unless Gate.com is properly cited.</li></ol>

<p>More than a decade after crypto’s meteoric rise, Bitcoin’s quadrennial halving-driven gold rush has faded. Now, intermittent liquidity injections from U.S. equities, the dollar, and Treasuries drive the market. Each cycle links together distinct hotspots, much like Pendle’s evolution from fixed income and LST, through BTCFi, to Ethena and Boros.</p> <p>Creating new wealth is harder than managing old money.</p> <p>As custodians put it: money flows to those who already have it.</p> <p>In crypto, true whales come in three types: individual giants (early BTC miners, early ETH investors, DeFi Summer OGs); on-chain institutions (crypto-native VCs, centralized exchanges and public blockchains, and a handful of project teams); and long-standing or new titans backed by Wall Street.</p> <p><img src="https://s3.ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com/gimg.gateimg.com/learn/9ed6c1c583d01f3ccbdb76a46511deac93a9d4fc.png" alt=""><br>Image Description: Custodian Funding Boom<br>Image Source: <a href="https://github.com/zuoyeweb3" title="&#64;zuoyeweb3" class="at-link">@zuoyeweb3</a></p> <p>Custody providers have since specialized further. After $3 billion in funding in 2021 and the FTX–Celsius and 3AC–Luna–UST collapses in 2022, the crypto custody space crystallized into the following segments:</p> <ul> <li>• Copper/Ceffu/Cobo: On-chain project support</li><li>• Coinbase: ETF custody</li><li>• BNY Mellon: Banking-grade custody</li><li>• Fireblock: Exchange custody solutions</li></ul> <p>Coinbase, in particular, has captured nearly the entire ETF custody market: over 80% of BTC and ETH ETF issuers now partner with Coinbase. In corporate treasury management, MSTR also prefers Coinbase as its BTC custodian.</p> <h2 id="h2-5Li65pWj5oi35Lqk5piT5pe25Luj57uT5p2f77yM5Li65py65p6E55CG6LSi5pe25Luj5Yiw5p2l">The Era of Retail Trading Is Over: Institutions Take the Lead in Crypto Wealth Management</h2><p>The ways to profit in crypto evolve with the times. With capital scale effects at play, whoever controls the most assets secures the greatest profits. Miners, exchanges, and market makers have each had their day; next up are custodians. As traditional finance capital moves on-chain, these funds will rarely go straight to public chains or exchanges—instead, they’ll flow through custodians.</p> <p>Ethereum’s daily transactions have surged past the DeFi Summer peak, hitting 1.74 million. Yet, this growth isn’t driven by memes or trading, but by stablecoin looping and borrowing, prompted by Aave and Ethena.</p> <p>Similarly, Aave and Plasma are partnering to bring a TradFi-focused stablecoin on-chain. The Genius Act prohibits payment stablecoins from paying user interest, turning deposited funds into liabilities with nowhere to go—dead weight for issuers.</p> <p>At the same time, as CEX trading volume shrinks, custodial, staking, and yield products are becoming new business targets for traditional banks, especially as rate cuts loom. The challenge now is how to attract liquidity from 401(k)s and corporate treasury strategies to on-chain products—a new business frontier.</p> <p>The centralized exchange cycle is at its end, squeezed by both on-chain models and IPO ambitions. Hyperliquid is threatening Binance’s dominance, while Kraken, Bullish, and others are taking aim at Coinbase’s status as the only U.S.-listed exchange.</p> <p>Strategically, everyone is chasing post-CEX yield opportunities. For institutional capital, safety takes priority over high APRs. Tether’s physical gold vault is one approach; on-chain vaults could be equally lucrative.</p> <p>With ETFs taking the lead, Coinbase’s dominance is hard to shake—yet the evolving market landscape still offers openings for second- and third-tier players.</p> <p><img src="https://s3.ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com/gimg.gateimg.com/learn/49c0f9bfe131845f1d8c6209cce74da4678a5f2a.png" alt=""><br>Image Description: TradFi &amp; DeFi Merge<br>Image Source: <a href="https://github.com/zuoyeeb3" title="&#64;zuoyeeb3" class="at-link">@zuoyeeb3</a></p> <p>Compared to the sheer scale of capital pouring into the dollar, Treasuries, and U.S. equities, crypto is still just catching what it can in a small bucket. Only a big, secure “bathtub” will allow true, seamless liquidity flows.</p> <p>Veteran players are diverging, and Anchorage Digital and Galaxy Digital now stand out as the industry’s two flagship examples.</p> <ul> <li>• Treasury management (DATCO): Galaxy</li><li>• Stablecoins: Anchorage</li><li>• Emerging ETF staking: Anchorage Digital &amp; Galaxy Digital</li></ul> <p>Apart from BTC and spot ETF businesses, both companies target the same thing—taking more market share from Coinbase. This is a logical starting point.</p> <p>The spot ETF market now features two main trends: generalization (altcoins and meme coins, after six months of Coinbase derivatives trading, may become eligible for conversion into ETFs); and the rise of staking ETFs, which allow issuers to offer physical redemptions and tap into on-chain staking revenue.</p> <p>Anchorage Digital, for example, is the exclusive custodian and staking partner for the REX-Osprey Solana Staking ETF—fitting both these trends. If the bull market continues, ETF custody will be a key growth engine for these firms.</p> <p>On the traditional ETF front, Anchorage has won mandates from 21Shares and BlackRock—and is even custodian for Trump Media’s Bitcoin treasury. Anchorage’s reach now extends all the way to Mar-a-Lago.</p> <h2 id="h2-QW5jaG9yYWdlIOaMgeeJjOmTtuihjOeahOeos+WumuW4geW4g+WxgOS4juWKoOWvhumTgemHkeW6k+S5i+aipg==">Anchorage: Licensed Banking for Stablecoins and the Pursuit of the Crypto Fort Knox</h2><p>In 2019, Anchorage began exploring partnerships with Visa, becoming Visa’s USDC settlement bank in 2021.</p> <p>In 2021, Anchorage launched its crypto custody business at a $3 billion valuation, received a crypto bank charter from the OCC, and began providing digital asset custody for the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS).</p> <p>In 2022, following the crypto crash, Anchorage was first choice for Aptos custody, with co-founder Diogo Mónica also an Aptos investor.</p> <p>In Q1 2023, platform assets grew 80%, though 75 employees (20%) were laid off and the company called for stablecoin regulation.</p> <p>In 2024, co-founder Diogo Mónica stepped away from daily operations, with Nathan McCauley assuming full responsibility.</p> <p>By 2025, Anchorage Digital will manage Trump Media’s Bitcoin treasury and has acquired USDM issuer Mountain Protocol.</p> <p>Here’s a formal introduction: Anchorage Digital was founded in 2017 by Nathan McCauley and Diogo Mónica, initially as a small trust in South Dakota. But in 2021, a twist of fate made Anchorage Digital the only recipient, so far, of an OCC-issued crypto bank charter in the U.S.</p> <p>In Silicon Valley, Wall Street, or D.C., exclusive financial services are, at their core, all about relationships.</p> <p><img src="https://s3.ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com/gimg.gateimg.com/learn/0edcae8d144bdddd0f94aa619c23aa98be29267b.png" alt=""><br>Image Description: Anchorage Digital’s Relationship Map<br>Image Source: <a href="https://github.com/zuoyeweb3" title="&#64;zuoyeweb3" class="at-link">@zuoyeweb3</a></p> <p>Anchorage Digital built a full-service institutional platform—trading, derivatives, clearing, staking, custody—making it a one-stop crypto solution for institutions. Beyond traditional custody, Anchorage is betting the company’s future on stablecoins, its key difference from Galaxy.</p> <p>This marks the beginning of their first-mover advantage, where timing proved critical.</p> <p>In 2021, Democrat Joe Biden, a noted crypto skeptic, became president. SBF donated millions to support Biden in hopes of a “crypto spring.” Meanwhile, former Coinbase CLO Brian Brooks became Acting Comptroller of the OCC.</p> <p>Brooks promoted a crypto-friendly stance, opened banking services to the sector, launched the “REACh” roundtable, and encouraged banks to treat crypto firms fairly.</p> <p>Anchorage seized the opportunity, transforming from a local trust to Anchorage Digital Bank—a true national bank.</p> <p>On January 13, 2021, Anchorage Digital Bank was qualified to accept USD deposits and custody crypto assets.</p> <p>The next day, January 14, Brooks resigned. By a fluke of timing, Anchorage Digital became the sole licensed crypto bank in the United States.</p> <p>Today, virtually every page of Anchorage Digital’s site touts the value of its charter—it enabled $430 million in Series C and D funding, keeping the company afloat for the 2025 stablecoin surge.</p> <p>Anchorage boasts an impressive cap table: both crypto VCs like a16z and Wall Street giants like KKR and BlackRock have invested.</p> <p>For context, Bitpay and Paxos also applied for a charter, but weren’t so lucky. Recently, Paxos was hit by a $26.5 million New York DFS fine for BUSD non-compliance.</p> <p>In addition to its federal OCC crypto bank charter, Anchorage also holds a New York State BitLicense—second only to BNY in regulatory status.</p> <p>After Brooks’s departure, Anchorage and the OCC had their disagreements, but Anchorage kept its charter—holding a unique license provides a lasting advantage.</p> <p>Thanks to this regulatory status, Anchorage can custody everything from stablecoin reserves and crypto to NFTs. But the 2022 crypto crash disrupted the firm, with leadership clashes following soon after.</p> <p>Ultimately, Diogo Mónica joined Hanu Ventures as a partner, remains Anchorage Digital’s executive chairman, leads hiring and strategy, and Nathan McCauley handles core operations—focusing on capturing BlackRock’s stablecoin business.</p> <p>Anchorage is now custodian for 21Shares’ BTC and ETH spot ETFs and exclusive custodian and staking partner for the REX-Osprey Solana Staking ETF.</p> <p>But beyond ETFs, Anchorage Digital has made major headway—especially in stablecoins: collaborating with Visa on stablecoin payments and onboarding “compliant” stablecoins like PayPal’s PYUSD for institutional investors.</p> <p>Remarkably, Tether’s custodian and investor Cantor Fitzgerald has also teamed up with Anchorage to handle Bitcoin custody for Cantor Fitzgerald’s business.</p> <p>That makes Anchorage the custodian to Tether’s custodian.</p> <p>Despite its regulatory edge, Anchorage’s business was relatively quiet before 2025. Even with a $3 billion valuation and $50 billion in assets under management (AUM), it struggled to challenge Coinbase in the ETF space. Stablecoins are Anchorage Digital’s real battleground.</p> <p>With its federal “crypto bank” charter, Anchorage Digital (through Anchorage Digital Bank NA) can accept both USD and stablecoin deposits, and provide custody services.</p> <ul> <li>• Off-chain: Anchorage is partnering with Ethena to scale up USDtb issuance and comply with Genius Act stablecoin requirements.</li><li>• On-chain: Anchorage is part of the USDG stablecoin alliance with Paxos and Kraken, operating the Global Dollar Network on-chain.</li></ul> <p>In treasury strategy, Anchorage is not idle: former BlackRock exec Joseph Chalom joined ETH treasury firm Sharplink Gaming as co-CEO and drove the BlackRock–Anchorage ETF custody partnership.</p> <p>BlackRock’s BUIDL fund is closely linked to Chalom, and Anchorage serves as custodian. The structure:</p> <p>$BUIDL = BlackRock issuance = Securitize (tokenization tech) + Anchorage Digital (custody) + BNY (cash management)</p> <p>There’s more: SEC Chair Paul Atkins owns at least $250,000 of Anchorage Digital shares and is also a Securitize stakeholder; Securitize is Ethena’s joint partner for Converage.</p> <p>With Galaxy listed publicly, speculation about an Anchorage Digital IPO is growing as the stablecoin business expands—perhaps this will be the year of the first crypto bank IPO.</p> <h2 id="h2-R2FsYXh5IERpZ2l0YWwg5Z2Q5LiK6LSi5bqT5pe25Luj55qE6ZOB546L5bqn">Galaxy Digital: Sitting Atop the Crypto Treasury Throne</h2><p>Galaxy Digital stands out even more than Anchorage. It was Goldman Sachs’s OTC crypto trading partner in 2022, a major Bitcoin whale exit hub, and is involved in BTC mining, VC investment, and AI compute. Founder Mike Novogratz’s connections are unmatched in the industry.</p> <p>On July 25, Galaxy helped an early miner sell about 80,000 BTC ($9 billion). Although the sales were staggered, the news pushed Bitcoin down nearly 4% to below $115,000.</p> <p>Given the sums involved, Galaxy has faced accusations of market manipulation, but as an institution, Galaxy’s incentives are for low volatility and scale—institutions want stability, not chaos.</p> <p>However, Galaxy’s real advantage is its timing: founder Mike Novogratz—trained in traditional finance, not tech—has always approached crypto pragmatically, focusing on profitability.</p> <p>Now, as retail exits and institutions enter, Galaxy’s next steps—especially the broadening of crypto treasury strategies—demand attention.</p> <p>Recall that ETH treasury company Sharplink, recently led by a BlackRock executive?</p> <p>In June 2025, Sharplink made multiple large ETH buys via Galaxy OTC, totaling at least $800 million. Galaxy is also a Sharplink investor—internal capital cycling within related entities.</p> <p>Beyond BTC and ETFs, Galaxy has contributed to Ethena’s Stablecoinx treasury effort and built the $450 million Mill City Ventures III, Ltd. $SUI treasury.</p> <p>Galaxy is also expanding into new OTC products, such as OTC support for LST LsETH (Liquid Collective issuance). For the SOL version (lsSOL), institutional investors are supported by Anchorage Digital.</p> <p>It’s a tight circle at the top of crypto finance.</p> <p>Notably, both Anchorage Digital and Galaxy Digital are now involved in GDN, proving that collaboration, not cutthroat competition, is the new norm among major custodians.</p> <p>While Anchorage is betting its future on stablecoins (thanks to its banking charter), Galaxy focuses on treasury management, with additional non-BTC and non-ETH treasury products forthcoming.</p> <p>With substantial capital depth, Galaxy holds $1.8 billion in BTC, recently increased its XRP holdings by $34.4 million, and in a twist, Ripple just announced a $200 million acquisition of stablecoin firm Rail (backed by Galaxy).</p> <p>Internal capital cycling within related entities.</p> <p>Galaxy’s filings hint at new treasury and market-making targets: $HYPE, $SOL, and $XRP. After Ripple ended its SEC litigation and soared 10% the same day, Galaxy pulled ahead of retail once more.</p> <p><img src="https://s3.ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com/gimg.gateimg.com/learn/537e2129a57a2a54d0b97276c3a7a0bd7e8d038c.png" alt=""><br>Image Description: Galaxy Digital Portfolio<br>Image Source: <a href="https://github.com/zuoyeweb3" title="&#64;zuoyeweb3" class="at-link">@zuoyeweb3</a><br>Data Source: <a href="https://github.com/SECGov" title="&#64;SECGov" class="at-link">@SECGov</a></p> <p>Galaxy has completely exited its UNI and TIA positions. The previous leading assets have been replaced: USDG, HYPE, and XRP are the new stars—OTC desks always spot the trends first.</p> <p>Historically, OTC desks could only passively fill whale orders, with little sway over secondary markets—unlike exchange-based market makers. However, with on-chain treasury strategies, crypto, equities, and bonds will become interconnected; who will control token pricing remains uncertain.</p> <h2 id="h2-57uT6K+t">Conclusion</h2><p>Custodians are the new crossroads of capital in crypto. Off-chain assets demand secure on-chain entry; on-chain assets require compliant off-ramps. Treasury strategies will let custodians actively shape token prices. Crypto liquidity now defines the power structure, while the era of centralized exchanges and market makers is coming to an end.</p> <p>BNY Mellon holds over $52 trillion in assets under custody. The entire crypto market cap is less than $4 trillion, and stablecoins + crypto ETFs + treasury firms total just $520 billion—crypto custodians’ influence will take time to mature.</p> <p>Ultimately, capital will follow profit opportunities.</p> <h3 id="h3-5aOw5piO77ya">Disclaimer:</h3><ol> <li>This article is reprinted from [<a href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/235iFbT1Qv0DWFjL__cS_w">Zuoye WaiBoShu</a>]. Copyright remains with the original author [<em>Zuoye WaiBoShu</em>]. If there are any objections to this reprint, please contact the <a href="https://www.gate.com/questionnaire/3967">Gate Learn</a> team, and we will address it according to our procedures.</li><li>Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author and do not constitute investment advice.</li><li>Other language versions of this article were translated by Gate Learn. Unless <a href="http://gate.com/">Gate</a> is specifically referenced, translated content may not be copied, distributed, or plagiarized.</li></ol>

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