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Stripe, a global payments platform, is building a new US dollar stablecoin product for companies based outside the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe in a move that may further expand the footprint of the dollar around the world.Stripe CEO Patrick Collison confirmed the product on X, posting an invitation for companies interested in testing the solution. The move gained traction after Stripe recently received regulatory approval to acquire the stablecoin payments network Bridge.Bridge’s network competes with banks and companies that use the SWIFT system, a global financial messaging network that facilitates international wire transfers. Two former Coinbase executives, Zach Abrams and Sean Yu, co-founded the company in 2022.Source: Patrick CollisonRelated: Former Square, Coinbase execs raise $58M for Bridge stablecoin networkStablecoin adoption grows in 2025Stripe has a long-standing history with crypto, becoming the first major payments processor to integrate Bitcoin (BTC) in 2014. However, it discontinued support due to Bitcoin’s long transfer times and high transaction fees. The company began rebuilding its crypto team in 2021 as part of a renewed push into the space.Stripe has recently accelerated that push. In October 2024, the company introduced a stablecoin payment option, which users adopted in over 70 countries on the first rollout day. In June that year, Stripe partnered with Coinbase to offer fiat-to-crypto conversions. Collison noted on X that Stripe’s latest crypto initiative is something the company has “wanted to build for around a decade.”Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies designed to maintain a stable value by being pegged to assets like fiat currencies. In the United States, USD-backed stablecoins have increasingly gained attention at the federal level, with figures like US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell calling for dedicated legislation. PayPal launched its own stablecoin in 2023 and recently announced that it would begin offering yield to holders of its token.As of April 25, the stablecoin market cap stands at $237.5 billion, according to DefiLlama.Magazine: Bitcoin payments are being undermined by centralized stablecoins

Semler Scientific has bought approximately $10 million worth of Bitcoin since Feb. 14, the healthcare technology company said in an April 25 statement. The company purchased 111 Bitcoin (BTC) for $10 million at an average price of roughly $90,000 per coin, Semler said. It holds a total of more than 3,300 Bitcoin worth approximately $300 million in aggregate. Semler said its Bitcoin purchases have earned stockholders a Bitcoin yield of 23.5% in the year to date. Bitcoin yield measures the ratio of BTC holdings to outstanding shares, reflecting growing exposure per share for investors. “Semler Scientific uses BTC Yield as a [key performance indicator] to help assess the performance of its strategy of acquiring bitcoin in a manner Semler Scientific believes is accretive to stockholders,” it said. Semler bought 111 BTC since Feb. 14. Source: Eric SemlerThe company said it acquired its Bitcoin treasury for an average price of nearly $89,000. As of April 25, Bitcoin trades at approximately $95,000 per coin, according to data from Cointelegraph. Semler Scientific is a healthcare technology company that develops and sells medical diagnostic products, with a primary focus on detecting chronic diseases. The company has partially financed its Bitcoin purchases by issuing roughly $125 million in new stock, it said. Semler also announced plans to raise $75 million through the private offering of convertible senior notes in January. Corporations are among the biggest Bitcoin buyers. Source: BitcoinTreasuries.NET Related: Bitcoin, showing ‘signs of resilience’, beats stocks, gold as equities fold — BinanceCorporate Bitcoin buyingIn 2024, Bitcoin’s surging price pushed Michael Saylor’s Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) up more than 350%, according to data from FinanceCharts. Strategy’s success has inspired dozens of other companies, such as Semler, to start accumulating Bitcoin treasuries. Public companies are now among the largest institutional Bitcoin holders. As of April 25, corporate Bitcoin holdings are worth approximately $71 billion in the aggregate, according to data from BitcoinTreasuries.NET.Strategy is still the largest corporate Bitcoin holder, with a treasury worth more than $50 billion. During the week of April 14, Strategy bagged 6,556 Bitcoin for an average price of $84,785 per coin.Among institutional buyers, corporate treasuries still lag exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which cumulatively hold approximately $110 billion in Bitcoin as of April 25, according to Coinglass data. Magazine: Pokémon on Sui rumors, Polymarket bets on Filipino Pope: Asia Express

In one of his first appearances as the recently sworn-in chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Paul Atkins delivered remarks to the agency’s third roundtable discussion of crypto regulation. In the “Know Your Custodian” roundtable event on April 25, Atkins said he expected “huge benefits” from blockchain technology through efficiency, risk mitigation, transparency, and cutting costs. He reiterated that among his goals at the SEC would be to facilitate “clear regulatory rules of the road” for digital assets, hinting that the agency under former chair Gary Gensler had contributed to market and regulatory uncertainty. “I look forward to engaging with market participants and working with colleagues in President Trump’s administration and Congress to establish a rational fit-for-purpose framework for crypto assets,” said Atkins.SEC chair Paul Atkins addressing the April 25 crypto roundtable. Source: SECSome critics of US President Donald Trump see Atkins’ nomination to lead the SEC as a nod to the crypto industry, acting on campaign promises to remove Gensler — the former chair resigned the day Trump took office — and cut back on regulation. Democratic lawmakers on the Senate Banking Committee questioned Atkins on his ties to the industry, potentially presenting conflicts of interest in his role regulating crypto.Related: Atkins SEC era sparks massive industry optimism, crypto execs speak outThe direction of the SEC under new leadership“We’ve noticed that we don’t have to be as concerned […] about being accused of things that we’re not doing, like being broker-dealers for securities,” Exodus chief legal officer Veronica McGregor, who participated in the roundtable, told Cointelegraph on April 24.”It’s just a less scary regulatory environment in general. It is, however, still unclear what the ultimate regs are going to look like for crypto.” The SEC crypto task force is scheduled to hold two more roundtables in May and June to discuss tokenization and decentralized finance, respectively. Commissioner Hester Peirce, who leads the task force, told Cointelegraph in March that she welcomed the opportunity to work with Atkins to “reorient the agency,” hinting at an SEC with regulations more favorable to the crypto industry.In addition to the roundtables, the crypto task force has reported several meetings with digital asset firms to discuss various policies and considerations in developing a regulatory framework.Magazine: SEC’s U-turn on crypto leaves key questions unanswered

US President Donald Trump’s first 90 days in office have been miserable for Bitcoin (BTC) and the broader cryptocurrency industry. Despite positive regulatory developments, culminating in the first-ever White House crypto summit on March 7, digital asset prices have been dragged down by the currents of trade war and fear of recession.However, crypto saw a huge sentiment shift this week amid reports that Trump was backing off on his full-scale tariff war against China. It also didn’t hurt that Trump’s media empire, Trump Media and Technology Group, inked a deal with Crypto.com for its forthcoming Made in America exchange-traded funds (ETFs).This week’s Crypto Biz newsletter covers renewed inflows into Bitcoin ETFs, a potential crypto venture backed by Cantor Fitzgerald, and Coinbase’s possible pursuit of a federal banking charter. It wraps up with a look at Tesla’s decision to hold its Bitcoin position despite a disappointing earnings quarter.Bitcoin ETFs see largest inflows since JanuaryCapital is flowing back into US spot Bitcoin ETFs, highlighting a positive sentiment shift among institutional investors. According to Glassnode data, the 11 spot Bitcoin ETFs registered $381.3 million in net inflows on April 21, with the ARK21Shares Bitcoin ETF accounting for nearly a third of the total. One day later, the 11 funds registered $912.7 million in net inflows, the largest since January when Bitcoin was trading at all-time highs. The ARK21Shares, Fidelity and BlackRock Bitcoin funds saw the largest inflows on April 22. As billions flowed back into Bitcoin ETFs, spot BTC prices climbed back to $94,000 on April 23, pushing the total cryptocurrency market cap close to the $3 trillion mark again.Net inflows to US spot Bitcoin ETFs are surging again. Source: CoinglassCantor Fitzgerald is backing $3B crypto venture: ReportCantor Fitzgerald is reportedly in talks with Softbank, Tether and Bitfinex to establish a $3 billion crypto acquisition company called 21 Capital. According to an April 23 report by the Financial Times, the new company aims to capitalize on the favorable crypto environment in the United States following US President Donald Trump’s election. It also seeks to emulate the success of Strategy, the business intelligence firm turned Bitcoin bank that has amassed more than 534,000 BTC. The report suggested that stablecoin issuer Tether will contribute $1.5 billion to the new venture. Softbank is expected to add $900 million and Bitfinex another $600 million. 21 Capital is reportedly eyeing another $350 million raise via convertible bonds alongside a $200 million private equity placement. The proceeds will reportedly be used to buy Bitcoin.Cantor Fitzgerald is led by Brandon Lutnick, the son of Howard Lutnick (right), who became President Trump’s Secretary of Commerce. Source: White HouseCoinbase weighs US banking licenseCoinbase is considering applying for a United States federal bank charter, potentially signaling the cryptocurrency exchange’s intention to move into traditional banking services.A spokesperson for Coinbase confirmed to Cointelegraph that the exchange was considering this option, but did not elaborate on the reasons why.“This is something Coinbase is actively considering but has not made any formal decisions yet,” the spokesperson said.A US federal bank charter is significant because it allows licensees to perform core banking activities, including deposit taking and lending. For crypto exchanges like Coinbase, obtaining such a charter could represent a major step toward integrating traditional banking with digital assets.Tesla HODLs Bitcoin despite earnings slumpElectric vehicle maker Tesla reported disappointing first-quarter earnings this week but opted to hold onto its Bitcoin investments, signaling that Elon Musk’s company still sees significant upside in digital asset prices.Tesla’s net income plunged 71% in the first quarter, with revenue falling 9% and automotive sales down 20% year over year.Tesla’s disappointing earnings highlight the folly of mixing business and politics, with the results partly attributed to Musk’s role in Trump’s White House.Despite the earnings slump, Tesla held firm on its digital asset position, maintaining 11,509 BTC — unchanged since 2022. At current prices, that stake is valued at just under $1.1 billion.Tesla’s Bitcoin investments. Source: BitcoinTreasuries.NETCrypto Biz is your weekly pulse on the business behind blockchain and crypto, delivered directly to your inbox every Thursday.

Nasdaq has urged the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to hold digital assets to the same regulatory standards as securities if they constitute “stocks by any other name,” according to an April 25 comment letter. The exchange said the US financial regulator needs to establish a clearer taxonomy for cryptocurrencies, including categorizing a portion of digital assets as “financial securities.” Those tokens, Nasdaq argued, should continue to be regulated “as they are regulated today regardless of tokenized form.”“Whether it takes the form of a paper share, a digital share, or a token, an instrument’s underlying nature remains the same and it should be traded and regulated in the same ways,” the letter said. It also proposed categorizing a portion of cryptocurrencies as “digital asset investment contracts,” to be subject to “light touch regulation” but still overseen by the SEC. Nasdaq’s April 25 letter to the SEC. Source: NasdaqRelated: Certain stablecoins aren’t securities, SEC says in new guidanceRegulatory U-turnThe SEC has dramatically pivoted its stance on cryptocurrency oversight since US President Donald Trump took office in January. Under the leadership of former Chair Gary Gensler, the SEC took the position that practically all cryptocurrencies, with the exception of Bitcoin (BTC), represent investment contracts and therefore qualify as securities. This stance led the agency to bring upwards of 100 lawsuits against crypto firms for alleged securities law violations.However, under Trump nominee Paul Atkins, who was sworn in as chair on April 21 after a lengthy Senate confirmation, the SEC has claimed jurisdiction over a narrower segment of cryptocurrencies. In February, the agency issued guidance stating that memecoins — if clearly identified as purely speculative assets with no intrinsic value — do not qualify as investment contracts pursuant to US law. In April, the SEC said that stablecoins — digital tokens pegged to the US dollar — similarly do not qualify as securities if they are marketed solely as a means of making payments.Stablecoin market overview. Source: RWA.xyzIntegrating crypto into TradFiIn its April 21 letter, Nasdaq said existing financial infrastructure “can readily absorb digital assets by establishing the proper taxonomy and calibrating certain rules to reflect what is truly new and novel about digital assets.”The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) — a private US securities clearinghouse closely overseen by the SEC — has been laying the foundation for integrating blockchain technology into regulated financial markets. In March, the DTCC committed to promoting Ethereum’s ERC-3643 standard for permissioned securities tokens.Magazine: Ethereum is destroying the competition in the $16.1T TradFi tokenization race