cross-border

The Central Bank of Malaysia and the Bank of Thailand joined the Singapore-led BLOOM initiative on Friday as members of the policymakers. BLOOM stands for Borderless, Liquid, Open, Online, Multi-currency, and is a public-private partnership initiative aimed at helping financial institutions utilize stablecoins and tokenized deposits for cross-border payments. According to the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the initiative aims to reduce costs and help institutions bring services to market faster by decreasing the need for financial institutions to establish arrangements with each counterparty or market individually.The Monetary Authority of Singapore launched BLOOM in October 2025, building on Project Orchid, which was initiated in 2021 to explore the application of a digital Singapore dollar. BLOOM's work also covers corporate cash management, trade financing, and payments executed by AI agents within preset limits, with participants including Airwallex, Mastercard, Ripple, Visa, and the World Bank Group. Additionally, the Central Bank of Malaysia announced in February that three initiatives would test the ringgit stablecoin and tokenized deposits for domestic and cross-border wholesale payments in 2026.

According to Digital Asset, the Bank of Korea will require virtual asset transfer service providers to report monthly to the foreign exchange information system the end-of-month holdings of users who have conducted cross-border cryptocurrency asset transfers to overseas exchanges, personal wallets, etc., since July 19, 2024, starting from December 2. Even if there are no cross-border transactions in that month, reports must still be submitted.The report covers the number of coins held, the converted balance in Korean won, and the total amount of cross-border inflows and outflows for the month. Dormant accounts, delisted assets, and staked assets are also included in the scope and must be submitted by the 10th of the following month at 17:30. It has not yet been determined whether there will be a requirement to retrospectively submit records of cross-border transfer transactions conducted before the implementation of the reporting system.

According to CoinDesk, Shinhan Card, a subsidiary of South Korea's Shinhan Financial Group, is collaborating with a subsidiary of Japan's SBI Holdings to explore the payment applications of a yen stablecoin between the two countries. Participants include the cryptocurrency exchange SBI VC Trade and the trade finance blockchain company SBI XDC Network APAC.The collaboration will study scenarios such as card-linked merchant payments for Japanese tourists visiting South Korea, wallet-to-wallet transfers, and cross-border trade settlements, and will include suspicious transaction monitoring and anti-money laundering compliance systems. Shinhan Card serves approximately 20 million cardholders and stated that it will connect this project with Shinhan Financial's broader digital asset strategy, which includes an agreement reached in August with Visa to explore stablecoin issuance, transfers, and card settlements.Currently, the project is still in its early stages, and the parties have not disclosed the types of stablecoins to be tested, nor have they set a timeline for testing or commercial rollout. SBI has previously issued the yen stablecoin JPYSC, launched by SBI Shinsei Trust Bank and introduced in collaboration with Startale Group, which had a circulation of approximately 20.1 billion yen (about 127 million USD) as of September 7. JPYSC is currently only available for use in SBI VC Trade accounts and cannot be transferred to external wallets. Its circulation on the public chain depends on legal and tax clarity and regulatory approval, and the parties have not indicated whether JPYSC will be included in this test.

The cryptocurrency exchange platform Coinbase stated on X that stablecoins can complete cross-border transfers in seconds, but the funds still need to enter channels that the recipient can actually use.Coinbase mentioned that it is collaborating with the cross-border payment company Thunes to connect its stablecoin infrastructure to local bank accounts and mobile wallets worldwide.

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) released Working Paper No. 1385, comparing the cross-border payment costs of traditional banks, fintech remittance companies, and stablecoins. The paper points out that stablecoins can complete cross-border transfers through networks such as Ethereum, Solana, and Tron, reducing reliance on correspondent banks and SWIFT.The paper states that the exchange rates of stablecoins for major currencies can approach wholesale foreign exchange rates, and on-chain transfer fees are relatively low. However, the complete process involving fiat currency, stablecoins, and fiat currency still incurs transaction, withdrawal, and exchange fees. Stablecoins reconstruct the intermediary process but do not eliminate intermediaries. Insufficient market depth limits the cost advantages of large payments, and some advantages in emerging markets are related to capital controls and demand for US dollars.

A representative from the Solana Foundation stated that the U.S. "GENIUS Act" provides regulatory impetus for businesses and financial institutions to enter the stablecoin space, and is also one of the important background factors for Samsung's launch of stablecoin payment services.Samsung has announced that it will support USDC cross-border transfers in Samsung Wallet, initially targeting eligible Galaxy users in the U.S., covering approximately 82 million devices. Users can transfer dollar stablecoins to compatible crypto wallets within seconds, without incurring transfer fees; they can also remit to eligible bank accounts in over 60 countries and regions. This service will utilize the Solana and Sui networks as the underlying infrastructure, with licensed stablecoin custodian Bastion providing transfer services, and Coinbase Prime acting as the secondary custodian responsible for ensuring the security of USDC assets.

According to the official announcement from Mitsubishi UFJ Trust Bank, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust Bank, in collaboration with Mitsubishi UFJ Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Mizuho Bank, and TISI, completed an empirical experiment on the joint issuance of yen stablecoins and optimization of cross-border payments from July 17 to 23, 2026.This experiment was supported by the Financial Services Agency's "Fintech Empirical Experiment Hub - Payment Enhancement Project," verifying the feasibility of a multi-bank joint issuance stablecoin model and exploring the application potential of blockchain technology in international remittances and inter-company payments. The results of the experiment showed that the issuance and circulation of stablecoins are operationally feasible, providing important references for the future social implementation of digital payment services and blockchain financial assets.

Stripe announced a collaboration with Plasma to develop a multi-currency stablecoin card, aimed at allowing individuals and businesses to spend the currencies they already hold in their accounts, reducing unnecessary currency conversion and foreign exchange costs. Plasma will serve as the design partner, integrating with Stripe's stablecoin card infrastructure, enabling customer account balances to be used for payments through the multi-currency card.The expanded infrastructure will support US dollars, Brazilian reais, euros, Mexican pesos, and Colombian pesos; stablecoins include USDC, OUSD, and qualified stablecoins that meet the requirements of the GENIUS Act. The Stripe stablecoin card service currently covers over 30 countries, with plans to expand to over 100 countries by 2027.For example, users holding euros will be able to spend directly in euros in the future, without needing to convert to US dollars first; businesses can issue currency cards that match their spending needs. Stripe also plans to support cardholders in spending from multiple account balances and automatically selecting the appropriate currency at the time of purchase.

According to a recent report by AlphaWire, Edwin Cheung, Executive Director of Gate, stated in an interview during TOKEN2049 Singapore that the payment business will become an important growth direction for Gate, serving individuals and corporate users with daily fund transfer needs.On October 7, Gate officially launched Gate Money, allowing users to open a global electronic bank account in their own name through the Gate App, and as services gradually open, it will accept payments in over 60 local currencies, connecting digital assets with everyday financial scenarios. Edwin Cheung pointed out that stablecoins can reduce the number of intermediary banks in cross-border transfers and enhance the transparency of fund flows. In the future, it will coexist long-term with traditional bank transfers, instant payments, and QR code payments, and will play a greater role in cross-currency payments as services develop in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Gate Money integrates functions of fiat currency, digital assets, stocks, ETFs, and gold, providing integrated financial services.Regarding institutional business and security, he mentioned that institutional investors remain highly concerned about liquidity and counterparty risk. Gate offers an OES over-the-counter settlement solution, allowing institutional clients' assets to be retained in third-party custodians while still utilizing Gate's liquidity and trading services, and enhancing transparency with reserve proof. He emphasized that user trust is crucial, and Gate's compliance qualifications, risk control system, and cooperation with various market regulatory agencies are key to the sustainable development of the business.

According to The Block, brokerage service provider DriveWealth has partnered with Ripple to integrate its stablecoin settlement, cross-border payment, and digital asset custody services into its brokerage platform.The two parties will initially launch settlement operations in Europe and plan to expand the service scope to the United States. This integration will utilize the Ripple RLUSD stablecoin on the XRP Ledger, allowing DriveWealth customers to use a stablecoin that can be converted to fiat currency almost in real-time for collateral account funding and management. Additionally, both parties are exploring opportunities for equity financing through Ripple Prime.

According to the official blog of Avalanche, the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) court has announced the adoption of Avalanche blockchain technology to provide globally verifiable digital authenticity certificates for its court orders and hearing records.The system binds encrypted hashes of documents to unique NFT certificates on the Avalanche C-Chain, allowing any institution to verify document authenticity within seconds without contacting the court, while the document content and confidential information are not stored on-chain, maintaining complete privacy.Avalanche's settlement speed is less than one second, and records are non-reversible. In addition, the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) of the UAE is also collaborating with Ava Labs to integrate Avalanche technology into the Digital Vault blockchain layer of the national digital identity platform UAE PASS, which serves over 12.5 million users, further promoting the construction of a credible verification system for government documents on-chain in the UAE.

According to The Block, KB Kookmin Card has signed a memorandum of understanding with Japan's SBI Holdings to test AI agent-based identity verification and explore cross-border cryptocurrency payments.The two parties will study ways for Japanese tourists to pay Korean merchants using cryptocurrency assets, including stablecoins. KB Kookmin Card is a credit card company under KB Financial Group, and SBI Holdings is a Japanese financial holding group.

A7 International, created by Bank PSB, will launch on October 13. This service is primarily aimed at foreign trade operators, but individuals can also use it, with a fixed fee of 0.3%.A7 International allows users to pay invoices in foreign currency to counterparties using USDT, and the funds are then transferred to the desired currency via standard SWIFT bank transfer. Petr Fradkov, Chairman of PJSC Bank PSB, and Ilan Shor, CEO of A7, will introduce the product on October 13 at 13:13.A7 states that the company focuses on international trade payments and settlements, established in 2024 with the participation of PSB Bank, and is building payment infrastructure in over 100 countries. Its products include international payments, digital financial assets, and promissory notes, serving 15,000 clients and processing about 2,000 transactions daily; by 2025, approximately 19% of Russian companies' cross-border trade settlements will be processed by A7, and in October of the same year, it received an AA(RU) credit rating with a stable outlook from ACRA.

According to Cointelegraph, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) warned in a document submitted to G20 finance ministers and central bank governors that cross-border regulation of stablecoins, crisis management mechanisms, and AI-related cybersecurity risks still need further improvement.FSB Chair Andrew Bailey stated that the current cross-border regulation of stablecoins and crisis management mechanisms "are still immature or have not yet been established."

According to Decrypt, the cross-border payment company Conduit has filed a lawsuit against the stablecoin issuer Tether in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Conduit alleges that Tether unilaterally froze $2.76 million worth of USDT in its treasury wallet on September 24, 2025, and has refused to unfreeze it for over a year.The complaint shows that the freeze originated from a Brazilian police investigation into a third party, Onix, but Conduit claims that the wallet in question was created after Onix's last transaction and has never held Onix's funds. The Brazilian police did not mark the address, and the freeze decision was made independently by Tether's T3 Financial Crimes Department.Conduit states that the wallet freeze has caused a severe liquidity crisis, forcing the company to lay off employees and close offices; meanwhile, Tether continues to earn interest on the reserves corresponding to these funds by investing in U.S. Treasury bonds. The lawsuit seeks claims for conversion of property, unjust enrichment, breach of fiduciary duty, and computer fraud, demanding the return of the funds.Recently, Tether has been involved in lawsuits due to on-chain freeze rights, with two Thai businessmen previously suing Tether for freezing $42.4 million in USDT earlier this year. This case has once again sparked controversy in the market regarding Tether's unilateral power to freeze USDT addresses.

The cross-border payment company Conduit has filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of New York Federal Court, accusing the stablecoin issuer Tether of freezing its $2.76 million in funds and refusing to unfreeze or provide any explanation. Conduit states that its USDT has been locked for over a year. The complaint claims, "Conduit owes no money to Tether and has no obligations to Tether."Conduit uses stablecoins, including Tether's USDT and Circle's USDC, to transfer funds across more than 100 countries. The lawsuit states that the wallet frozen by Tether is equivalent to Conduit's "operating bank account." This freeze reportedly stems from an investigation involving Conduit's former client Onix Intermediações, which was received by the Brazilian Federal Police. However, Conduit claims that law enforcement has confirmed it never requested the freezing of the payment service provider's funds wallet, and it is unclear why Tether took action; a Brazilian court also confirmed that Conduit is not under investigation related to the Onix Intermediações case.According to the complaint, Onix has not used the Conduit platform since April 2025, about a month before the creation of that funds wallet, and that wallet has never held any funds from Onix. Since the wallet is used to support company operations, Conduit states that its business has been affected, while Tether continues to earn interest on the reserves behind the frozen USDT.

As of the end of September, the Digital Renminbi International Operation Center has added 39 domestic and foreign financial institutions applying to access the "Digital Currency Cross-Border Settlement Comprehensive Service Platform" (CBETS).This platform supports bilateral connections with foreign currency authority payment systems and legal digital currency systems, and allows foreign financial institutions to connect directly, covering trade and cross-border personnel exchanges.

According to The Defiant, the British banking group Lloyds and payment giant Visa completed a $750,000 USDC transfer in a cross-border settlement pilot. The test lasted seven days, with funds transferred from Jersey to the United States, taking less than an hour in total, and could also be completed over the weekend.During the settlement process, Lloyds used the Canton network, while Visa utilized another independent blockchain. The pilot completed cross-border fund transfers using the stablecoin USDC.

Recently, the Beijing Shijingshan police successfully intercepted a new type of cross-border telecom fraud case, freezing 780,000 yuan in involved funds and returning it to the victims. In this case, 53-year-old Mr. Liu received a fraudulent call from abroad while accompanying his child studying overseas. The scammer impersonated domestic police, fabricated false allegations of money laundering, and induced him to urgently request money transfers from his family in China.The funds were subsequently transferred into the accounts of two other Chinese students studying abroad. Upon investigation, it was found that these three individuals were all victims of the same fraud gang, exhibiting characteristics of "multiple scams in one case, with victims serving as money laundering tools for each other." The scammers first transferred funds into the accounts of some victims, then coerced them into exchanging for U currency to assist in the transfer, which was highly concealed and involved complex cross-border links. The police successfully "awakened" the victims through patient persuasion, preventing greater losses.

Chainalysis data shows that cross-border stablecoin capital flows increased by 77.5% year-on-year. While the overall scale has expanded, the capital flow remains highly concentrated.Chainalysis identified 4,708 new inter-country transfer paths, but these new paths only carry about 2.64 billion dollars, accounting for a small proportion of the total statistical amount of 220.3 billion dollars, indicating that cross-border flows of stablecoins are still dominated by a few major channels.