Money & Markets

Money & Markets

Circle and Binance Trade Transactional Friction for Long-Term Alignment

The exchange committed $100 million in equity and a five-year commercial agreement to put USDC at the center of its emerging-markets distribution strategy – a structural shift from transactional payment incentives.

◆ Nolan Pratt·Sep 22

Money & Markets

SoFi Just Went Live With Stablecoin Settlement on Mastercard. That’s the First Bank-Issued Stablecoin on a Major Card Network.

The OCC-chartered, FDIC-insured bank is migrating its $25B+ annualized card program onto stablecoin rails – and Galileo could extend settlement to every other issuing bank.

◆ Nolan Pratt·Sep 22

Money & Markets

Visa Settled $20B in Stablecoins. Now It’s Running the Blockchain.

The payment giant became a founding validator on Circle's Arc L1, joining BlackRock and DTCC. The dual-chain strategy marks a shift from using blockchain infrastructure to operating it.

◆ Nolan Pratt·Sep 22

Money & Markets

When the Senate Stalls, the Agencies Move Alone

Two agencies are writing the rules Congress couldn't pass. The SEC proposed Reg Crypto in August; the CFTC filed with the White House two days after the CLARITY Act died. The structural question is whether targeted rulemaking can substitute for comprehensive legislation – or whether it creates a patchwork firms must navigate alone.

◆ Nolan Pratt·Sep 21

Money & Markets

The OCC Just Approved Three Digital-Asset Bank Charters in One Day. That’s the Real Story.

Bastion Platforms, Catena, and Agora all received preliminary conditional approval on September 18. The pace—not any single charter—is what matters.

◆ Nolan Pratt·Sep 21

Money & Markets

Visa’s Stablecoin Settlement Just Hit $20 Billion. The Rail Is Built Before the Rules Are.

Visa's stablecoin settlement volume tripled in six months to a $20 billion annualized run rate. With 160-plus card programs live and agencies still writing the GENIUS Act rulebook, the question is no longer whether stablecoins work for settlement — it's who controls the compliance layer when the enforcement date hits.

◆ Nolan Pratt·Sep 21

Money & Markets

The Week Ahead: Three Regulatory Deadlines That Will Shape Stablecoin Competition

With the CLARITY Act dead, Treasury's NPRM, the OCC's November rule, and the GENIUS Act's January 2027 effective date are the only paths forward for stablecoin issuers and agent payment platforms.

◆ Nolan Pratt·Sep 21

Money & Markets

Treasury Drew the Line Between Stablecoin Issuers and Everyone Else. The Stakes Are Not Equal.

Treasury Drew the Line Between Stablecoin Issuers and Everyone Else. The Stakes Are Not Equal.

◆ Nolan Pratt·Sep 19

Money & Markets

The GENIUS Act Clock Is Ticking. The Rules Are Not Ready.

The GENIUS Act's January 2027 effective date is locked regardless of agency rulemaking progress – creating a compliance cliff for stablecoin issuers where the prohibition takes effect but implementing rules may not be finalized.

◆ Nolan Pratt·Sep 19

Money & Markets

The Agent Economy Runs on Concrete: Why $660 Billion Is Pouring Into Physical Infrastructure

While autonomous agents capture the imagination, the world's largest technology firms are pouring record capital into power grids, cooling systems, and proprietary silicon. The money is telling you where the durable moat lives.

◆ Nolan Pratt·Sep 19