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Archive · April 8, 2026

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Story 01

Stablecoins Hit $33 Trillion in Annual Volume, Reshaping B2B Payment Economics

Stablecoins now facilitate $33 trillion in annual transaction volume with a market cap of $312 billion, according to new data. This surge is shifting B2B payments away from traditional banks by offering faster, lower-cost cross-border transactions. Banks face immediate pressure on fee revenue and relevance in B2B corridors as corporates adopt stablecoin rails for settlement, while regulators respond to adoption that is outpacing legacy infrastructure.

Source: Finextra
Also Worth Knowing
№02

StraitsX and KBank Launch Real-Time Payment Corridor Linking Singapore and Thailand

StraitsX and KBank have enabled instant cross-border payments between Singapore and Thailand, bypassing legacy correspondent networks. Merchants and consumers benefit from faster, cheaper remittances, while incumbent banks face margin compression on traditional corridors. This move sets a template for regional payment integration, with other Southeast Asian markets likely to follow.

Source: Finextra
№03

MillTech Secures $60 Million to Challenge US Risk Management and FX Providers

MillTech, a UK-based risk management platform, raised $60 million to expand into the US, targeting banks and corporates with FX hedging and risk tools. US incumbents now face a new competitor leveraging European compliance and automation standards. The influx of UK fintechs could drive faster adoption of AI-powered risk solutions in the US treasury and payments space.

Source: Finextra
№04

Lloyds Pilots Quantum Computing to Map and Disrupt Money Mule Networks

Lloyds Banking Group completed a quantum computing experiment to identify and disrupt money mule networks, which are used by fraudsters to move illicit funds through legitimate accounts. Early results suggest quantum algorithms can uncover complex fraud rings faster than conventional analytics, making it harder for criminals to hide transactions and prompting banks to rethink anti-money laundering strategies.

Source: Finextra
№05

UBS, Sygnum, and PostFinance Launch Swiss Franc Stablecoin Sandbox for Regulated Pilots

Seven Swiss financial institutions, including UBS, Sygnum, and PostFinance, have launched a sandbox to test a regulated Swiss franc stablecoin through 2026. The initiative positions Switzerland as a proving ground for compliant stablecoin use in payments and settlement. European banks and fintechs will watch closely as new regulatory models and cross-border use cases emerge from the sandbox.

Source: The Block
The Long Memory
“The first cross-border real-time payment link between Singapore and Thailand, launched in 2021, enabled users to send money using just a mobile number—years before many G20 corridors.

Filed under: Payments History · The Long Memory

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