DeFi News page 18

The crypto infrastructure firm moves closer to operating under a federal banking charter after clearing an initial regulatory hurdle. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has granted Bastion conditional approval to move forward with a national trust bank charter.

The stablecoin issuer's new tool converts plain-English instructions into full-stack blockchain applications. Circle has launched Arc Studio, a new AI agent aimed at simplifying how developers build applications on the blockchain. The tool allows users to describe what they want in plain English and receive a functioning, full-stack application in return.

Galaxy's data shows venture investment in crypto and blockchain startups jumped roughly 31% from the prior quarter. Venture capital deployed into crypto and blockchain startups totaled $5.68 billion in the second quarter, according to figures published by research firm Galaxy.

Treasury's Iran sanctions filing is the sole primary document on record this cycle; three widely carried launches are company announcements with no regulator behind them. Treasury's Iran sanctions filing is the sole primary document on record this cycle; three widely carried launches are company announcements with no regulator behind them.

Singapore-based dtcpay adds SBI Group as an investor, growing its Series A round to US$25 million. dtcpay has expanded its Series A funding round to US$25 million, with backing from SBI Group. The announcement was reported by Fintech News Singapore and The Block on September 18, 2026.

The collaboration is designed to help smaller regional lenders offer digital asset and stablecoin services to their customers. Coinbase has entered into a partnership with Stablecore aimed at bringing crypto capabilities into US community banks, CryptoBriefing reported.

The identity-focused crypto project expands into payments through a partnership with payments giant Stripe. World has introduced World Money, a self-custodial application described as a financial 'super app,' in more than 150 countries. The launch was reported by crypto.news and Cointelegraph on September 18.

The upgrade introduces on-chain lending features that could lock XRP for periods ranging from minutes to decades, according to reporting on the release. The XRP Ledger has launched version 3.4.0, bringing a set of lending protocol amendments to the network's base layer.

The crypto wealth platform says users can now move USDC onto Arc without paying steep third-party bridging costs SwissBorg has integrated direct USDC deposits on Arc Network, according to reporting from CryptoBriefing and The Cryptonomist. The update lets users send Circle's dollar-pegged stablecoin straight into Arc without relying on a separate bridging service.

The tokenization platform is expanding its real-world asset lineup onto BNB Chain, using RedStone's oracle infrastructure to support the new offering. OpenEden has expanded its tokenized fixed-income offerings to BNB Chain. The platform is bringing a high-yield bond fund backed by BNY, one of the world's largest custodian banks, onto the network.

The banking and payments firm says its rails already handle billions in volume for major fintech clients. Column has introduced stablecoin infrastructure designed to let users move between USDC and USDT instantly. The company positions the launch as a direct answer to a persistent friction point in digital dollar markets.

The New York senator says a recent setback does not mark the end of efforts to pass the Clarity Act. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said Democrats have not abandoned efforts to pass the Clarity Act, according to The Block. She described a recent setback in the legislative process as temporary, not final.

The test explored moving funds directly between Japan and South Korea using stablecoins instead of traditional banking rails. Ripple has completed a pilot program with Japan's SBI Holdings and South Korea's Kyobo Life Insurance to test direct stablecoin transfers between the two countries.

Lawmakers moved a digital asset tax measure forward even as a related Senate effort stalled A House committee has advanced a bill addressing the tax treatment of digital assets, passing it by a 38-5 vote. The lopsided margin signals broad bipartisan backing for the measure inside the chamber, according to reports on the committee action.

The stablecoin issuer's new network aims to give USDC a stronger foothold in payments and settlement. Circle has moved its Arc network into mainnet, according to a report from CryptoSlate. The launch marks a new phase in the company's strategy to expand how businesses and developers use USDC beyond simple trading and transfers.

Lawmakers move to write the reserve into federal law, testing whether Congress will back the White House's Bitcoin policy. A House committee has voted to advance a bill that would codify the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve established under President Trump.

TronWeekly and CoinTurk News EN report KRW1's supply at 100 million tokens, while AMBCrypto puts circulating supply at 142 million. TronWeekly and CoinTurk News EN report KRW1's supply at 100 million tokens, while AMBCrypto puts circulating supply at 142 million.

The failed procedural vote on crypto market structure legislation triggered a sharp selloff across digital assets. The U.S. Senate blocked a motion connected to the CLARITY Act on Tuesday, halting progress on a bill meant to define market structure rules for digital assets.