News & Events

Stablecoin activity accelerated sharply in Q1 2026, with transaction volumes hitting $4.5 trillion and supply climbing to a record $315 billion, according to market research cited by Andreessen Horowitz. The data suggests stablecoins are moving beyond crypto trading and into everyday payments and financial services, helped by growing regulatory clarity in the United States.

Tether remained the largest issuer, with USDT’s supply rebounding to about $188 billion and accounting for roughly two-thirds of the market. Adoption is being driven by faster settlement, lower costs and expanding use in consumer and business payments. In contrast, major payment firms such as Mastercard, Visa and Stripe continue to invest in stablecoin infrastructure.

Read the original article here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/stablecoin-payments-hit-45t-as-tether-leads-market/gm-GML4D1A7ED?ocid=BingNewsVerp

India is expanding its e-rupee pilot into welfare payments for agriculture and subsidised food distribution, in a bid to reduce leakage and corruption in its roughly $80 billion subsidy system. The Reserve Bank of India’s programme, backed by the World Bank, state authorities and Punjab National Bank, now has about 10 million users, though it still trails far behind UPI in scale.

Officials say the programmable nature of the CBDC can ensure funds are used only for intended purposes while easing upfront payments for farmers. The move is being seen as an effort to give the e-rupee a clearer real-world use case, similar to China’s wider CBDC rollout.

Read the original article here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/india-expands-e-rupee-welfare-pilot-as-western-union-readies-stablecoin/gm-GML0252636?ocid=BingNewsVerp

Togo plans to challenge the long-standing Mercator world map at the United Nations, saying it distorts Africa’s true size and global importance. Backed by the African Union, the government wants countries to support a more accurate projection, likely the Equal Earth map, at the next UN General Assembly session in September.

Foreign Minister Robert Dussey said the campaign is about “scientific truth” and correcting misleading perceptions of Africa. Advocacy groups supporting the move say the issue goes beyond geography and is also about representation, agency and how the world views the continent.

Read the original article here: https://saharareporters.com/2026/04/15/togo-african-union-seek-un-adoption-new-world-map-reflecting-africas-true-size