Victoria d’Este
Revealed: August 15, 2025 at 8:29 am Up to date: August 15, 2025 at 8:29 am
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August 15, 2025 at 8:29 am
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The second week of August 2025 noticed main crypto gamers—from Binance to Tether—forge international alliances to advance safety, funds, AI, and schooling.
The second week of August 2025 introduced a wave of strategic crypto alliances, from Binance’s safety and funds upgrades to MARA’s AI enlargement. Established gamers like Western Union, Tether, Bybit, and Clearpool are forging partnerships aimed toward reshaping finance, know-how, and schooling throughout continents.
Clearpool Companions with Cicada to Enhance Institutional PayFi Lending
Clearpool, an on-chain credit score market, has shaped a strategic partnership with Cicada Companions, an on-chain credit score danger advisory and administration agency. Below the settlement, Cicada will construction and underwrite PayFi lending for choose debtors, oversee their Credit score Swimming pools by way of Clearpool’s Port Vaults, and act as the executive and monitoring agent for lenders.
Cicada was based by former buy- and sell-side credit score professionals who beforehand underwrote greater than $850 million in loans with a 1.2% default charge. Established after the FTX collapse, the agency gives Danger-as-a-Service options akin to third-party underwriting, pool administration, and danger structuring for institutional blockchain and real-world asset purchasers. Kincaid described the partnership as a solution to “elevate PayFi lending” by merging Cicada’s credit score experience with Clearpool’s modern merchandise, advancing professionally managed Credit score Swimming pools for the stablecoin financial system.
Clearpool is increasing into Cost Financing (PayFi), a fast-growing sector enabling international stablecoin funds for fintechs in remittances, cross-border B2B transactions, card processing, and on/off-ramp providers. The protocol has facilitated over $830 million in stablecoin credit score for establishments akin to Jane Avenue, Wintermute, and Stream Merchants. New choices embody PayFi Credit score Swimming pools and cpUSD, a yield-bearing asset linked to real-world fee flows slightly than crypto hypothesis.
Clearpool’s CEO, Jakob Kronbichler, mentioned integrating Cicada’s danger administration strengthens their institutional infrastructure for PayFi lending, serving to fintechs bridge liquidity gaps within the rising trillion-dollar stablecoin fee ecosystem.
Collectively, the businesses goal to ship safer, clear, and scalable credit score options to DeFi lenders and institutional debtors alike.
Binance and Mastercard Be a part of Forces for Lightning-Quick Crypto Cashouts
Binance has launched new options in collaboration with Mastercard, making it attainable for customers in Europe and the UK to show their crypto into euros—or entry current euro balances—inside seconds. The combination with Mastercard Transfer provides two choices: Promote to Card, which converts supported cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum into euros and transfers them immediately, and Withdraw to Card, which sends euro balances on to a linked Mastercard with none conversion.
Your entire course of takes just some faucets: decide the asset, select “Card” as the strategy, hyperlink a Mastercard, and ensure. Binance says the main focus was on velocity and reliability, with Vice President of Fiat Thomas Gregory noting that the improve displays the platform’s drive to make off-ramping “as seamless as attainable.”
From Mastercard’s aspect, Govt VP Scott Abrahams described the partnership as a step towards unlocking crypto’s “true potential” in every day life, enabling all the pieces from invoice funds to in-store purchases.
By eliminating the delays of financial institution transfers, the service edges Binance nearer to the comfort of conventional finance. At the moment restricted to euros, the corporate has hinted at including extra fiat choices, which might cement crypto’s place in on a regular basis spending.
MARA Nears $168M EDF Deal to Energy AI Push
Bitcoin miner MARA Holdings Inc. is ready to signal a $168 million deal to accumulate 64% of EDF’s Exaion, marking a serious shift into synthetic intelligence infrastructure. In line with an SEC submitting, MARA France SAS will purchase 4.1 million newly issued shares for €115 million and 1.2 million current shares from EDF Pulse Holding and different minority house owners for €33 million. Of that, €23 million can be paid at closing, with €10 million due in 2027 if efficiency targets are met.
The deal, anticipated to shut in late 2025 or early 2026 pending regulatory approvals in France and Canada, will give MARA management over Exaion’s progress technique whereas retaining EDF as a minority associate. A second section in March 2027 would elevate MARA’s stake to roughly 75% for €110 million.
Exaion operates high-performance computing and cloud providers for AI, huge knowledge, and different intensive workloads. MARA plans to concentrate on AI inference slightly than expensive mannequin coaching, leveraging its expertise in large-scale, energy-intensive operations. By retaining knowledge processing inside safe, region-compliant techniques, the corporate goals to faucet into rising demand for digital sovereignty whereas diversifying past unstable Bitcoin revenues.
Western Union Explores Greenback Stablecoin, Talks with Crypto Heavyweights
Western Union is negotiating with main crypto companies because it evaluates launching a dollar-backed stablecoin outdoors the U.S.—a transfer aimed toward modernizing its 175-year remittance mannequin. CEO Devin McGranahan framed the product as a “$ financial savings account” for purchasers battling inflation and friction, with the purpose of sooner settlement and fewer reliance on correspondent banks.
Reasonably than constructing alone, Western Union is pursuing a partner-led method to hurry compliance, distribution, and technical integration wherever regulators allow issuance and use. The corporate positions itself as a bridge between crypto and conventional finance, supplying on- and off-ramps for pockets suppliers whereas retaining its community versatile.
Rivals are already energetic: PayPal launched PYUSD and linked it to Xoom; Circle is scaling USDC by banks and fintechs; MoneyGram helps USDC and will use stablecoins behind the scenes; Remitly rolled out a multi-currency pockets and deepened stablecoin ties by way of Bridge (now a part of Stripe). In opposition to this backdrop, Western Union shares are down about 21% year-to-date.
Capstone analysts counsel the sector’s shift might make Western Union a “prime acquisition goal,” probably for a participant like Circle. McGranahan mentioned the agency would think about a bid on the proper worth, however the precedence is a coin that shrinks settlement occasions whereas retaining cash-out to native foreign money seamless.
Binance Groups Up with BBVA for Added Crypto Safety
Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency alternate, is reportedly partnering with Spain’s main banking group BBVA to spice up digital asset security for its customers. As outlined in a Monetary Instances report, the association would permit prospects to retailer their crypto holdings with BBVA as a substitute of straight on Binance, providing an additional layer of safety.
The transfer comes as Binance faces heightened regulatory stress worldwide. Earlier this 12 months, the alternate acquired a file $4.3 billion (€3.69 billion) nice from U.S. authorities for anti-money laundering and sanctions violations, whereas founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao was sentenced to 4 months in jail.
Below the settlement, BBVA would act as an impartial custodian, safeguarding shopper belongings in opposition to safety breaches, insolvency, or authorized problems involving Binance. Spain’s second-largest financial institution operates beneath strict regulatory oversight and is understood for its concentrate on innovation and compliance.
For traders nonetheless cautious after collapses like FTX in 2022, this setup might function reassurance. Observers have in contrast it to “placing valuables in a secure” slightly than leaving them uncovered throughout buying and selling. If profitable, the partnership might encourage comparable collaborations worldwide, bridging conventional finance with crypto whereas strengthening belief in digital markets.
Bybit’s Rising Fund Brings Localized Blockchain Schooling to fifteen Areas
Bybit, the world’s second-largest crypto alternate by buying and selling quantity, has unveiled the Rising Fund to make blockchain schooling extra accessible worldwide. Timed with the 2025 World Collection of Buying and selling, this system spans 15 areas throughout 4 continents — from Bolivia to South Africa and the Nordic capitals. As an alternative of centralizing management, Bybit is letting native companions steer funding towards community-driven initiatives akin to scholarships, hackathons, and coaching packages.
CEO Ben Zhou described the Rising Fund as a part of Bybit’s mission to broaden crypto’s “real-world utility” past buying and selling, serving to it turn out to be a driver of social mobility and innovation. The fund targets entry obstacles with beginner-friendly programs, bootcamps, and trade collaborations, aiming to create a extra inclusive crypto ecosystem. With over 70 million customers globally, Bybit is framing this as each an academic push and a bridge between conventional and decentralized finance.
Tether Backs €30M Funding in Spanish Crypto Change Bit2Me
Tether, the issuer of USDT, has turn out to be the lead investor in a €30 million funding spherical for Bit2Me, Spain’s largest digital asset platform serving the Spanish-speaking market. The spherical, to be accomplished over the approaching months, will even embody different strategic backers.
Bit2Me, with over a decade of expertise in crypto infrastructure, is understood for its award-winning alternate and its instructional initiative, Bit2Me Academy — the most important Spanish-language platform for cryptocurrency studying. COO Andrei Manuel mentioned Tether’s involvement would “elevate” the corporate’s position within the international crypto ecosystem, with ambitions to broaden additional in Europe and Latin America.
CFO Pablo Casadio famous that Bit2Me already counts Telefónica, Unicaja, Cecabank, BBVA, and Investcorp amongst its traders, and serves hundreds of thousands of customers and over 7,000 companies worldwide.
The funding is being led by Tether Ventures in El Salvador as a part of its international technique to again impactful know-how tasks. With a newly obtained EU regulatory license and extra companions on the horizon, Bit2Me goals to speed up its enlargement throughout the EU and reinforce its presence in Argentina and different Latin American markets. CEO Paolo Ardoino mentioned the alternate’s “concentrate on schooling, transparency, and value” aligns carefully with Tether’s imaginative and prescient.
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About The Writer
Victoria is a author on quite a lot of know-how subjects together with Web3.0, AI and cryptocurrencies. Her intensive expertise permits her to write down insightful articles for the broader viewers.
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Victoria d’Este
Victoria is a author on quite a lot of know-how subjects together with Web3.0, AI and cryptocurrencies. Her intensive expertise permits her to write down insightful articles for the broader viewers.
