1. What Happened In late March 2026, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) — the U.S. federal agency that oversees national banks — issued new interpretive guidance formally confirming that nationally chartered banks may offer cryptocurrency custody services and participate in stablecoin-related activities, including holding reserves for stablecoin issuers and facilitating stablecoin…

1. What Happened On March 28, 2026, the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) released new guidance — known as FIL-12-2026 — that formally allows FDIC-insured banks to offer cryptocurrency custody services to their customers without needing to seek prior regulatory approval. This is a significant shift from the agency’s earlier stance, which required banks…

1. What Happened JPMorgan Chase, the largest bank in the United States by assets, has continued to expand its blockchain-based payments platform — now branded as Kinexys (formerly known as JPM Coin and Onyx). As of early 2026, the platform processes billions of dollars in daily transactions for institutional clients, offering near-instant, 24/7 settlement of…

1. What Happened In March 2026, Mastercard announced a significant expansion of its cryptocurrency and stablecoin payment capabilities, enabling consumers to spend crypto assets at any of its 100+ million merchant locations worldwide. The payments giant revealed partnerships with multiple crypto wallets and exchanges to allow users to convert digital assets into fiat currency at…

1. What Happened On Saturday, March 29, 2026, the global cryptocurrency market continued its relatively steady trajectory heading into the final weekend of the month. After a volatile midweek period, the broader market stabilized, with total crypto market capitalization hovering near the $3.5 trillion mark. Bitcoin (BTC), the world’s largest cryptocurrency by market cap, traded…

1. What Happened In March 2026, the U.S. Senate made significant progress on the GENIUS Act (Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins), a landmark piece of legislation designed to create the first comprehensive federal regulatory framework for stablecoins in the United States. The bill, which had been introduced in early 2025 and refined…

1. What Happened On March 26, 2026, PayPal announced the launch of a new yield program that allows U.S. customers to earn an annualized return of approximately 3.7% on their PayPal USD (PYUSD) stablecoin holdings directly within the PayPal app. The program, which PayPal calls “PYUSD Rewards,” enables users to opt in and begin earning…

1. What Happened In late March 2026, payments giant Visa announced a significant expansion of its stablecoin settlement capabilities. The company confirmed it is now settling transactions using stablecoins — specifically USDC — across multiple blockchain networks, including both Ethereum and Solana. Visa first began experimenting with stablecoin settlements on Ethereum back in 2023, partnering…

1. What Happened On March 25, 2026, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) officially approved the first spot XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF) in the United States. The approved product is the Grayscale Spot XRP Trust, which was converted from a closed-end fund structure into a fully regulated ETF that trades on a major U.S.…

1. What Happened In late March 2026, payments giant Stripe announced a significant expansion of its cryptocurrency payment capabilities, enabling millions of online merchants worldwide to accept stablecoin payments — particularly USDC — directly through their existing Stripe checkout systems. The move builds on Stripe’s re-entry into the crypto payments space, which began in late…