2nd July 2025 Digital Bytes
Amazon, Walmart and the rise of stablecoins: who's next? - Amazon and Walmart are exploring stablecoins to cut rising card payment costs and streamline transactions. Backed by fiat or commodities, stablecoins offer faster settlement, reduced fees and fewer intermediaries. With US interchange fees hitting $187.2 billion in 2023, even partial stablecoin adoption could save major retailers billions. Global corporations including Apple, Airbnb, Shopify and Revolut are also entering the stablecoin space. As we see more regulatory clarity around issuance and reserves, adoption may accelerate. Stablecoins are no longer niche tools but emerging payment infrastructure with the potential to challenge traditional banks and card networks.
How blockchain and Web3 enable micro-IPOs on the metaverse - micro-IPOs use blockchain and Web3 to let startups raise capital, not through traditional IPOs or even classic crowdfunding, by issuing tokenised assets such as equity, access rights or governance power directly to global investors. These offerings are fast, cost-efficient and often community governed through DAOs, bypassing traditional financial intermediaries. Whilst they democratise funding and empower creators in the metaverse, challenges such as regulatory uncertainty, fraud risk and legal classification still loom. However, as adoption grows, micro-IPOs could become a core tool in a decentralised digital economy.
The expanding landscape of cross-border payments (Part 1) - cross-border payments are rapidly expanding, with B2B transactions projected to reach $43 trillion by 2025 and $56 trillion by 2030, fuelled by digital trade and the rise of B2B eCommerce. Traditional payment processors such as Stripe and PayPal remain key players but stablecoins are emerging as a powerful alternative. With retail giants such as Amazon and Walmart exploring their own USD-backed stablecoins, will we see these forms of digital money become a real alternative for cross border payments? As stablecoins become core infrastructure, they challenge legacy networks, reshape global financial flows and may even serve US policy interests by boosting demand for the dollar. The future of cross-border payments is no longer about speed and cost alone - it is about control, programmability and economic influence.
How can the interoperability between AI and blockchain technology support a new era of industrial and digital (r)evolution? - AI and blockchain are merging to drive the next wave of industrial transformation; AI enables real-time insights and automation whilst blockchains ensure security, transparency and decentralised trust. Together, they power smart manufacturing, predictive maintenance and secure digital identity systems such as DAOs and DIAM. However, challenges such as scalability, interoperability and quantum security must be addressed. By leveraging the strengths of both technologies, AI-powered blockchain systems enable the development of secure, transparent and decentralised solutions that can enhance the efficiency, flexibility and resilience of industrial operations.