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…