Global fintech and funding innovation ecosystem

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Goldman Sachs and BNY Launch Tokenized MMF for Institutions

Tokenization | July 24, 2025

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Image: Freepik

Institutional Clients Gain Real Time Access to Fund Shares on Private Blockchain

On July 23, 2025, BNY Mellon and Goldman Sachs launched a tokenized money market fund solution that allows select institutional clients to subscribe, redeem, and safely hold tokenized fund shares on a private blockchain. This is a live system that connects BNY Mellon’s LiquidityDirect platform with Goldman Sachs’ GS DAP® digital asset platform, giving clients new ways to manage cash faster and more efficiently.

The funds themselves aren't changing, but there's a new digital layer that mirrors fund shares as blockchain-based tokens. These tokens move in real time, helping institutions make faster decisions that can unlock liquidity more quickly.

A Digital Layer That Speeds Up the System

When a client purchases a digital share class through LiquidityDirect, BNY Mellon updates the official fund records and creates/issues a mirrored token on GS DAP®. These tokens are not tradable on public markets but can be used internally by institutions to streamline operations such as collateral management and treasury settlement.  BNY Mellon acts as the recordkeeper, custodian, and token administrator, minting and burning tokens to match the real holdings.

Goldman Sachs runs the blockchain infrastructure using GS DAP®, which is built on the Canton Network and powered by Daml smart contracts designed for financial markets.

See:  Schwab to Bring Crypto Trading to Its Brokerage Platform

At launch, the solution includes tokenized share classes from BlackRock, Fidelity, Federated Hermes, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, and BNY Mellon’s Dreyfus group.

Unlocking Liquidity Without Changing the Product

Money market funds are a $7 trillion market in the U.S., widely used by institutions for short term cash needs. But current systems can take one or two days to process subscriptions and redemptions, delaying how quickly institutions can move capital or meet margin requirements.

This tokenized solution reduces the settlement window to the same day. It allows institutions to unlock value from their fund shares more quickly and use them as collateral in time sensitive operations. The system is live, regulated, and designed to integrate directly with existing institutional infrastructure.

Laide Majiyagbe, Global Head of Liquidity, Financing & Collateral at BNY Mellon:

“As the financial system transitions toward a more digital, real-time architecture, BNY is committed to enabling scalable and secure solutions that shape the future of finance. Mirrored tokenization of MMF shares is a first step in this transition, and we are proud to be at the forefront of this first-of-its-kind initiative.”

See:  AuCan Launches $2.5B Tokenised Gold RWA Platform

Mathew McDermott, Global Head of Digital Assets at Goldman Sachs said:

“Using tokens representing the value of shares of Money Market Funds on GS DAP® would enable us to unlock their utility as a form of collateral and open up more seamless transferability in the future.”

First to Market with a Real System That Works

Other institutions are experimenting with similar models. JPMorgan’s Onyx system (renamed Kinexsys) has tokenized repo agreements, and BlackRock’s BUIDL fund has issued over $6.75 billion in tokenized Treasuries on public blockchain.

But BNY Mellon and Goldman Sach's is the first solution connecting real fund operations to tokenized workflows on a production platform used by institutional clients.  What sets it apart is that they aren't replacing traditional systems, but rather they are adding speed and programmability within a framework that clients and regulators already know and use.

Outlook for Institutional Liquidity

By creating mirrored tokens for money market funds, two of the largest global financial institutions are proving that blockchain can deliver real operational value without disrupting regulatory oversight.  This is significant validation considering not too long ago, Goldman Sachs was at a point where they were reconsidering whether or not Bitcoin was a legitimate asset.

See:  SEC Exploring Ethereum Standard for Tokenized Securities

This model gives institutions faster access to capital, greater flexibility, and new ways to integrate fund holdings into real time financial operations. With policy clarity improving, tokenized fund infrastructure may soon become a standard feature in global markets.


NCFA Jan 2018 resizeThe National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org

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Lovable Hits $100M in 8 Months With Code Vibing Model

AI | July 23, 2025

Freepik AI generated software

Image: Freepik AI

Lovable Reaches $100 million ARR  in 8 Months by Turning Plain Language Into Real Software

Lovable is now the fastest growing software company in history. In just eight months, it reached $100 million USD in annual recurring revenue and 2.3 million users and has hosted more than ten million projects. Based in Stockholm, the company raised $200 million USD series A led by Accel giving it a $1.8 billion USD valuation.

It's a very lean modern AI startup with fewer than 50 employees. The product is simple to use. A person types what they want, such as a subscription service, marketplace, or dashboard, and Lovable generates a working version of that software, complete with payment options, user accounts, and hosting. There is no need to write code or hire a developer to get started (Disclaimer:  NCFA hasn't tested it out so try at your own risk).

What is Vibe Coding

Lovable pioneered what is now called vibe coding, a method of building software through natural language. It is not low code or no code. It is writing what you want and letting AI decide how to make it happen.

Lovable uses large language models to reason through structure, fix bugs, and update design. It handles back end and front end together, removing the usual friction between product and engineering. The experience feels like brainstorming and designing at the same time. Instead of wireframes, the output users receive is a live, working application.

See:  The Rise and Implications of a New AI Software Workforce

Instead of submitting tickets and changes requests to engineers who prioritize, vibe coding users get instant revisions by AI, bringing the act of creation closer to the way people think and work.

From Weekend Projects to Real Revenue

Users have already launched working businesses. In Brazil, education company QConcursos used Lovable to create a premium app in two weeks. According to the Forbes article linked above, it earned over $3 million USD in its first 48 hours.

In Sweden, a film financing startup was built in ten days.

In the United States, solo creators have launched career services, restaurant tools, and job boards.

See:  Goldman Sachs Deploys Agentic AI Engineer Devin

These apps are not static sites. They include working payment systems, data collection, and user flows. While NCFA hasn't verified the platform for production use in regulated financial services, it is already serving thousands of live projects across many sectors.

Implications for Fintech Founders in Canada

While fintechs cannot skip compliance and human review, platforms like Lovable can support real benefits if used in the right way. Founders can use it to build secure internal tools, demo customer interfaces, or iterate product development and user flows for future rollouts.

Instead of waiting months for a development sprint, they can validate ideas within a day. For new entrepreneurs, this model reduces early cost and lowers the barrier to entry. For accelerators, it means faster iterations and better pitch readiness. For investors, it reveals traction earlier, even before a technical team is hired.

It is an opportunity to apply the same tools and patterns where they fit. Sandboxed environments, staged deployment, and expert review can all be paired with AI created builds. With the right controls, teams can go from idea to working demo while staying aligned with Canadian regulatory frameworks.

See:  Fiverr Launches AI-Powered Fiverr Go, Mixed Reactions

NCFA members can explore these tools in workshops, demo days, or internal projects.

"This is not about rushing code into production. It is about speeding up learning and expanding who gets to build, and as a result what's built."

Outlook

Software creation is changing and it's no longer reserved just for high paid developers.  Now, innovation will start to emerge from people who actually know the problem, not just how to explain it.  Canada has the talent and creativity, and now the tools are here to unleash the genie out of the bottle.


NCFA Jan 2018 resizeThe National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org

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Why AI Investment Is Missing What Workers Actually Want

AI Research | July 22, 2025

Freepik AI automation robot

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New Stanford Report Data Shows Gap Between AI Funding and What Workers Support

According to a recent WORKBank audit, a major new study from Stanford's SALT Lab, 41% of Y Combinator-backed AI agent companies are

to tasks that workers have no desire for automation. These 'no go zones' represent tasks that are technically automatable but socially or emotionally rejected by workers. It's a growing disconnect that highlights a fundamental challenge for the future of work.

Should AI companies and investors automate tasks that people do not want or lead to no progress, no matter how advanced these systems are?

Workers Perspective of AI's impact

The WORKBank database is based on a comprehensive survey of data collected between January and May 2025 from 1,500 U.S. workers across 104 occupations and 844 occupational tasks. Each task is drawn from the U.S. Department of Labor’s O*NET database and evaluated by worker preferences and AI expert assessments.  Responses were collected using an audio interface to reflect practical real world task experience.

See:  Double-Edge Sword of AI’s Impact on Workforce Experience

This structured format asked workers whether they would want a task fully automated by an AI agent, and how much human collaboration they believe is needed to maintain task quality.

Human Agency Scale Can Help Measure Collaboration

To assess the balance between automation and augmentation, the research team created the Human Agency Scale, a 5 level scale from H1 (no human involvement) to H5 (essential human involvement).

The most preferred response across the workforce was H3, an equal partnership between humans and AI agents. This level was dominant in 47 out of 104 occupations, however for 47.5% of tasks, workers wanted more human involvement than experts believed was technically necessary. It's a gap that could evolve into resistance points in high efficiency AI rollouts.

Workers Support Automation When It Supports Their Time and Wellbeing

Despite concerns, 46.1% of tasks received a positive rating for automation. Workers were most supportive of AI when it freed up time for more important work (69.4%), reduced repetitive or tedious tasks (46.6%), or improved quality (46.6%).

See:  OpenAI Launches Operator, AI with Task Execution

On the other hand, resistance appeared from fear of losing trust, jobs, or creativity. Among those expressing concerns, 45% cited lack of trust, 23% named job loss, and 16.3% described the loss of a human touch. Arts, Design, and Media was the sector with the lowest interest in automation where only 17.1% of tasks received a positive score.

Are AI Investments Automating the Right Tasks?

Researchers compared the WORKBank tasks with descriptions of companies backed by Y Combinator’s public portfolio. The results show a concentration of capital in areas workers are skeptical about.

41% of companies were mapped to tasks in the Low Priority Zone or Automation Red Light Zone, where worker demand is weak or negative, while many tasks in the Automation Green Light Zone and R&D Opportunity Zone where workers want automation remains underfunded (Read:  ripe for AI task automation).

Workforce Skills Are Evolving Toward Interpersonal Strengths

The research also looked at how AI is impacting the demand for certain job skills. Tasks that require higher levels of human agency usually involve interpersonal and decision making abilities rather than data analysis or technical information processing.

See:  Balancing AI Automation and Ethics in Fintech

Comparing skill rankings based on wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics with human agency requirements revealed a trend away from solo technical execution toward organizational coordination, collaboration, and judgment. This suggests a shift in the kinds of competencies that AI will complement rather than replace.

Why This Matters for Canada and Fintech

Canada is investing heavily in AI innovation, fintech development, and reskilling strategies for the future economy. The WORKBank research shows that AI innovation must be aligned with worker needs and social context. If Canadian fintechs and investors focus only on technical feasibility without considering how workers feel about automation, they risk building tools that sit unused, untrusted, or even opposed.  AI companies and investors must engage the people whose work is being transformed.


NCFA Jan 2018 resizeThe National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org

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SEC Exploring Ethereum Standard for Tokenized Securities

Tokenization | July 21, 2025

Freepik tokenization of stocks, bonds

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SEC Meets Ethereum Groups on Tokenized Securities Standards

On July 16, 2025, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) held a private meeting with Ethereum-linked groups including ERC-3643 Association and Chainlink Labs to explore standards for compliant tokenized securities. At the same time, SEC Chair Paul Atkins confirmed that the agency is reviewing an innovation exemption that could allow programmable compliance frameworks to operate with targeted regulatory relief. It's a new development that confirms growing regulatory support for tokenized finance, further raising the bar for Canadian policymakers to respond.

Key Developments

  1. SEC meets with Ethereum-based organizations
  2. Programmable compliance and tokenized securities standard
  3. GENIUS Act signed into U.S. law, and SEC exploring innovation exemption
  4. Implications for Canadian fintech regulation

1. SEC Engages Ethereum Ecosystem About Compliant Tokenization

In a major development during Crypto Week, the SEC held a private session with Ethereum-aligned groups, such as the ERC‑3643 Association, Chainlink Labs, the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance, Etherealize, and LF Decentralized Trust to explore the use of public blockchain infrastructure for regulated securities.

See:  Peirce: You Can Tokenize Securities but Not Skip the Rules

The meeting focused on how blockchain systems can follow existing rules for verifying identities, tracking ownership, and controlling who can buy or sell tokenized securities. The groups shared technical solutions that help meet these requirements while still using decentralized public blockchains.

Dennis O’Connell, president of the ERC‑3643 Association said the SEC showed a “noticeable shift in tone” and openness to openly source industry standards.

2. Programmable Compliance:  ERC‑3643 and Chainlink ACE

Two frameworks were at the center of the meeting:

  • ERC‑3643 — An Ethereum token standard designed to support compliant transfers of tokenized securities by embedding identity verification, issuer registry, and onchain control mechanisms
  • Chainlink Automated Compliance Engine (ACE) — allows for smart contract-based enforcement of regulatory rules across jurisdictions. It integrates existing ID systems with onchain logic and supports public and permissioned chains

See:  Robinhood Tokenizes Stocks and Launches Blockchain

Chainlink Labs in a statement:

“Only Chainlink provides the compliance, privacy, cross-chain, and data infrastructure needed to scale digital asset adoption in a single platform.”

In partnership with the Blockchain Association, Chainlink recently launched Tokenized in America, a national ranking of blockchain leadership across all 50 U.S. states.

3. Policy Momentum as GENIUS Act Becomes Law

The SEC meeting coincided with Crypto Week where rapid legislative developments were taking place in Washington. The GENIUS Act was signed into law, establishing a federal framework for stablecoin regulation, and recognizing the role of tokenized payment infrastructure. It was passed alongside the CLARITY Act, which defines treatment for digital assets, and the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act.

SEC Chair Paul Atkins spoke publicly about the Commission’s interest in creating an innovation exemption that would allow compliant tokenized securities to be piloted without full adherence to legacy rules, saying:

“If it can be tokenized, it will be tokenized.”

See:  Is TikTok Going Blockchain? Impact on Creator Economy

Sergey Nazarov, Chainlink co-founder:

4. What this means for Canada

Canada is already evaluating stablecoins under its existing regulatory framework. The CSA classifies fiat-backed coins like USDC as “Value‑Referenced Crypto Assets” and recently allowed more time for issuers to comply. At the same time, OSFI, Department of Finance and the Bank of Canada are developing new federal rules to license stablecoin issuers to include reserve requirements, redemption, audits, and consumer protection.

See:  Fintech Grows 3x Faster, 97% of Market Still Untapped

However, Canada currently lacks equivalent legal tools for programmable compliance mechanisms like ERC‑3643 or Chainlink ACE.  If the SEC approves a standards-based tokenization model, Canadian fintechs will face increasing cross-border friction unless policymakers adapt quickly.  NCFA previously highlighted this policy gap in its advocacy post, such as Coinbase Pushes for Tokenized Equities Approval commentary.  Canadian regulators cannot fall further behind.


NCFA Jan 2018 resizeThe National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org

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Kimi K2 Disrupts AI Pricing and Performance Metrics

AI Competition | July 21, 2025

Astronauts sitting on Moon space mission, Hand Drawn Sketch Vect

Image: Freepik/Rochak Shukla

Moonshot AI’s Kimi K2 Offers Strong Open Source Performance at a Fraction of the Cost of Top U.S. Models

On July 11, 2025, TechTarget reported that Alibaba-backed Chinese AI startup Moonshot released Kimi K2, a fully open source language model to compete toe to toe with top U.S. AI models, such as ChatGPT-4.1 and Claude Opus 4. Kimi K2 is open source, cheaper, widely accessible, and optimized for coding performance, putting pressure on Western artificial intelligence labs that are delaying their own open models.

How Kimi K2 Compares

Built using a Mixture-of-Experts (MoE) architecture with 384 experts, Kimi K2 can process long technical documents and perform code automation. Moonshot trained the model using AI agent-style simulations and synthetic task scenarios. The model is open access with few restrictions and performs well on global developer benchmarks like SWE-Bench, GPQA, and AIME.

See:  Claude Launches AI Toolkit for Financial Workflows

Unlike closed models like Claude and GPT-4.1, Kimi K2 can be used freely through its app or run locally by downloading the model files. Commercial use is allowed, with attribution required only for very large services.

Pricing Benchmark Comparison

Model Input Cost / 1M Tokens Output Cost / 1M Tokens Open Source Coding Performance
Kimi K2 $0.15 $2.50 ✅ Yes Outperforms Claude Opus 4 on SWE-Bench, GPQA, AIME
GPT-4.1 $2.00 $8.00 ❌ No High general performance, strong reasoning
Claude Opus 4 $15.00 $75.00 ❌ No Strong general model, weaker in code
DeepSeek V3 Free (GitHub) Free ✅ Yes Former top open model; Kimi K2 exceeds on GPQA

Implications for Fintech and Developers

For Canadian fintech teams and AI builders, Kimi K2 is a cost-efficient way to automate development and build internal coding agents.  It supports customized and secure deployments in regulated environments because files can be downloaded and can operate locally.  There are team building tools like legal summarizers, compliance anlayzers, or custom service assistants that could be used to save costs at scale.

See:  Botpress Raises $25M USD to AI Agent Infrastructure

The pricing and accessibility of Kimi K2 shows that global leadership in open AI no longer belongs only to Silicon Valley.  With more Chinese labs like Moonshot and DeepSeek producing high performance and competitively priced models, the AI infrastructure landscape is still jockeying for position with more powerful deployments inevitable.

This improvement in AI capabilities comes as Canada recently committed $240 million to fund local compute infrastructure via a new AI data centre with Cohere.

Why It Matters

At just 15 cents per million input tokens, its cheaper than GPT-4.1 by more than 90% and Claude Opus by more than 99%. Combined with strong coding performance and open access, the Kimi K2 release is one of the most powerful free-to-use models available on the market today.


NCFA Jan 2018 resizeThe National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org

NCFA Financial Innovation MapNCFA Innovation Opportunity BriefsNCFA Fintech Insights
NCFA Fintech WhispererNCFA Fintech Fridays PodcastNCFA Weekly Newsletter

 

US House Pushes Crypto Reform Forward with Key Bills

Digital Asset Regulation | July 18, 2025

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Three US Crypto Bills Pass House Vote, One Heads to Trump's Desk

The US House of Representatives moved mountains yesterday and approve 3 major crypto bills during what lawmakers called 'Crypto Week', reflecting growing political support for crypto regulation.  Some observers warn though that it could create another shadow banking system without sufficient oversight.

On Thursday, July 17, AP News reported the House passed the CLARITY Act in a 294–134 vote. The bill, which outlines crypto market structure reforms, will now move to the Senate for further debate. The GENIUS Act, focused on stablecoin rules, passed 308–122 and has already cleared the Senate. It now awaits President Donald Trump’s signature, with the White House expected to approve it. A third bill, the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act, passed by a narrower 219–210 margin and also heads to the Senate.

ICBA Reaction

The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) released a statement opposing key provisions in both the GENIUS and CLARITY bills. ICBA President Rebeca Romero Rainey wrote:

"[The bills risk] establishing a parallel banking system that lacks the regulatory framework necessary to protect consumers and preserve financial stability, [if crypto firms are allowed to bypass traditional oversight].  [The proposed reforms could] allow crypto companies to offer products that resemble deposits or banking services without adhering to the same prudential standards."

The ICBA urged Congress to prohibit nonbanks from accessing Federal Reserve master accounts and to bar stablecoin issuers from offering yield-like products via affiliates or subsidiaries.

See:  U.S. Crypto Week Will Impact Global Crypto Policy

Crypto markets responded with optimism with prices pushing all time highs, but not all stakeholders are convinced. Sen. Elizabeth Warren warned that the CLARITY Act could allow firms like Tesla or Meta to tokenize assets and sidestep SEC oversight.

Why It Matters

If President Trump signs the GENIUS Act, it will become the first U.S. federal law specifically regulating stablecoins, setting up a nationwide reserve, audit, and disclosure standards for issuers. The Senate’s upcoming hearings on the CLARITY and Anti‑CBDC bills will determine whether U.S. crypto markets receive cohesive federal oversight or remain subject to a fragmented mix of state rules and judicial rulings.  With pressure mounting from banking groups, consumer advocates, and industry, the final outcome will determine if Washington will become a true global magnet for blockchain innovation, or a shadow financial system without full protections.


NCFA Jan 2018 resizeThe National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org

NCFA Financial Innovation MapNCFA Innovation Opportunity BriefsNCFA Fintech Insights
NCFA Fintech WhispererNCFA Fintech Fridays PodcastNCFA Weekly Newsletter

 

Citi and BofA Plan Stablecoins as Regulation Advances

Stablecoins | July 18, 2025

Freepik - gstudioimagen, programmable money

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Citigroup and Bank of America Enter Stablecoin Race as TradFi Accelerates Towards Digital Dollars

The dominoes are definitely starting to fall.  Citigroup and Bank of America have confirmed they are developing or preparing to launch their own stablecoins. In back-to-back Q2 earnings calls this week, executives from both banks outlined their intentions to support stablecoin issuance for use cases like digital payments and tokenized deposits.

As reported by Reuters, Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser said on July 15 that the bank is “looking at the issuance of a Citi stablecoin” and that stablecoins would fit within the bank’s current initiatives in tokenized deposits, custody, and digital cash on/off-ramp services.

See:  Ripple Seeks US Bank Charter for Stablecoin Expansion

Then just a day later, Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan confirmed that Bank of America is actively preparing to issue a stablecoin of its own. He told analysts the bank “expects to launch” a stablecoin and is in conversations with regulators about what a compliant U.S. dollar-backed version would require. Moynihan also pointed to the advancement of the GENIUS Act in Congress as a key milestone for legal clarity.

JPMorgan Already Live in the Market

Note, JPMorgan Chase already has functional stablecoin infrastructure. JPM Coin, a wholesale payments vehicle used by institutional clients, currently moves over $1 billion in transactions daily. The bank is now expanding into tokenized deposit products for digital settlement use.

Tokenized deposits are regular bank deposits that have been turned into digital tokens. They still belong to the customer and are backed by the bank, but because they run on blockchain technology, they can move money faster and incorporate programmable rules.

See:  BIS Stablecoin Warning Meets US Policy Momentum

Worth noting that while Morgan Stanley has not announced its own stablecoin it confirmed during its latest earnings call that it is “actively discussing” potential use cases. CFO Sharon Yeshaya said the firm is monitoring the regulatory landscape and evaluating client needs.

Consortium Stablecoin Being Explored

In a Reuters article May 23, 2025, mentioned that JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, and other large commercial banks (including U.S. Bank via consortium channels) are “exploring whether to team up to issue a joint stablecoin,”, but there have been no commitments or formal statements issued yet.

Implications for Traditional Finance

Traditional banks are positioning themselves to be regulated providers of digital dollars that can be used in fast, transparent, and low-cost transactions across modern financial systems.

Stablecoins issued by large banks could compete or potentially replace legacy payment systems for cross-border transfers, securities settlement, reserve management, and cash liquidity optimization. Eventually they may support consumer payments, although bank executives have stressed that the focus is on B2B use cases first.

Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey recently warned that privately issued stablecoins could destabilize global financial systems if left unregulated, reinforcing the urgency for banks to operate within robust legal and supervisory frameworks.

See:  Amazon and Walmart Exploring Merchant-Led Stablecoins

Traditional finance (TradFi) is gearing up to compete directly with crypto native infrastructure in the issuance and management of digital cash.

Outlook

The rapid entry of big banks like Citi and Bank of America into stablecoins confirm what fintech leaders have predicted for years.  Programmable money will enter the banking mainstream, depending on regulatory approval and market demand.


NCFA Jan 2018 resizeThe National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org

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NCFA Fintech WhispererNCFA Fintech Fridays PodcastNCFA Weekly Newsletter