GM. Abu Dhabi granted key stablecoin licenses to Tether and Circle, expanding regulated USDT and USDC operations across the UAE’s fast-growing digital finance hub.

The CFTC pilots tokenized collateral, CryptoUK merges with The Digital Chamber, and Stripe-backed Tempo opens its public payments testnet.

Here are all the details on these and other top crypto stories. 👇

Abu Dhabi Grants Tether and Circle Key Stablecoin Licenses

Tether received regulatory recognition in Abu Dhabi Global Market, allowing licensed institutions to conduct USDT-related activities across nine major blockchains, including Aptos, Cosmos, and TRON. The designation expands USDT’s reach under ADGM’s fiat-referenced token framework, reinforcing stablecoins’ role within the UAE’s fast-developing digital finance infrastructure.

Circle also secured a money services license from ADGM’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority, enabling it to provide regulated payment and settlement operations across the UAE. The New York-listed USDC issuer said it aims to build onchain dollar payment networks for businesses and developers in the region.

As part of its expansion, Circle appointed former Visa executive Saeeda Jaffar as managing director for the Middle East and Africa. Jaffar will lead institutional partnerships and promote adoption of dollar-backed stablecoins across Gulf markets under ADGM’s transparency and consumer protection standards.

The dual approvals coincide with Binance gaining full authorization to operate under ADGM through separately licensed exchange, clearing, and broker-dealer entities. The cluster of regulatory milestones cements Abu Dhabi’s positioning as the Gulf’s most comprehensive jurisdiction for stablecoin, exchange, and tokenized finance activity.

CFTC Launches Pilot for Tokenized Derivatives Collateral

The CFTC has launched a pilot allowing Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDC as margin collateral in derivatives markets. Acting Chairman Caroline Pham said the program will guide Futures Commission Merchants through reporting and custody requirements under the GENIUS Act. The initiative is designed to shift digital-asset activity into regulated US venues while reducing dependency on offshore exchanges.

The agency also outlined how tokenized Treasuries and money-market funds can operate under existing CFTC frameworks for valuation and segregation. It simultaneously withdrew the 2020 advisory that barred digital assets from serving as margin, citing regulatory modernization. Bitnomial, a CFTC-registered exchange, will debut leveraged spot trading alongside derivatives as part of the new framework rollout.

CryptoUK Joins The Digital Chamber for Unified Advocacy

CryptoUK has formally joined The Digital Chamber, creating a unified transatlantic advocacy body for digital-asset regulation and policy coordination. The partnership aligns both organizations as the United States and United Kingdom draft new rules for crypto markets. Digital Chamber CEO Cody Carbone said the merger enhances global representation for member companies across key financial jurisdictions.

CryptoUK Executive Director Su Carpenter added that the alliance will enable stronger resource sharing and synchronized regulatory engagement between both nations. The groups are collaborating amid US progress on stablecoin laws and the UK’s phased regulatory rollout. The Chamber is also expanding domestically through its State Network, which supports pro-crypto candidates ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Stripe and Paradigm’s Tempo Launch Public Payments Testnet

Tempo, a blockchain incubated by Stripe and Paradigm, has launched its public testnet aimed at enabling stablecoin-native payments. Valued at $5 billion after raising $500 million in October, Tempo targets instant settlement and deterministic finality. The Ethereum-compatible Layer 1 is optimized for high-volume financial transactions and low-cost business-to-business settlements.

Tempo’s partners include Deutsche Bank, Shopify, Visa, and OpenAI, with KlarnaUSD stablecoin launching on its mainnet in 2026. The project supports predictable, sub-cent transaction fees payable in US dollar stablecoins to avoid volatile gas tokens. Developers said the testnet’s release begins large-scale experimentation for corporate payments as global stablecoin adoption surpasses $300 billion.

Data of the day

Research firm 10x Research said elite traders are dominating prediction markets as retail participants chase emotional, low-odds bets. The report warned that most users lose money while sophisticated traders profit from probability mispricing and liquidity asymmetry. Blockchain data shows only 16.7% of Polymarket wallets remain profitable amid substantial retail inflows.

Concerns are also mounting about insider activity and flawed market data inflating reported trading volumes. Paradigm researchers found a double-counting bug on Polymarket dashboards that overstated notional and cashflow metrics. Platforms like AlliumLabs and DefiLlama are correcting data errors following reports of users achieving perfect win records on corporate event wagers.

More breaking news

• Circle is piloting USDCx on Aleo, a privacy-preserving stablecoin featuring zero-knowledge encryption and configurable compliance for business payments and onchain settlements.

• Zcash developers proposed a dynamic fee model that adjusts costs with network demand, sparking debate and lifting ZEC prices by 12%.

• Horizen relaunched as a Layer 3 network on Base, positioning its ZEN token for regulatory-compliant privacy and developer adoption across Coinbase’s ecosystem.

• HashKey filed for a Hong Kong IPO to become the city’s first listed crypto exchange, highlighting Asia’s regulated digital asset market expansion.

• Securitize hired former PayPal executive Jerome Roche as general counsel to advance tokenized securities for US investors under fully SEC-regulated infrastructure.

• PNC Bank launched Bitcoin trading for Private Bank customers through Coinbase’s Crypto-as-a-Service platform, marking a milestone in US institutional crypto integration..

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