Stablecoin

Sony Bank will introduce a U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin for American customers starting in fiscal 2026, Nikkei reported. The Sony banking unit plans to deploy the 1:1 USD stablecoin for payment and settlement operations across its gaming and anime divisions. The move could reduce credit card processing fees for customer subscriptions.

Sony Bank plans to introduce a dollar-pegged stablecoin in the United States by fiscal 2026, according to sources cited by Nikkei. The digital currency will target U.S. consumers purchasing Sony's gaming and anime content. Sony Bank filed for a U.S. banking license in October and has partnered with stablecoin issuer Bastion to support the project.

South Korea's ruling and opposition parties have agreed on a stablecoin regulatory framework, with lawmakers targeting passage of the Digital Asset Basic Act by January 2026. The legislation establishes a consortium model requiring banks to hold at least 51% equity, while technology firms may participate as minority stakeholders. A December 10 deadline has been set for government proposal submission.

Bitcoin dropped to an intraday low of $85,694 after China's central bank issued a renewed warning against cryptocurrency activities, according to CoinGecko data. The People's Bank of China stated that crypto-related operations remain illegal and criticized stablecoins for failing to meet anti-money laundering standards.

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino rejected S&P Global's downgrade of USDT's dollar-peg rating to "weak" on November 26, calling the assessment outdated and incomplete. Ardoino said the agency overlooked Tether's $7 billion excess equity, $184.5 billion in reserves, and $500 million monthly Treasury income. S&P cited increasing allocations to high-risk assets including Bitcoin, precious metals, corporate bonds, and secured loans as the basis for lowering the rating from level 4 to level 5.

BitMEX founder Arthur Hayes warned that a roughly 30% decline in Bitcoin and gold holdings could eliminate Tether's equity buffer, potentially rendering USDT theoretically insolvent. Tether reported $181 billion in assets against $174 billion in USDT liabilities as of Q3, with $139 billion held in cash and cash equivalents. The warning follows S&P Global Ratings' negative assessment of USDT stability, citing increased exposure to Bitcoin and gold.

Former BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes has raised questions about Tether's balance sheet strategy, suggesting the stablecoin issuer is positioning for Federal Reserve rate cuts through substantial hard asset purchases. Hayes noted Tether holds approximately $13 billion in gold and $10 billion in Bitcoin. He warned that a 30% decline in these combined holdings could theoretically eliminate the firm's equity buffer, raising solvency concerns under such a scenario.

The National Bank of Kazakhstan will invest between $50 million and $300 million in digital assets from its foreign exchange reserves. Chairman Timur Suleimenov confirmed the allocation range during a November 28 briefing, according to RBC. The institution will adopt a cautious approach as Bitcoin dropped 17% from $110,000 in early November to $81,000, erasing $500 billion from aggregate crypto market capitalization.

Ether could climb approximately 7% to test the $3,200 level as stablecoin yields currently range between 3.9% and 4.5%, according to Santiment. The analytics platform states this yield level indicates the crypto market has not entered overheated territory. The assessment suggests room for additional price appreciation from recent trading levels around $2,990.

Uzbekistan will introduce retail stablecoins through licensed financial institutions starting January 2026. Each stablecoin will be backed 1:1 by a wholesale central bank digital currency held by banks and fintech firms. The framework creates a two-tier structure where citizens use stablecoins for transactions while institutions settle with the CBDC. This approach differs from other jurisdictions that have positioned CBDCs as stablecoin replacements or embraced stablecoins without developing central bank digital currencies.