The Marshall Islands introduced a nationwide UBI that pays roughly $200 per quarter (about $800 a year), with residents choosing bank transfers, checks, or a government-backed blockchain wallet. First disbursements occurred in late November, and officials say the program uses a US dollar–pegged stablecoin; early uptake of the digital wallet has been limited.

Visa said on Tuesday that U.S. issuer and acquirer partners can settle VisaNet obligations in Circle's USDC, enabling seven-day, blockchain-based settlement. The company reported a $3.5 billion annualized stablecoin settlement run rate as of late November, with Cross River Bank and Lead Bank among early participants on Solana.

On December 16, 2025, Exodus unveiled plans for a fully reserved, USD-backed stablecoin with MoonPay, targeting a January 2026 launch. MoonPay will issue and manage the asset with M0 supporting the infrastructure, and access will roll out based on regulatory approvals to power self-custodial payments through Exodus Pay.

On December 17, 2025, Securitize announced plans to issue real, regulated shares directly on-chain, with rollout targeted for Q1 2026. The tokens will place buyers on issuers' cap tables and confer proxy voting and dividend rights, and trading will occur via Web3 swap-style flows through its SEC-registered broker-dealer and ATS.

Neo launched the Message Bridge on MainNet, adding a cross-chain messaging layer between Neo X and Neo N3. The system enables arbitrary data transfer, remote smart contract execution, and multi-step workflows beyond asset movement. BaneLabs also released open-source contracts and a TypeScript SDK to help developers integrate cross-chain capabilities.

The Republic of the Marshall Islands executed the first on-chain universal basic income payout using USDM1, a dollar-backed sovereign bond, on the Stellar blockchain. The ENRA program delivers instant digital transfers to residents on remote atolls, replacing physical cash deliveries. The rollout was updated on December 17, 2025.

Two U.S. Senators introduced the SAFE Crypto Act on Monday to coordinate the U.S. Treasury, FinCEN, the Secret Service and law enforcement against crypto fraud. The FBI reported $9.3 billion in crypto-related investment scam losses in 2024, a 66% rise, with $2.84 billion affecting those over 60.

U.S. banks supervised by the FDIC can seek approval to issue payment stablecoins after the FDIC board approved a proposed GENIUS Act rule. The blueprint requires 1:1 reserves, monthly attestations, and a 30/120-day review clock, with a 60-day comment period and a temporary safe harbor of up to 12 months.