Stablecoin payments provider Noah has obtained a MiCA crypto-asset service provider license and a PSD2 payment institution license, allowing it to provide stablecoin and fiat payment services in the 27 EU member states. The licenses support its ability to hold, exchange, and transfer stablecoins on behalf of clients, and execute fiat payments via credit transfers; Noah also said it will seek direct access to the SEPA network. The company said its service network now covers more than 150 markets and 60 currencies, enabling clients to complete KYC and KYB through a single regulated provider.
推荐理由：The article explains the MiCA and PSD2 licenses within the same framework, helping readers understand how stablecoin service providers can use unified authorization to cover the 27 EU member states.
ePayments Systems Limited entered special administration on 15 October 2026, and the FCA appointed Mark Boast and Allister Manson of Opus Restructuring LLP as joint special administrators.
推荐理由：The announcement explains customer claims, the return of funds and customer funds safeguarding arrangements under special administration, and clarifies that payment services are not covered by FSCS, directly relating to how EPS customers can recover their funds.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has proposed new standards requiring cryptocurrency exchanges and digital asset custodians to protect customer funds, improve trading transparency and meet financial requirements. The rules will take effect on April 8, 2027. Existing businesses can apply for licences by October 7, 2027, and continue operating while their applications are being reviewed. The consultation will close on November 27, with final guidance and standards expected to be released in March 2027; ASIC said it has received more than 140 applications for digital asset-related financial services authorisation.
推荐理由：The proposed rules bring customer asset protection, trading transparency, settlement and financial resources into the regulatory framework, while setting out a consultation and licensing application timeline to help trading platforms assess their compliance arrangements.
MAS has granted KPay subsidiary KPay Merchant Service (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. a Major Payment Institution (MPI) license, allowing it to provide merchant acquiring, domestic remittance, and cross-border remittance services in Singapore.
推荐理由：The license covers merchant acquiring as well as domestic and cross-border remittances, and is linked to the product expansion of Online Payments and KPay POS, highlighting its business strategy in Singapore.
Kraken parent company Payward has agreed to acquire Finnish holding company Saldo Finance Oy, which owns Saldo Bank, holder of a Lithuanian banking license. The transaction will give Payward an EU banking license.
推荐理由：The article details Saldo Bank’s coverage of the EU market, SEPA capabilities, and deposit, lending, and card-issuing businesses, providing a concrete picture of the scope of Payward’s expansion into banking.
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推荐理由：The two types of licenses correspond to merchant acquiring and cross-border account services, respectively. The materials also explain that Alipay+ does not rely on the new licenses, making it easier to distinguish its business pathways in the UAE.
Ant International has obtained the Retail Payment Services and Card Schemes Category II (RPSCS) license and the Stored Value Facilities (SVF) license issued by the Central Bank of the UAE.
推荐理由：The article distinguishes the new licenses from the existing Alipay+ partnership arrangements and explains the subsequent service pathways for Antom and WorldFirst in the UAE.
An OCC report said that from 2020 to September 2025, 9 large U.S. banks had restricted services to crypto firms and customers in other lawful industries. The report listed digital assets as a restricted industry but provided no specific crypto examples, and OCC said it was unable to measure how widespread such practices were.
推荐理由：The report places large banks’ reputational risk policies and restrictions on services to crypto firms in the same regulatory context, and contrasts them with OCC’s conditional approval of trust bank charters for crypto companies.
Polygon Labs has completed its acquisition of Coinme, gaining money transmitter licenses in 37 states, 11 exemptions, and FinCEN MSB registration, expanding its regulated payments coverage to 48 U.S. states. These credentials will be integrated into Open Money Stack, which brings fiat on- and off-ramps, wallets, cross-chain routing, and settlement into a single integration. Businesses can use stablecoins to hold or settle funds and pay recipients in their local currency.
推荐理由：The material presents both the expansion of licenses and the compliance disposition, allowing readers to see the regulatory constraints that accompany Polygon’s efforts to complete its payments infrastructure through the acquisition.
Payward has agreed to acquire Lithuania’s Saldo Bank and its Finnish holding company, planning to use the deal to obtain an EU banking license and upgrade its existing Irish electronic money institution license. The transaction terms were not disclosed and the deal is expected to close in 2027. The transaction is expected to enable Payward to offer deposit interest, lending products, and banking-as-a-service capabilities in Europe, including card issuance and SME lending; Saldo Bank currently has passporting coverage in Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, Germany, and the Netherlands.
推荐理由：The article outlines how the acquisition would elevate Payward’s licensing status in Europe and lists the five markets covered by Saldo Bank, along with the banking products it plans to expand.
The Dutch central bank has granted Qivalis, backed by 37 European banks, an electronic money institution license, bringing it closer to issuing euro-denominated electronic money tokens. Qivalis still needs to publish a white paper and meet other MiCA requirements, and plans to distribute the tokens through banks, cryptocurrency exchanges and payment service providers in the coming months. Under MiCA, holders of electronic money tokens can redeem them at par at any time, and the tokens may not pay interest.
推荐理由：The material sets out the license, the remaining MiCA requirements and the distribution channels, helping readers distinguish between obtaining a license and the formal issuance of stablecoins in the regulatory process.
Visa has received approval from the People's Bank of China (中国人民银行) for its Application to Prepare, formally commencing preparations to establish an onshore bank card clearing institution in China. The approval only allows Visa to advance preparations in accordance with the requirements of the People's Bank of China; Visa must still complete the relevant procedures before it can conduct onshore bank card clearing business in China.
推荐理由：The approval distinguishes authorization to prepare from formal operations, while the materials also explain the regulatory procedures Visa must still complete to enter China's onshore bank card clearing market.
Visa said it has received approval from the Chinese government for its application to prepare to provide bank card transaction clearing services in China, and will continue to complete the subsequent procedures in accordance with relevant regulations of the People's Bank of China. Mastercard was approved to operate in China in 2023 and began processing payments made with bank cards issued by Chinese banks in 2024 through a joint venture established with a Chinese partner. The two US card networks will still face competition from UnionPay in China's domestic market.
推荐理由：Visa's approval to prepare to provide bank card clearing services in China, along with Mastercard's earlier progress and the competitive landscape involving UnionPay, makes this worth watching.