Visa introduced new AI-commerce and stablecoin infrastructure offerings at the Visa Payments Forum 2026, including identity tools for AI agents and a partnership with OpenAI to enable payments inside AI-driven experiences. The company said stablecoin settlement processed through VisaNet reached an annualized run rate of roughly $7 billion as of March 2026, alongside plans to broaden seven-day settlement and support tokenized bank deposits.

South Korean police have designated Bithumb CEO Lee Jae-won as a suspect in a bribery probe tied to the alleged preferential hiring of an independent lawmaker’s son. The investigation adds to Bithumb’s recent regulatory and operational troubles, including a March six-month partial suspension with a $24.2 million fine and a February error that mistakenly credited users with about 620,000 Bitcoin.

On June 11, 2026, CoinFello announced the public launch of Fello 1, an upgrade that lets users interact with any EVM-compatible smart contract and aims to simplify DeFi liquidity provision. The release adds support for opening LP positions on Uniswap V2, V3, and V4, executing multi-step transactions, and using a self-custodial delegation model where users keep control of wallets and keys.

On Wednesday, Visa used its annual payments forum to argue that stablecoins are becoming core plumbing for global payments while it broadens efforts in AI and tokenization. The company said it has moved billions in stablecoins via VisaNet, with an annualized run rate of $7 billion as of March 2026, and it plans to expand stablecoin settlement pilots across regions, blockchains, and currencies.

Dragonfly general partner Rob Hadick said stablecoins could grow 10x as payments adoption accelerates. He argued the next wave of value creation will shift from reserve-yield economics toward distribution, compliance, and payment rails, with USDT and USDC likely facing stronger competition from banks and fintechs.

Coinbase said it can offer US customers access to "true global" crypto perpetual futures after receiving CFTC clearance dated May 29, 2026. The company will route the product through its offshore structure tied to Deribit, which it acquired in May 2025, while collateral is held in USD or USDC with leverage up to 10x. CEO Brian Armstrong also claimed roughly half of perp volume previously came from Americans using offshore venues via VPN.

UAE-based ASK Group and U.S. blockchain firm Keeta have formed a joint venture to build a public exchange that turns commodities such as oil, gold, silver and copper into fractional tokens, with a planned launch by 2027. The project targets 1-to-1 reserve backing with audited holdings, 400-millisecond settlement, and on-chain proof of reserves, while also positioning Keeta's Layer 1 network for cross-border remittances.

Nigeria's Senate advanced a cryptocurrency regulation bill through a second reading on June 9, sending it to the Senate Committee on Capital Market for a four-week review and public hearing. The proposal would require licensing for crypto exchanges and add investor-protection measures alongside tighter oversight aimed at money laundering and terrorism financing. Lawmakers and industry voices said the lack of clear rules has increased exposure to fraud and other illicit activity.