The new tool helps Zcash nodes discover peers faster and more safely as they join the network.
Binance to add Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin on Ethereum, XRP Ledger support is coming
The dollar-backed stablecoin be available starting Thursday on Ethereum, with support for the XRP Ledger expected soon.
‘Anti-Innovation’: Experts Slam Nigeria’s ‘Disproportionate’ Capital Requirements for Crypto Firms
The Nigerian SEC has sharply raised minimum capital requirements for digital asset firms, with offering platforms now needing about $704,000 and exchanges and custodians $1.4 million. Experts describe new capital requirements as “anti-innovation,” and warn that they could drive talent abroad. Significant Hikes in Capital Demands The Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) revised minimum […]
Ziina and Lean Technologies Execute UAE’s First Live Customer-Initiated Open Finance Payment
Lean Technologies, a leading MENA financial infrastructure provider, and Ziina, a UAE-based payments platform, have launched the country’s first live customer-initiated Open Finance payment.
The milestone transaction was executed under the Central Bank of the UAE’s (CBUAE) Open Finance framework, marking a significant transition for the region’s financial ecosystem from technical readiness to real-world application.
Moving from concept to reality
With this launch, Ziina—which operates as a licensed financial institution (LFI) through its Stored Value Facility authorization—becomes the first entity in the UAE to enable live Open Finance payments initiated directly by customers.
The new functionality allows Ziina users to complete instant, account-to-account bank payments through regulated Open Finance APIs. By connecting directly to bank accounts, the system offers a faster and more secure way to move money, eliminating the need for users to switch channels or rely on manual transfers.
Faisal Toukan, co-founder and CEO of Ziina, commented on the significance of the achievement: “Delivering the UAE’s first customer-initiated Open Finance payment marks an important step for the country’s financial ecosystem. Regulated, API-driven payments, now operating at production scale, are beginning to influence expectations around speed, transparency and trust. Enabling customers to complete a bank payment directly inside the Ziina app through Open Finance reflects how forward-thinking policy can shape everyday financial behaviour”.
Powered by national infrastructure
The initiative relies on the technical and regulatory foundation established by the UAE’s Open Finance Regulation, Nebras (the national Open Finance platform), and Al Tareq (the Central Bank’s API framework).
Lean Technologies provides the underlying infrastructure for the service, delivering the secure connectivity and compliant payment initiation required to support production-grade flows.
Hisham Al-Falih, CEO of Lean Technologies, added: “Seeing Open Finance payments live in the UAE is a meaningful moment for the market. This milestone reflects the Central Bank’s vision for modern, secure financial infrastructure and shows what becomes possible when strong connectivity meets thoughtful product execution”.
The collaboration highlights the broader adoption of fintech in the region. Since its founding in 2019, Lean has connected over 2 million accounts and processed more than $4billion in transaction volume. Meanwhile, Ziina has grown to serve over 260,000 businesses and consumers in the UAE, offering a unified platform for everyday financial needs.
Crypto Must Compromise on Senate Bill: Trump Advisor
The US Senate’s crypto market structure bill must be passed quickly while lawmakers can still cut deals to advance it, but it will require concessions, says a top White House crypto advisor.
“There *will* be a crypto market structure bill — it’s a question of when, not if,” Patrick Witt, the executive director of the President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, said on Tuesday.
“Assuming a multi-trillion-dollar industry will continue to operate indefinitely without a comprehensive regulatory framework is pure fantasy,” he added.
The Senate is looking to pass laws defining how the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission would police crypto, but some crypto lobbyists are unhappy with provisions they argue are too restrictive on stablecoins and decentralized protocols.
The Senate Banking and Agriculture Committees, which respectively oversee the SEC and CFTC, had both delayed markups of the bill scheduled for Thursday to drum up bipartisan support to ensure it moves forward.
Take the opportunity “to pass a bill now”
Witt slammed Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong’s comments on Wednesday, where the exchange and major lobbyist dropped its support for the legislation and said it would “rather have no bill than a bad bill.”
“What a privilege it is to be able to say those words thanks to President Trump’s victory, and the pro-crypto administration he has assembled,” Witt said.
“You might not love every part of the CLARITY Act, but I can guarantee you’ll hate a future Dem version even more.”
“Let’s keep working to improve the product, recognizing that compromises will need to be made in order to get 60 votes in the Senate, but let’s not let perfect be the enemy of the good,” he added.
He urged to “take advantage of the opportunity to pass a bill now, with a pro-crypto President, control of Congress, excellent regulators at the SEC and CFTC to write the rules, and a healthy industry,” claiming that Democratic lawmakers would “write punitive legislation.”
Related: CLARITY Act hinges on bipartisan support; here are the numbers: Analyst
Witt’s comments come as Republicans are pushing to implement their policy goals ahead of the midterms in November, where all House seats and 35 of the 100 Senate seats are up for election.
Republicans currently have the majority in the House and Senate, but the latest polling puts the Democrats slightly ahead with a chance to take control of Congress, with Polymarket bettors putting 78% odds that the Democrats will take the House.
Republicans are predicted to keep control of the Senate, per Polymarket odds, but even a Democrat-controlled House could derail the Trump administration’s policy goals for the rest of the president’s term.
Magazine: How crypto laws changed in 2025 — and how they’ll change in 2026
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently. Read our Editorial Policy https://cointelegraph.com/editorial-policy
Google Funds AI Training for Artists as Hollywood Debates the Tech’s Role
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Nansen Debuts Autonomous AI Crypto Trading On Base, Solana
Nansen has launched autonomous cryptocurrency trading tools that allow users to execute trades through artificial intelligence agents and natural language prompts, as the platform expands beyond analytics into transaction execution.
The new feature enables users to place trades by entering conversational commands in Nansen’s mobile app, rather than using traditional charts or order books, the company said in an announcement shared on Wednesday. The product is aimed at retail users seeking simplified access to crypto markets.
Nansen AI can also analyze onchain signals and provide data-driven insights to guide investor decisions, before executing trades in what the platform calls “vibe trading.” The company describes the approach as combining analytics with automated execution, while keeping final control with the user.
Nansen adds AI-driven trade execution
The trading feature will initially support activity on the Base and Solana blockchains, with plans to expand to additional networks, Nansen said.
The AI interface draws on Nansen’s proprietary onchain database, which includes hundreds of millions of labeled blockchain addresses, the company claims, and is aimed at providing investors with more reliable crypto market analysis than general-purpose AI bots like Google’s Gemini or OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Related: Not every AI agent needs its own cryptocurrency: CZ
“For years, Nansen has focused on surfacing high-quality onchain signals for investors,” said Nansen co-founder and CEO Alex Svanevik. “This launch allows users to act on those insights directly within our product.”
“Now, we’re closing the loop by enabling users to execute trades directly in our product, both through an AI-native conversational mobile UX and a trading terminal on the web.”
For cross-chain trading execution across Solana and Base, Nansen partnered with decentralized exchange Jupiter, crypto exchange OKX and cross-chain protocol LI.FI, which will facilitate support for more upcoming blockchain networks.
Trading is handled through the embedded Nansen Wallet, powered by Privy’s self-custodied wallet experience.
The company said autonomous trading will be available to users starting Wednesday, excluding residents of certain jurisdictions, including Singapore, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Russia and parts of Ukraine, citing regulatory restrictions.
Launch highlights rise of AI
The launch comes amid growing interest in AI-assisted trading across the crypto industry, as companies experiment with automated strategies and conversational interfaces to lower barriers for retail participation.
Related: OpenAI eyes trillion-dollar IPO amid global AI arms race: Report
Separately, recent testing has shown that lower-cost Chinese AI models can outperform larger Western systems in crypto trading tasks. In an autonomous trading competition reported by Cointelegraph in November 2025, models including QWEN3 MAX and DeepSeek generated stronger results than several higher-profile AI chatbots, with QWEN3 the only model to post positive returns.
The results highlighted ongoing limitations in real-time market execution among even the most advanced general-purpose AI systems.
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Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently. Read our Editorial Policy https://cointelegraph.com/editorial-policy
Chainalysis Launches No‑Code ‘Workflows’ for Data‑Scientist‑Level Blockchain Insights
Chainalysis introduces Workflows to let non‑technical users automate advanced blockchain analysis without code. Chainalysis announced on January 20, 2026 the launch of Workflows for Data Solutions, a no‑code interface that enables users to run complex blockchain analyses—such as timing & amount analysis, threat actor network expansion and targeted wallet searches—without SQL or Python, while preserving […]
Xsolla Expands Payment Coverage in Portugal With MB Way, a Leading Mobile Wallet Trusted by 6 Million Customers, to Unlock New Growth Opportunities for Game Developers
LISBON, Portugal–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Xsolla, a global video game commerce company that helps developers launch, grow, and monetize their games, today announced the expansion of its payments solution in Portugal with the addition of MB Way.
Portugal is a leader in digital transformation, with nearly 90% of its population online, high smartphone usage, and a strong adoption of mobile banking. Trusted by 6 million people, connected to 11 million cards, supported by 28 banks, and driving 496 million transactions in 2024, MB Way provides 95% market coverage, allowing most bank customers to use the service. MB Way is the leading mobile wallet in Portugal, with an estimated market share of 34%-45% of all e-commerce transactions locally. By adding MB Way as a payment method to its portfolio, Xsolla continues to deliver the fast and flexible payment experience Portuguese players expect.
Key benefits of the MB Way integration include:
- Increased market reach: MB Way is one of the most popular digital wallets in Portugal, used by millions of consumers, helping developers to reach a broader base of local players who prefer mobile payments over cards.
- Higher conversion rates: Players can complete purchases quickly through their phones without entering card details, reducing friction at checkout and lowering cart abandonment rates.
- Local, instant, and secure transactions: Backed by 28 Portuguese banks, MB Way processes payments in real time, offering players a fast, localized experience in their own language and currency, while providing developers with secure, fraud-resistant transactions.
- Mobile-first convenience: As a wallet designed for mobile users, MB Way fits perfectly into the gaming environment, making in-app purchases smooth, intuitive, and familiar for players.
- Improved retention and revenue: By offering a trusted local payment method, developers can build loyalty and encourage repeat purchases, leading to higher customer satisfaction and sustained revenue growth.
“Bringing a new payment method to Portugal isn’t just about ticking a box; it’s about recognizing the local preferences,” said Chris Hewish, President of Xsolla. “When players feel the payment flow is native to them, adoption accelerates and retention strengthens.”
From Europe to the world, Xsolla connects developers to local payment methods that reach more players, drive more conversions, and grow revenue. And now, with MB Way in Portugal, success is just a tap away.
To learn more about or activate MB Way payments for your game, visit: xsolla.pro/mbway.
About Xsolla
Xsolla is a global commerce company with robust tools and services to help developers solve the inherent challenges of the video game industry. From indie to AAA, companies partner with Xsolla to help them fund, distribute, market, and monetize their games. Grounded in the belief in the future of video games, Xsolla is resolute in the mission to bring opportunities together, and continually make new resources available to creators. Headquartered and incorporated in Los Angeles, California, Xsolla operates as the merchant of record and has helped over 1,500+ game developers to reach more players and grow their businesses around the world. With more paths to profits and ways to win, developers have all the things needed to enjoy the game.
For more information, visit xsolla.com.
Bitcoin stages rebound to nearly $90,000 as traders await Trump’s Davos talks
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