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Ant International, IFC, and GCash Partner to Launch Sustainability Scorecard for Filipino MSMEs

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Ant International, IFC, and GCash Partner to Launch Sustainability Scorecard for Filipino MSMEs

In a major push to drive digital financial inclusion, Ant International, the International Finance Corp. (IFC), and Philippine finance super app GCash are developing a new Sustainability Impact Scorecard.

The tool is specifically designed to make it easier for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to track their environmental and social impact, adopt sustainable business practices, and align with global ESG standards.

Bridging the MSME financing gap

In the Philippines, MSMEs account for 99.6 per cent of all businesses and employ over two-thirds of the national workforce. Despite this massive economic footprint, limited access to financing remains a critical, ongoing challenge for these merchants.

By leveraging the GCash ecosystem alongside metrics tailored directly to the Philippine market, the new Scorecard aims to provide local MSMEs with clear, accessible pathways to measure their sustainability performance.

The Scorecard is designed to serve as a practical benchmark that will:

  • Help businesses clearly demonstrate their existing sustainability practices.

  • Build the credibility necessary to effectively engage with modern investors and lenders.

  • Unlock new access to sustainable financing and green capital to support business growth.

Winsley Bangit, GCash group head for new businesses, highlighted the practical value of the tool.

“For MSMEs, this is a game-changer,” Bangit stated. “It provides visibility into their environmental and social impact and credibility that can attract green capital and partnerships.”

Integrating AI and driving resilience

The partnership focuses on ensuring small businesses are not left behind in the global push for sustainability. Carrie Suen, vice president and head of global affairs and strategic development at Ant International, noted the importance of delivering accessible technology to smaller enterprises.

“Through our collaboration with GCash and IFC, we are making technologies such as AI more accessible to local MSMEs, empowering them to participate in the next wave of sustainable digital transformation,” Suen explained. “This scorecard serves as a vital tool for future innovation, reinforcing that true environmental sustainability integrates social and economic impact, and it must never be sidelined.”

Christina Ongoma, IFC East Asia and the Pacific Regional advisory manager for the financial institutions group, echoed this sentiment.

“MSMEs play a critical role across markets,” Ongoma added. “By equipping them with the right tools, we can strengthen resilience, support adaptation, and enable sustainable growth at scale.”

A phased rollout with regional ambitions

The new partnership builds directly upon discussions held at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, as well as Ant International’s Programme Sirius, an initiative launched in 2024 to support MSMEs in taking their first steps toward sustainability.

With GCash acting as the official pilot partner, the project aims to translate broad global sustainability commitments into practical, data-driven digital solutions for underserved communities.

The Scorecard pilot will roll out in distinct phases across the Philippines, beginning with ecosystem assessments and stakeholder engagement. This will be followed by the development of the scorecard itself, rigorous validation, and field testing. Following the pilot, learnings from the program will inform the potential scaling of the scorecard across the wider Asia-Pacific region.

Ethereum Buyers Regain Derivatives Control For The First Time Since 2022: A Rare Market Shift

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Ethereum Buyers Regain Derivatives Control For The First Time Since 2022: A Rare Market Shift

Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

Ethereum is trying to hold above $2,300 as the market navigates another stretch of volatility and uncertainty. The price action remains hesitant, caught between buyers looking for a reason to commit and sellers who have defined this cycle’s derivatives landscape more aggressively than almost any previous period. But according to top analyst Darkfost, something in that landscape just changed — and the shift is significant enough to deserve attention.

Throughout this entire cycle, Ethereum’s derivatives markets have been unusually hostile to bulls. Net taker volume — the measure of how aggressively buyers versus sellers are hitting the market — remained almost consistently negative.

The clearest example came in December 2024, when ETH was pushing toward a new all-time high above $4,000. Rather than buyers chasing the breakout, net taker volume collapsed to -$511 million. It got worse from there. When Ethereum printed its cycle high just below $5,000, the sell-side dominance reached -$568 million. Sellers were not just present at the top — they were overwhelming it.

That pattern defined the entire rally and made every move higher feel contested, expensive, and ultimately unsustainable.

Today, Darkfost notes, the dynamic looks very different. For the first time in this cycle, the picture on derivatives markets appears to be shifting — and what is replacing that persistent sell pressure is worth understanding.

The Sellers Who Defined This Cycle Just Lost the Upper Hand

Since March, the dynamic that defined Ethereum’s entire derivatives market has quietly reversed. Buy-side volumes have taken control, with net taker volume reaching +$102 million today. After months of sellers dominating at every key price level — including the all-time high — buyers are now the ones hitting the market aggressively.

Ethereum NetTakerVolume Chart | Source: CryptoQuant
Ethereum NetTakerVolume Chart | Source: CryptoQuant

The historical context Darkfost provides is what gives this shift its real weight. The last time Ethereum’s derivatives market showed buying pressure of this magnitude was in 2022 — when ETH was trading around $1,000, near the depths of the previous bear market. That was the last time buyers stepped in with this kind of conviction. What followed from that period is not lost on anyone who has watched Ethereum across multiple cycles.

The implications, if the trend holds, are material. This cycle was defined by a specific and unusual pattern: sellers dominated not just during weakness, but at every attempt at strength. Every rally was met with aggressive supply. That pressure is what made each Ethereum recovery feel fragile and short-lived.

If buyers are now consistently absorbing that supply rather than stepping aside, the structural backdrop for Ethereum is changing. It is early — one data point does not confirm a new regime. But the shift from -$568 million at the peak to +$102 million today is not a small move. It is the kind of reversal that, if sustained, tends to precede something more meaningful than a temporary bounce.

Ethereum Tests Resistance as Recovery Structure Builds

Ethereum is attempting to stabilize above the $2,300 level after recovering from the sharp February capitulation that briefly pushed price below $1,800. The rebound has been constructive in the short term, with price forming a sequence of higher lows since early March. However, the broader structure remains unresolved.

ETH consolidates above $2,300 | Source: ETHUSDT chart on TradingView
ETH consolidates above $2,300 | Source: ETHUSDT chart on TradingView

The key technical feature in the current chart is the interaction with the 200-day moving average, which is trending downward and now sits just above price. This level has acted as dynamic resistance, rejecting multiple recovery attempts. The recent move into the $2,350–$2,400 zone was again met with selling pressure, reinforcing that sellers are still defending higher levels.

Volume dynamics add nuance to the picture. The capitulation event in February was accompanied by a clear spike in volume, signaling forced selling and potential exhaustion. Since then, volume has normalized during the recovery, suggesting a more controlled, organic bid rather than aggressive momentum chasing.

Short-term momentum is improving, but Ethereum has yet to confirm a structural shift. A clean break and hold above the 200-day moving average would be required to transition from recovery to trend reversal. Until that happens, the current move appears to be a developing range with resistance overhead and cautious buyers stepping in on dips.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com 

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What Banks Must Do for 2026

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What Banks Must Do for 2026

Is 2026 a turning point for payments? Maybe not the year – but it’s certainly a defining one.

We’re seeing a powerful convergence shaping the future of financial services:

⚡ Real-time payments and modern infrastructure
🤖 Rapid advancements in AI – improving by the week
🔗 Renewed momentum in stablecoins, tokenisation, and digital assets

Access the full report here: https://www.finastra.com/financial-services-state-nation-survey-2026

Together, these shifts are creating both opportunity and urgency for banks and financial institutions.

Bitmine acquires more than $230 million in ether (ETH) its largest weekly haul of 2026

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Bitmine acquires more than $230 million in ether (ETH) its largest weekly haul of 2026

BitMine Immersion Technologies (BMNR), the largest Ethereum-focused digital asset treasury firm, increased its crypto purchase pace as Chairman Tom Lee said he sees growing signs the crypto “mini-winter” is ending.

The firm reported Monday it bought 101,627 ether (ETH) last week, the largest weekly haul since Dec. 15. The purchase, worth roughly over $230 million at current prices, lifted BitMine’s total holdings to 4.97 million ETH.

The move comes as most digital asset treasury companies — except Michael Saylor’s bitcoin BTC$75,682.37-focused Strategy (MSTR) — have slowed or halted buying. BitMine remains one of the last large-scale buyers of ether, providing a steady source of demand for ETH.

BitMine’s total crypto and cash holdings now stand at $12.9 billion. In addition to its ETH treasury, the firm holds 199 bitcoin, $1.12 billion in cash and equity stakes, including investments in Beast Industries and Eightco Holdings.

Lee said the firm sees signs that the recent drop in crypto prices is nearing an end, pointing to ETH’s rebound and broader market dynamics.

“Bitmine has maintained the increased pace of ETH buys in each of the past four weeks, as our base case ETH is in the final stages of the ‘mini-crypto winter,'” Lee said.

He added that ether has risen sharply from its early February lows and has outperformed equities since the start of the Iran conflict on Feb. 28, supported by demand tied to tokenization and AI-related uses.

BitMine has also continued expanding its staking operations. The firm has staked more than 3.3 million ETH, or about two-thirds of its holdings, generating roughly $221 million in annualized revenue.

Bitcoin (BTC) price drops 2.5% as all assets decline

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Bitcoin (BTC) price drops 2.5% as all assets decline

CoinDesk Indices presents its daily market update, highlighting the performance of leaders and laggards in the CoinDesk 20 Index.

The CoinDesk 20 is currently trading at 2085.29, down 3.6% (-78.65) since 4 p.m. ET on Friday.

None of 20 assets are trading higher.

Leaders: BNB (-2.3%) and BTC (-2.5%).

Laggards: AAVE (-22.9%) and ICP (-7.9%).

The CoinDesk 20 is a broad-based index traded on multiple platforms in several regions globally.

Tether backs UAE tokenization firm KAIO in $8M funding round

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Tether backs UAE tokenization firm KAIO in $8M funding round

Abu Dhabi-regulated tokenization firm KAIO said Monday it had raised $8 million in a strategic funding round backed by Tether and several other crypto and institutional investors, as it builds infrastructure to bring traditional funds onto blockchain rails.

The round brings KAIO’s total funding to $19 million. New investors include Systemic Ventures, while Further Ventures and Laser Digital joined again alongside earlier backers such as Brevan Howard Digital.

KAIO said it develops infrastructure that allows asset managers to distribute funds onchain. It created tokens of products from firms like BlackRock, Brevan Howard and Hamilton Lane, then makes them accessible through blockchain-based systems.

With the investment, KAIO plans to expand into other products such as credit, structured investments and exchange-traded funds. The firm said it plans to launch onchain fund with Mubadala Capital, the Emirati private equity firm with $385 billion in assets under management.

By creating tokens of institutional funds, the firm said its goal is to lower investor barriers to entry. KAIO targets minimum investments starting at $100 for eligible users, far below the typical thresholds for institutional funds.

Tether’s involvement ties the model to stablecoin flows. USDT is the most popular stablecoin, boasting a $185 billion supply, and is often used to move money across borders, especially in emerging markets. KAIO aims to channel that liquidity into regulated investment products.

“KAIO’s unique position unlocks new pathways for capital formation and investment by bringing institutional-grade assets onchain and making them more broadly accessible, helping expand participation in global financial markets,” Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said in a statement.

KAIO said its platform embeds compliance into its system and supports regulated distribution frameworks, including those in Abu Dhabi, the Cayman Islands and Singapore.

The company said it tokenized about $100 million in assets and has processed more than $500 million in transactions.

Bitcoin Bulls Fight on as BTC Rebounds Despite US-Iran Tensions

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Bitcoin Bulls Fight on as BTC Rebounds Despite US-Iran Tensions

Bitcoin (BTC) erased losses after Monday’s Wall Street open as markets largely shrugged off the return of the US-Iran war.

Key points:

  • Bitcoin joins stocks in a muted reaction to the latest US-Iran deterioration and closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

  • BTC price manages to top 2.5% daily upside despite the lack of resolution.

  • Analysis warns that Bitcoin market strength is begin driven by Strategy and speculators.

Markets avoid volatility as BTC price stays green

Data from TradingView showed 2.5% daily gains for BTC/USD, which had closed the week below $74,000.

BTC/USD one-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

US stocks saw modest downside as the week began, but the losses remained modest, while oil began retracing an initial move toward $90.

CFDs on WTI crude oil one-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The repositioning came a day after US President Donald Trump announced a fresh round of negotiations over Iran in Pakistan.

“My Representatives are going to Islamabad, Pakistan — They will be there tomorrow evening, for Negotiations,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social on Sunday.

Trump appeared to dismiss the significance of Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz, calling its announcement “strange.”

Source: Truth Social

Responding, crypto trading company QCP Capital suggested that markets had already readjusted expectations of the war’s outcome and timeline for it.

“Despite the pullback in spot alongside renewed tensions, volatility has stayed notably subdued, hovering near year-to-date lows,” it wrote in its latest “Market Color” update. 

“This disconnect between realised risk and implied pricing suggests investors are recalibrating expectations toward a more episodic pattern of escalation: on-and-off disruptions around the Strait, paired with cycles of rhetoric and de-escalation. In effect, markets are beginning to price duration rather than intensity, pointing to a conflict that may be more protracted than initially assumed, but still contained within current bounds.”

S&P 500 one-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

QCP added that even with the US-Iran ceasefire due to officially expire within days, that event was unlikely to be definitive.

“The base case, for now, remains one of range-bound volatility, rather than a decisive breakout across major asset classes,” it concluded.

Strategy, speculators under the microscope

Analyzing short-term BTC price moves, J. A. Maartunn, a contributor to onchain analytics platform CryptoQuant, had some bad news for bulls.

Related: BTC price due new highs: Five things to know in Bitcoin this week

Bitcoin’s recent local highs, he suggested, were simply a result of buying pressure from Strategy and speculative traders, with sellers stepping in to take profit, halting the rally.

“Where does that leave price? Not far,” he summarized in an X thread.

BTC/USD chart with STH cost-basis data. Source: J. A. Maartunn/X

Maartunn said that BTC/USD remained stuck below “key resistance,” including the cost basis of short-term holders (STHs) near $83,000.

“Long-Term Holders keep accumulating, and Strategy isn’t done yet,” he acknowledged.

“The key question: is it enough to push Bitcoin higher? For now, this still looks like a bear market rally… But a strong breakout could quickly shift the trend.”

BTC/USDT three-day chart. Source: J. A. Maartunn/X