WHAT’S INSIDE

👇️ Feature: Tether IPO, Zelle and JPM Turbocharge International Commerce with Stablecoins + Digital YEN Stablecoin approved

Also: OpenAI Re-industrialization Strategy & Company Data Search tool, Nvidia Robotaxis, Tik Tok and Trade Deal, A Trump Third Term? and ICE’s $5.7M AI Surveillance system from Zignal Labs +

• Company Watch: Mercor $10B Value, Sequoia’s $950M Fund, Goldman Sachs $10B Gulf Mandate, Softbank’s OpenAI investment + Amazon Job Cuts

• Buzzy Tools: Latest Buzzy tech, AI and financial tools

• Deep Tech: The latest in deep tech, biotech, futurism and more

• Space Tech: Latest news in the space race and aerospace tech

• Crypto: Blockchain and crypto policy and startups or protocols to watch

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TECH IN THE NEWS

Trade Truce in Sight — The US and China have outlined a trade deal framework resolving TikTok's US operations, rare earth mineral controls, and potential tariff exemptions. Trump and Xi to meet for negotiations.

TikTok Tie-Up — The U.S. and China agree on TikTok's US operations, with Oracle managing security under US oversight. The deal, to be finalized by Trump and Xi, avoids a sale and sets a precedent.

OpenAI AI Policy Strategy — New AI Strategy advocates for investing in AI infrastructure to enhance U.S. GDP and support reindustrialization. Urges government support for tax credits and regulatory processes to bolster supply chains.

U.S. Lags in AI Power Race — OpenAI warns the U.S. is trailing China in AI development due to a massive energy gap. China added 429GW compared to the US's 51 last year. OpenAI urges a 100-GW annual boost to safeguard AI leadership.

ICE AI Surveillance — ICE has launched a $5.7M AI system from Zignal Labs to monitor social media for deportation targets, processing over 8B posts daily.

Trump's Third Term Talk — Pres. Trump hints at a third presidential run, dismissing a VP bid. Despite strong poll numbers, repealing the 22nd Amendment is improbable. Steve Bannon suggests a 2028 plan.

Tether IPO, Zelle and JPM Turbocharge International Commerce with Stablecoins

Shirin Unvala

Major financial institutions are continuing to lean into the burgeoning Trillion dollar stablecoin and crypto payments sector with three massive updates: The world’s leading stablecoin provider, Tether looks to be preparing for an IPO after announcing it is targeting a modest $14 Billion in revenue this year!! Meanwhile, after months of crypto-chatter, Zelle has just formally announced its plans to pilot international payment services using stablecoins. And finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. is preparing to let institutional clients post Bitcoin and Ether as collateral for loans by late 2025, a move that underscores how quickly digital assets are being pulled into the mainstream of banking and credit.

We are seeing the cryptocurrency advocates theory of a digital and seamlessly fluid economy rolled out in real time. A recent report by Artemis Analytics notes that usage of U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoins for goods, services and transfers jumped from about US $6 billion in February 2025 to more than US $10 billion in August — roughly a 70 % rise in just six months. At that pace, annualised volume could hit north of US $120 billion.

Zelle Goes All-In On Stablecoins

The decision by Zelle’s parent company, Early Warning Services, which is owned by a consortium of banks that includes Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase is a major coup for the stablecoin sector. It comes hot on the heels of recent Stablecoin legislation passed by the Trump administration. The law includes laid frameworks for phased implementation of stablecoins into the regulated financial network. 

Zelle processed two billion payments worth $600 billion in the first half of 2025. It  serves more than 150 million users and links seven major banks — JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, PNC, Capital One, Truist, and U.S. Bank — along with 2,500 smaller institutions. An international rollout would extend that reach to remittances and cross-border transfers, bringing Zelle into direct competition with fintechs such as Wise, Remitly, PayPal’s Xoom, and the instant payment services operated by Visa and Mastercard.

Why The Stablecoin Surge Matters

Those three big headlines this morning are only the tip of this iceberg. The real shift is in how stablecoins are being applied by the likes of Zelle. Business-to-business (B2B) flows are now leading the charge. Corporate and payment-network settlements — formerly dominated by traditional rails — are increasingly implementing stablecoins. Data suggest B2B transactions now account for about two-thirds of stablecoin use, up by a lot from less than six months ago. That shift means stablecoins aren’t just new tools —they’re becoming new financial plumbing. Think about what that means.

Major financial institutions are also signaling they believe this is more than a flier. JPMorgan Chase has announced plans to allow institutional clients to use Bitcoin and Ether as loan collateral by late 2025 — a move that forces the intersection of crypto assets and traditional banking to actualize and have formal recognition. 

Regulatory clarity is obviously a major component in fueling said momentum. In the U.S., the latest legislation provides institutions and issuers a clearer reference to regulation. With fewer regulatory unknowns, firms are shedding their risk aversion to deploy stablecoins in real-world operations.

Feels Fresh, Feels Urgent

Several things make this move different. First, the growth isn’t incremental — it’s accelerating exponentially. A 70% jump in six months is not rare in crypto hype-cycles, but rare in payments tech and in company revenue in general.

Second, the change in use case is meaningful. Instead of being relegated to “crypto for crypto’s sake,” stablecoins are increasingly being used to funnel high-value transactions, settle trade, and manage liquidity. And the share coming from businesses, rather than individuals, is growing.

Third, the infrastructure is morphing. It’s not just blockchain startups anymore. A mainstream payments network like Zelle riding stablecoin rails sends a clear signal: institutional adoption is underway.

Stablecoin Printer Goes Brrr!

Stablecoin issuers continue to command the lion's share of crypto protocol revenue, consistently capturing 60-75% of total daily revenue across major crypto categories, including lending platforms, decentralized exchanges, collateralized debt positions, and blockchain infrastructure.

This dominance reflects the sector's position as crypto's most profitable vertical, providing users with a stable foundation for trading and a reliable collateral option for exchanges and DeFi protocols. Leading Stablecoin company Tether is on track to generate $15B in profit this year with a 99% profit margin, placing it among the world's most profitable companies per employee. 

This announcement comes amid rumors of an impending IPO, with a target valuation of $500 billion. Tether plans to maintain its profitability through new products, including a USAT stablecoin and a tokenized gold product, while also minting new USDT to inject liquidity into the market.

The Yen’s Rising Sun

It’s not just happening in the US either. Japan yesterday introduced JPYC, the world's first yen-pegged stablecoin, fully convertible to yen and backed by savings and government bonds. Aiming to issue 10 Trillion yen in three years, it launches with no transaction fees.

Timing is Everything

For businesses, fintechs and banks, this is a good time to buy-in. If stablecoins become a meaningful settlement option, firms that ignore them risk being left behind. It affects treasury operations, supplier payments, cross-border transfers, and even rails for digital-asset collateral.

For legacy systems, this is a direct challenge. Correspondent banking, multi-day settlement cycles, high FX mark-ups — are all identified targets. If stablecoins deliver even a fraction of their promise, the system could be in for a rude awakening.

For consumers and international remittances, the promise is real: cheaper, faster transfers that are available consistently. But that promise remains unproven at scale.

The Trillion Dollar Bottom Line 

The infrastructure of money is remodeling before our eyes. Rails are shifting, settlement is speeding up, and Big money is being made on stablecoins. Traditional finance may be taking a forcible step back to make room for digital-native innovation. Financial services market players will either get wise or get left in the trail of digital gold dust of the early adopters. Ignoring this isn’t just a missed opportunity — it may be a misstep. Because this time, the future of payments isn’t far off. It’s beginning now.

COMPANIES TO WATCH

Amazon — Plans to cut 30,000 corporate jobs across key divisions, marking its largest reduction since 2022-2023. Driven by CEO Andy Jassy, this move focuses on AI automation in core functions to boost efficiency and reduce costs.

Nvidia — Developing a robotaxi project to rival Tesla and Waymo using its Cosmos model for autonomous driving. Nvidia plans to invest $3B in US operations, leveraging its chip technology for sustainable growth in the robotaxi market.

Mercor — Now valued at $10B after a $350M Series C round, this AI training facilitator connects labs with experts. With $1.5M paid daily to contractors and aiming for $500M in ARR, amid Scale AI conflicts.

Sequoia Capital — Raised $950M for early-stage ventures, including a $750M Series A and $200M seed fund. Despite recent challenges and division separations, Sequoia focuses on outlier founders and early investments with reasonable valuations.

Goldman Sachs — Engaged in talks with Kuwait Investment Authority for a $10B mandate in private equity, credit, and infrastructure. Expanding in the Gulf region, Goldman aims to boost alternative asset management to $100B this year.

SoftBank — Approved a $22.5B installment to finalize a $30B investment in OpenAI, contingent on restructuring for a potential IPO. This is part of a $41B financing round, which may drop to $20B if restructuring fails.

 SignalPulse — Read the Top signals, Startups + Deals From Last Week

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BUZZY TOOLS

Buzzy Tech Tools To Watch & Use

OpenAI — generative music tool in progress + ChatGPT access to 3rd-party apps data for company wide knowledge.

Google — Vibe Coding for AI app creation w/ API connections + Google Fitbit Gemini AI coach for personalized workouts.

Qualcomm — AI200 chips challenge Nvidia with efficient data center mobile tech.

Amplitude — Suite of tools for fast, easy access to customer journey insights.

Ladder — New AI tool for nutrition tracking via meal photos, unifying fitness, diet.

BUZZY TECH

The Latest Deep Technology & Trends To Watch

MIT Electron Study — Electron messenger technique reveals atomic nucleus.

Google Beam — USO AI-powered 3D video partnership connects military families.

AI Drones — Anduril tests AI-powered military drones, Pentagon allocates $13.4B.

Burevestnik Missile — Nuclear cruise missile flies record 8,700m; global range.

Surface Immobilized Electrides — Auburn enhances quantum computing.

Mushroom Memory Chips — Shiitake fungi could become bio memory chips.

CRYPTO WATCH

JPMorgan Upgrades Coinbase — JPMorgan upgraded Coinbase to "overweight," setting a $404 price target. Analysts see a $34B opportunity with the Base token and enhanced USDC monetization, potentially boosting annual earnings by $1 per share.

Japan's Yen Stablecoin — Japan introduced JPYC, the world's first yen-pegged stablecoin, fully convertible to yen and backed by savings and government bonds. Aiming to issue 10T yen in three years, it launches with no transaction fees.

American Bitcoin Corp. — Co-founded by Eric and Donald Trump Jr., it acquired 1,414 bitcoins worth over $160M, entering the top 25 public BTC holders. Shares rose 12% to $6.28. The company plans to publish "Satoshis per Share" updates.

JPM's Crypto Collateral — JPMorgan Chase will permit institutional clients to use Bitcoin and Eth as collateral for loans by year-end. This initiative, backed by a third-party custodian, strengthens Wall Street's crypto ties.

SPACE_RACE

3I/ATLAS_Interstellar comet emits 6,200-mile CO2, dust jet towards Sun.

Artemis II_NASA's Orion spacecraft to orbit the Moon with crew in 2026.

Voyager_Acquires electric propulsion for defense, commercial spacecraft.

Iridium Anti-Jam_Tiny chip shields satellite devices from GPS jamming.

6G Comms Satellites_AI-driven antennas offer high data rates, low latency.

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