Latest news with #BitPay
Business Insider
18-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
GSR Leads $100M Private Placement into Nasdaq-listed MEI Pharma to Launch First Institutional Litecoin Treasury Strategy Alongside Charlie Lee
NEW YORK, United States, July 18th, 2025, Chainwire GSR, crypto's capital markets partner, today announced an investment and strategic partnership with MEI Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:MEIP) ('MEI'), in which it will serve as both strategic advisor and digital asset treasury manager. The $100 million private investment in public equity (PIPE) into MEI represents a significant step toward institutionalizing Litecoin as a treasury asset. GSR will work closely with Litecoin (LTC) creator Charlie Lee, who brings deep technical credibility and a long-term perspective on Litecoin's evolution, with support from the Litecoin Foundation. Lee and a GSR appointee will also join MEI's Board of Directors. This initiative follows MEI's previously announced review of strategic alternatives and reflects its new mission in alignment with both the Litecoin Foundation and GSR's digital asset management platform. 'Litecoin has consistently delivered a stable, low-cost, and accessible network for over a decade,' said Charlie Lee, creator of Litecoin. 'With leading global transaction volume on platforms like BitPay, Litecoin is trusted by users and integrated across retail and payments. This partnership with GSR and MEI brings that utility and mission into an institutional setting for the first time.' MEI's leadership is driving this strategic shift, viewing the partnership as a bridge between public markets and crypto-native innovation. With GSR serving as asset manager and execution partner, MEI will be well-positioned to manage LTC as a treasury asset. 'This initiative represents the first time a public company is aligning its treasury strategy with Litecoin at an institutional level,' said Joshua Riezman, US Chief Strategy Officer, GSR. 'It reflects rising institutional confidence in LTC's credibility, resilience, and regulatory clarity.' 'There is already meaningful institutional interest in Litecoin, but few mechanisms exist to access it in a secure and structured way,' said Quynh Ho, Head of Venture Investment, GSR. 'This investment is designed to close that gap by enabling access to an asset with remarkable staying power.' With GSR as an investor, strategic advisor, and asset manager, the collaboration creates potential momentum for LTC's future growth in decentralized finance. GSR's broader involvement in the space, including the incubation of the Polygon-based protocol Katana, highlights its expertise in supporting emerging ecosystems. Charlie Lee and GSR acted as lead investors, alongside participation from the Litecoin Foundation and prominent crypto venture capital firms and infrastructure providers, including Mozayyx, Parafi, HiveMind, Primitive, RLH Capital, Delta Blockchain, and CoinFund, among other financial institutions. GSR continues to invest in the broader digital asset ecosystem, offering capital solutions, liquidity, and strategic advisory services to partners at all stages of growth. About GSR GSR is crypto's capital markets partner, delivering market-making, institutional-grade OTC trading, and strategic venture backing to founders and institutions. With more than a decade of experience, we provide strategic guidance, market intelligence, and access to a global network to help teams scale. VP Public Relations GSR
Crypto Insight
04-07-2025
- Business
- Crypto Insight
Tether USDT challenges Circle's lead on BitPay payments in 2025
USDC, the second-largest stablecoin by market capitalization, has been losing market share against its main rival, Tether's USDt, on the major payment platform BitPay in 2025. After dominating stablecoin transactions on BitPay in 2024, Circle's USDC saw its transaction share plummet against Tether's USDt, according to BitPay data shared with Cointelegraph. In January 2024, USDC's transaction share on BitPay accounted for 85%, compared with USDT's 13%. By May 2025, USDC's share had dropped to 56%, while USDT's had increased to 43%. The change in dynamics came despite the optimism around Circle's public launch in early June as well as certain regulatory advantages over Tether's USDT, particularly in the European Union under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA). Tether's USDT top stablecoin by volume on BitPay In addition to narrowing the gap with its main competitor by transaction count, Tether's USDT stablecoin has also led the way in payment volume. 'In 2024, USDC was the token most commonly used. However, starting in March of 2025, USDT gained a sizable share of transaction volume, exceeding 70% of stablecoin volume processed by BitPay,' the crypto payment firm said. According to BitPay, the shift to UDST can be attributed to 'both a growth in overall stablecoin transactions' as well as a 'swing in existing merchants and customers preferring USDT over USDC.' BitPay's chief revenue officer, Bill Zielke, said the platform has a 'sizable base of users and merchants in Europe,' but remains focused on growing in the United States. 'In 2024, USDC transaction count was almost double that of USDT,' Zielke noted, adding that USDC is still the most popular stablecoin on BitPay by transaction count, though it has tumbled in 2025. Tether rejects both MiCA and a public launch Tether's leading position in payment volumes and rising dominance in transaction count on BitPay against USDC offer an interesting insight, given the many differences between Tether and Circle, including their approaches to regulation. While Circle became the first global stablecoin issuer to receive regulatory approval under Europe's MiCA in July 2024, Tether has repeatedly criticized some MiCA regulation aspects, explicitly refusing to comply with the framework in Europe. In June, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino also confirmed that Tether has no intention to run an initial public offering despite Circle debuting public trading on June 5 after raising $1.05 billion in an upsized offering. Despite USDC losing steam against USDT on BitPay in 2025, USDC has continued to see notable growth in market capitalization in the past year. According to data from CoinGecko, USDC saw its market cap surge as much as 88% in the past year from around $33 billion to its current $61.7 billion. In the meantime, USDT increased its market value by 40% over the same period, from $112.5 billion to $158.3 billion. Additionally, USDC market cap has surged 41% year-to-date, while USDT market value has edged up just 15.5%. Source:
Scoop
27-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Can A Meme Coin Become A Real Payment Solution?
Article – Hugh Grant Meme currencies are becoming increasingly popular, but they are still not fully viable ways to pay, and price volatility is the most important thing. Meme coins change value more often than Bitcoin or Ethereum. There have been many trends in the world of cryptocurrencies, but meme coins have had a lasting cultural impact that few others have. These digital assets, led by Dogecoin, were never meant to be taken seriously. They came from internet pranks and online subcultures. They didn't have the official white papers, advanced technologies, and big promises that many of their peers did. Instead, they became popular because they were entertaining, easy to find, and the power of viral networks. But as time went on, some of these so-called joke tokens started to get a lot of attention from corporations, payment networks, and even retail investors. This change was made possible by the rapid growth in the Dogecoin price, which was caused by celebrity endorsements and talk on the internet. Some people thought the price jump was crazy speculation, while others said it was people changing their minds about other digital currencies. People liked using Dogecoin for peer-to-peer payments because it was easy to use, had cheap costs, and processed payments quickly. It wasn't simply a meme anymore; it could actually be used as a way to trade things. As retailers, influencers, and tech supporters started to accept Dogecoin as payment, the question changed from 'Why would anyone use this?' to 'How far can this go?' Merchants and Platforms Taking it Up Businesses, both online and offline, need to accept a cryptocurrency for it to work as a legitimate payment method. In the last few years, more and more stores have started taking Dogecoin and other meme coins as payment. This form of payment encompasses everything from high-end items and electronic gadgets to coffee cafes and streaming services. Even well-known corporations like Tesla briefly accepted Dogecoin for goods, which was a small step toward making it more widely acknowledged. Third-party payment systems have also connected meme currencies to real-world use. Businesses can accept cryptocurrencies, including Dogecoin, and turn them into real money immediately with services like BitPay and Coinbase Commerce. This lowers the danger of price swings that usually keep organizations from dealing directly with digital assets. As more payment processors add meme coins to their systems, it gets easier for users to spend and for retailers to accept them. This makes the case for their usefulness in the real world much stronger. The Problems with Stability and Scalability Meme currencies are becoming increasingly popular, but they are still not fully viable ways to pay, and price volatility is the most important thing. Meme coins change value more often than Bitcoin or Ethereum. Because of this unpredictability, businesses have difficulty setting prices, and customers have difficulty using them without losing value. Another worry is scalability. Dogecoin has shorter block times and lower costs than Bitcoin, but it still has problems with transaction volume and network throughput. Meme currencies need to build scalable infrastructure if they want to be used as payment solutions globally. This includes off-chain options like payment channels or adding Layer-2 technologies to make the system bigger and less crowded during times of heavy demand. What Community and Culture Do Strong communities distinguish meme currencies. These tokens thrive when people get enthused and start grassroots campaigns on Reddit and TikTok. Since they fit in with the culture, they effectively recruit and spread the word. Dogecoin supporters have become activists, tipping creators, raising money for charity, and promoting social causes. As more meme currencies become decentralized, these groups can help with governance and growth. Forums and DAOs let users vote on network settings, financial priorities, and technology updates. Some meme currencies have formal governance structures, allowing them to adapt to user needs and market conditions, ensuring the viability of their long-term payment system. Beyond Dogecoin Dogecoin is the most renowned meme coin, but it has inspired many others to do more than mimic it. To combine meme culture with genuine financial systems, Shiba Inu, Floki, and other currencies have introduced staking, smart contracts, and NFT marketplaces. These efforts are striving to be more than a joke by finding new uses. These initiatives will succeed if they can create and maintain meaningful, engaging, and easy-to-use use cases. Developers are also being more strategic with token placement. They are using decentralized finance (DeFi) networks, mobile payment apps, and fintech partnerships to integrate meme currencies into financial systems. This variety of uses, from tipping and small payments to delivering money and commercial services, could make meme currencies more trustworthy digital payment solutions. The Regulatory Horizon As meme currencies become conventional payment options, regulators will pay greater attention to them. Governments worldwide are trying to classify and control cryptocurrencies, especially volatile and investor-friendly ones. Meme currencies must carefully adhere to these regulations to gain acceptance as real payments. This could mean obeying KYC and AML standards and having clearer tax disclosure. Are They Useful? Meme coins are no longer just hilarious photos shared online. Their low transaction costs, community-driven momentum, and additional payment options are making them more viable currencies. Meme currencies are becoming more effective in online purchasing despite their price volatility, growth potential, and absence of rules.
Scoop
27-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Can A Meme Coin Become A Real Payment Solution?
There have been many trends in the world of cryptocurrencies, but meme coins have had a lasting cultural impact that few others have. These digital assets, led by Dogecoin, were never meant to be taken seriously. They came from internet pranks and online subcultures. They didn't have the official white papers, advanced technologies, and big promises that many of their peers did. Instead, they became popular because they were entertaining, easy to find, and the power of viral networks. But as time went on, some of these so-called joke tokens started to get a lot of attention from corporations, payment networks, and even retail investors. This change was made possible by the rapid growth in the Dogecoin price, which was caused by celebrity endorsements and talk on the internet. Some people thought the price jump was crazy speculation, while others said it was people changing their minds about other digital currencies. People liked using Dogecoin for peer-to-peer payments because it was easy to use, had cheap costs, and processed payments quickly. It wasn't simply a meme anymore; it could actually be used as a way to trade things. As retailers, influencers, and tech supporters started to accept Dogecoin as payment, the question changed from "Why would anyone use this?" to "How far can this go?" Merchants and Platforms Taking it Up Advertisement - scroll to continue reading Businesses, both online and offline, need to accept a cryptocurrency for it to work as a legitimate payment method. In the last few years, more and more stores have started taking Dogecoin and other meme coins as payment. This form of payment encompasses everything from high-end items and electronic gadgets to coffee cafes and streaming services. Even well-known corporations like Tesla briefly accepted Dogecoin for goods, which was a small step toward making it more widely acknowledged. Third-party payment systems have also connected meme currencies to real-world use. Businesses can accept cryptocurrencies, including Dogecoin, and turn them into real money immediately with services like BitPay and Coinbase Commerce. This lowers the danger of price swings that usually keep organizations from dealing directly with digital assets. As more payment processors add meme coins to their systems, it gets easier for users to spend and for retailers to accept them. This makes the case for their usefulness in the real world much stronger. The Problems with Stability and Scalability Meme currencies are becoming increasingly popular, but they are still not fully viable ways to pay, and price volatility is the most important thing. Meme coins change value more often than Bitcoin or Ethereum. Because of this unpredictability, businesses have difficulty setting prices, and customers have difficulty using them without losing value. Another worry is scalability. Dogecoin has shorter block times and lower costs than Bitcoin, but it still has problems with transaction volume and network throughput. Meme currencies need to build scalable infrastructure if they want to be used as payment solutions globally. This includes off-chain options like payment channels or adding Layer-2 technologies to make the system bigger and less crowded during times of heavy demand. What Community and Culture Do Strong communities distinguish meme currencies. These tokens thrive when people get enthused and start grassroots campaigns on Reddit and TikTok. Since they fit in with the culture, they effectively recruit and spread the word. Dogecoin supporters have become activists, tipping creators, raising money for charity, and promoting social causes. As more meme currencies become decentralized, these groups can help with governance and growth. Forums and DAOs let users vote on network settings, financial priorities, and technology updates. Some meme currencies have formal governance structures, allowing them to adapt to user needs and market conditions, ensuring the viability of their long-term payment system. Beyond Dogecoin Dogecoin is the most renowned meme coin, but it has inspired many others to do more than mimic it. To combine meme culture with genuine financial systems, Shiba Inu, Floki, and other currencies have introduced staking, smart contracts, and NFT marketplaces. These efforts are striving to be more than a joke by finding new uses. These initiatives will succeed if they can create and maintain meaningful, engaging, and easy-to-use use cases. Developers are also being more strategic with token placement. They are using decentralized finance (DeFi) networks, mobile payment apps, and fintech partnerships to integrate meme currencies into financial systems. This variety of uses, from tipping and small payments to delivering money and commercial services, could make meme currencies more trustworthy digital payment solutions. The Regulatory Horizon As meme currencies become conventional payment options, regulators will pay greater attention to them. Governments worldwide are trying to classify and control cryptocurrencies, especially volatile and investor-friendly ones. Meme currencies must carefully adhere to these regulations to gain acceptance as real payments. This could mean obeying KYC and AML standards and having clearer tax disclosure. Are They Useful? Meme coins are no longer just hilarious photos shared online. Their low transaction costs, community-driven momentum, and additional payment options are making them more viable currencies. Meme currencies are becoming more effective in online purchasing despite their price volatility, growth potential, and absence of rules.
Finextra
14-05-2025
- Business
- Finextra
BitPay launches HODL Pay, bridging FeFi and everyday crypto spending
BitPay, the world's leading cryptocurrency payment processor, today announced the launch of HODL Pay, a groundbreaking new payment option that empowers consumers and merchants. 0 HODL Pay connects the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem with everyday commerce, enabling users to borrow stablecoins from DeFi against their crypto holdings and seamlessly pay any BitPay invoice at checkout. BitPay continues to focus on expanding Layer 2 network enhancements to enable faster, cheaper, and more expansive payment options for the Web3 community. HODL Pay is the latest in the company's push to offer more Web3 payment accessibility as digital currency adoption grows. Consumers can stay invested while instantly accessing liquidity in stablecoins to meet immediate spending needs. Borrowed funds can be used for purchases like travel, retail shopping, luxury goods, vehicles, and even credit card bill payments without selling their crypto holdings. The seamless integration into BitPay's checkout experience allows users to spend confidently. 'Crypto isn't just about speculative investing. It's about financial ownership, freedom, and choice,' said Bill Zielke, Chief Marketing Officer at BitPay. 'With HODL Pay, BitPay gives users an innovative way to spend confidently today without giving up their future growth. We are proud to bring the benefits of DeFi into everyday payments.' Getting started with HODL Pay is simple. Users must have a supply position on Aave, collateral for borrowing. Those with an existing supply position can begin spending immediately, while new users can easily create a supply position by supplying eligible crypto assets through the Aave platform. Once the supply position is ready: Users can generate a BitPay invoice by shopping with a BitPay merchant, signing up for Bill Pay, or purchasing a crypto-powered gift card. Connect a crypto wallet using WalletConnect. Borrow stablecoins against the supplied collateral and complete payment through the BitPay checkout flow. Loan management and repayment are handled through the Aave dashboard, giving users full control over their borrow positions and repayment schedules. Customers can visit BitPay's Merchant Directory for a list of top merchants accepting crypto payments. For merchants, HODL Pay unlocks new opportunities to reach long-term crypto holders who typically prefer holding over spending. By allowing these customers to borrow and pay without selling their assets, merchants can drive higher-value transactions that might not otherwise occur. HODL Pay requires no additional setup or integration for merchants and maintains the same next-day settlement that merchants expect from BitPay, in either fiat currency, cryptocurrency, or a mix of both. 'Crypto customers have always been an important part of our growth story with BitPay,' said Nick Dossa, Dealer Principal of Vegas Auto Gallery. 'We are excited to see new options like HODL Pay that give crypto holders more flexibility in paying for luxury vehicles. It is a forward-looking solution that will help deepen our connection to the crypto community.' HODL Pay is available today for all BitPay merchants and is supported across Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base, Polygon, and Optimism networks.
