AI agents can now access 0x Protocol's Swap API by paying $0.01 per request in USDC directly from their own wallets, with no API key required, via the HTTP 402 and x402 standard built with Alchemy AgentPay.

Circle published a formal USDC method specification for the Machine Payments Protocol on Monday, standardizing how AI agents and automated services settle payments in USDC across EVM-compatible blockchains and Solana. The spec introduces the first crosschain MPP payment profile via Circle Gateway and adds USDCx on Stacks.

Mark Zuckerberg has directed a small Meta team to build a standalone prediction-market app called Arena, according to the New York Times. The move puts the world's largest social network on a direct collision course with crypto-native platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi.

Securitize has been selected to tokenize economist Nouriel Roubini's Atlas America Fund into USAFi, a digital security issued under Dubai's VARA regulatory framework with BNY custody, designed for 24/7 institutional-grade collateral portability.

The Ethereum Foundation has eliminated 54 positions, about 20% of its workforce, as part of a restructuring tied to its updated spending mandate. Vitalik Buterin announced a 40% annual budget cut targeting a reduction in treasury spend from 15% to 5% by 2030. Arkham Intelligence places EF's ETH holdings at approximately $209 million, a nearly six-year low.

The US Senate voted 85-5 Monday to pass the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which includes a provision barring the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency until December 31, 2030. The sweeping bipartisan bill heads to the House for a final vote before going to President Trump's desk.

SBI Group, Japan's $252 billion financial conglomerate, plans to issue JPYSC this week per Nikkei reporting, becoming the first Japanese institution to launch a trust-bank-structured yen stablecoin under the amended Payment Services Act.

The House Financial Services Committee scheduled a July 17 field hearing on the digital-asset market-structure bill, part of a July calendar that puts the CLARITY Act on a tight clock before the August recess.

Ripple has received a preliminary Crypto Asset Service Provider license from Luxembourg's CSSF under MiCA, a regulatory step that positions Ripple Payments for a full rollout across all 30 European Economic Area countries once final conditions are satisfied.

MoneyGram has launched an active validator node on Solana and joined its institutional developer platform, making Solana the payments giant’s third blockchain validator commitment alongside Tempo and Midnight. The move deepens a blockchain infrastructure push that began with Stellar remittances in 2021.