I believe we are entering a pivotal era of convergence in global financial infrastructure. For decades, the correspondent banking system has served as the bedrock of international commerce, providing the necessary trust and regulatory oversight to move trillions of dollars across borders. However, even the most robust systems require modernization to meet the 24/7 demands of today’s digital economy. As I evaluate the landscape in 2026, it is clear that the industry is not moving toward the replacement of traditional banks, but rather a systems phase where legacy strengths are being rewired with digital native speed.

The traditional model of correspondent banking relies on a series of bilateral relationships. A single international wire transfer often passes through multiple intermediary banks. While this structure ensures rigorous compliance and risk management, it inevitably introduces layers of manual reconciliation and settlement windows that are limited by banking hours. This T+3 or T+5 cycle is increasingly being viewed by treasurers as an area where traditional finance and blockchain technology can form a powerful synergy to eliminate capital in transit.

The Efficiency Gap: Solving for Dead Liquidity

The gap between legacy settlement times and modern expectations is no longer just a technical hurdle: it is a measurable economic opportunity. According to the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), a next generation financial system based on tokenized ledgers can dramatically improve the integrity and accessibility of money. To understand the scale of this opportunity, one must look at the B2B cross border market, which is projected to grow significantly as digital trade accelerates.

I use the term dead liquidity to describe the capital currently held in the suspense accounts of correspondent networks. According to the Financial Stability Board (FSB), progress on global payment speeds remains a priority for the G20. While the target is to have 75% of cross border payments credited within one hour by 2027, the J.P. Morgan 2025 progress review shows that only 33.5% of payments currently reach that target.

In my view, the rise of stablecoins is the market’s response to this need for liquidity mobility. Recent industry reports indicate that B2B stablecoin payment volumes have reached an annualized run rate exceeding 120 billion dollars. This is not a flight away from banking, but a shift toward more efficient rails that banks themselves are beginning to adopt to meet G20 objectives.

The Strategic Importance of Finality Certainty

One of the most significant advantages of this convergence is what I call Finality Certainty. In traditional correspondent banking, the lack of a unified ledger can sometimes lead to opacity during the settlement process. Stablecoins, particularly those governed by the US GENIUS Act framework, provide on chain visibility and near instant settlement finality.

Because these assets are now recognized by federal legislation as regulated payment instruments, they are increasingly being treated as a true cash equivalent. This allows banks to provide their clients with the best of both worlds: the safety and regulatory protection of a traditional financial institution, combined with the atomic settlement speed of a digital rail. For a corporate treasurer, the ability to see a transaction settle in real time on a public or private ledger is a significant upgrade in risk management and treasury forecasting.

The Evolution of the Middleman Economy

The financial burden of legacy infrastructure has historically been a challenge for mid market companies. A typical international transfer can incur various intermediary fees and currency bid ask spreads. For a business moving 10 million dollars monthly across borders, these overheads can be substantial when calculated across an entire fiscal year.

In 2026, I believe we are seeing an evolution of the middleman. Rather than multiple banks passing the baton as in a relay race, we are moving toward a model where banks act as the regulated gateways to a shared digital ledger. Initiatives like Project Agorá, led by the BIS and seven central banks, are exploring how to integrate tokenized commercial bank deposits with wholesale central bank money. This allows the bank to maintain the customer relationship and compliance oversight while using a more efficient settlement layer to move value instantly.

The Strategic Benefits of the Hybrid Model

As I evaluate the competitive landscape for 2026, the benefits of this hybrid approach become undeniable:

• Optimized Working Capital: Instant settlement allows companies to maintain lower cash buffers. I have observed firms reduce their idle cash reserves significantly by switching to real time digital rails that operate 24/7.
• Predictable Transaction Costs: By using a unified ledger, businesses can avoid the deductions often taken by various intermediary banks in a correspondent chain. This transparency is a key pillar of the G20 Roadmap for Enhancing Cross border Payments.
• Continuous Operations: Digital rails do not close for weekends or public holidays. This ensures that global supply chains, which operate around the clock, have a financial system that can keep pace.

Conclusion: Interoperability as the New Standard

I do not believe we will see the total replacement of traditional banks by 2030. Instead, I expect the standard to be programmable treasury, where businesses use traditional rails for local domestic needs but switch to regulated stablecoin rails for international settlement.

This requires a sophisticated bridge: licensed onramp and offramp infrastructure that can handle high volume conversions without compromising compliance. The settlement showdown is not a battle between old and new. It is a collaborative effort to build a more inclusive and efficient global economy. By combining the trust of traditional finance with the efficiency of modern rails, we are finally solving the oldest friction in international trade.

The Settlement Showdown: Why Correspondent Banking and Stablecoins are Converging for Modern Trade was originally published in Coinmonks on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

AI assistants move from hype to habit as Google, Anthropic, Salesforce, and LG roll out tools that automate work, healthcare, and home chores.

The post Daily Tech Insider Unpacks AI Assistants’ Leap From Code to Chores appeared first on TechRepublic.

AI assistants move from hype to habit as Google, Anthropic, Salesforce, and LG roll out tools that automate work, healthcare, and home chores.

The post Daily Tech Insider Unpacks AI Assistants’ Leap From Code to Chores appeared first on TechRepublic.

Trump Mobile has delayed the launch of its gold T1 smartphone again, raising new questions about production timelines, pricing, and availability.

The post Trump Organization Delays Launch of $499 Gold Smartphone appeared first on TechRepublic.

Trump Mobile has delayed the launch of its gold T1 smartphone again, raising new questions about production timelines, pricing, and availability.

The post Trump Organization Delays Launch of $499 Gold Smartphone appeared first on TechRepublic.

Today is the end of an era for Warcraft fans in China. After a 14-year partnership between developer Blizzard and publisher NetEase, a record-breaking $69 billion takeover deal by Microsoft will bring the two to an inevitable parting of ways.

The game, first released in North America in 2004, was given permission to launch in the Chinese gaming market in 2005, with servers managed by NetEase since 2008. 

This means an emotional goodbye to Warcraft, which has an estimated three million players in China, and popular titles like Overwatch, Hearthstone, and Starcraft. It's a significant loss for gamers in the region and a testament to the strength of Blizzard's titles.

Simon Zhu, President of Global Investment at NetEase, recently made a damning statement about the companies' break-up, claiming he had devoted "10,000 hours" playing Blizzard's games.

In a post on LinkedIn, he wrote, "One day, when what has happened behind the scene could be told, developers and gamers will have a whole new level of understanding of how much damage a jerk can make."

After rejecting Blizzard's proposal to extend their agreement by six months, NetEase accused the company of wanting a divorce but still wanting to remain attached. A source close to Blizzard told Reuters news agency that the dispute was about NetEase wanting structural changes that would affect their control over their intellectual property. 

NetEase insists that "any usage and licensing of Blizzard's IP were done in accordance with contract terms and with Blizzard's consent and approval" throughout the 14-year agreement.

The former CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried, said in an interview with Andrew Ross Sorkin that he did not intend to do anything wrong and wants to ensure customers receive their money back.

"I didn't ever try to commit fraud on anyone. I was shocked at what happened this month," Bankman Fried said.

"Whatever happened, why it happened, I had a duty to our stakeholders, our customers, our investors, the regulators of the world, to do right by them," he added.

Even if you believe your exchange is trustworthy, storing your cryptocurrency in a cryptocurrency exchange is never a good idea. So, if you have crypto and you don't want to lose them, take them out of your online wallet and store them somewhere that is not connected to the network or internet.

Why You Should Always Store Your Crypto Offline

It is more secure from hackers, and even if all the crypto exchanges in the world fail, you will still have your crypto.

If you want to know how to store your cryptos offline, Google it, man. I'm just kidding, here are some  amazing articles that explain how you can securely store your crypto:

• https://www.investopedia.com/news/bitcoin-safe-storage-cold-wallet
• https://coinledger.io/blog/best-places-to-store-your-cryptocurrency
• https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/what-are-safest-ways-to-store-cryptocurrency

A challenge called "Invisible Challenge" is trending on TikTok, where people film themselves naked while using a special effect filter that basically removes the character's body from the video, leaving only a blurred outline image of it.

Here is an example of the Invisible Challenge:

If you follow all the instructions to get the "unfilter" software, you will end up installing a WASP stealer malware on your machine. All your Discord accounts, crypto wallets, credit cards, and whatever else you think is valuable will be stolen before you know it.

"Over 30,000 members have joined the Discord server created by the attackers so far and this number continues to increase as this attack is ongoing," Guy Nachson, a supply chain security researcher at Checkmarx said in a blog post.

What the Hell is Friendster.click?

The so-called Friendster website uses a .click top-level domain name instead of .com. Probably because a .click top-level domain is cheaper.

If you enter the site address into the WordPress theme detector website (www.isitwp.com), you can find out that the "new Friendster" website uses the SocialMag theme to make it look like a social networking platform.

So, I suggest you not visit the site, because it may be loaded with malware or phishing scams, and trust me you don't want that. Then, you might ask Why did I do it? Because I'm a stupid idiot.😊

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced in a press release on November 26 that it successfully used a water propellent system to drive its "EQUULEUS" CubeSat. The craft was launched by NASA's Artemis I on November 16.

EQUULEUS has a water propellant engine named AQUARIUS (AQUA ResIstojet propUlsion System) that uses heat from communications equipment to turn water into steam, which can be jetted out to generate thrust.

Why Use Water as Fuel?

Water is a better choice than other fuels for use in small, cheap satellites because it is easier to store and handle.

EQUULEUS Flight Path

Artemis I injected the spacecraft into a lunar flyby trajectory. Then EQUULEUS fired its steam engines and started its journey to the second Moon Lagrange point (EML2), and it should take a year and a half to reach EML2.

"I am proud of the EQUULEUS operation team, who were able to immediately complete the orbital control necessary for the lunar fly-by, just one day after the checkout operation shortly after launch. This was a difficult operation that had to be successful. I feel we were able to succeed in this critical operation due to their careful preparation, including numerous back-up plans, and the ability to respond flexibly through training. We are now at the start line of the long voyage to the Lagrange point," said FUNASE Ryu, an associate professor at the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the University of Tokyo, Japan.

If you want to know more about EQUULEUS and how it works, read Development of the Water Resistojet Propulsion System for Deep Space Exploration by the CubeSat: EQUULEUS.

In order to review how the internship programme fits with the firm's "strategic priorities" and "long-term focus,"  Alphabet's DeepMind has paused hiring new interns.

"Disappointed & shocked to hear that DeepMind 'paused' intern hiring and canceled all scheduled interviews, just one hour before my interview... Anyone knows more details?" Linfeng Zhao, an applicant wrote on Twitter Wednesday.

A representative for DeepMind told Business Insider: "We've paused hiring for new interns at this time as we review how our Intern Program aligns with our long-term focus and strategic priorities as an organization. We are in communication with all applicants, and are grateful for the time they've invested in the process so far."

Here are some more tweets from aspiring interns: