Autor Cointelegraph By Jesse Coghlan

Stablecoins are more likely to go mainstream if adopted by major technology companies, a shift Bitwise says could help push the market closer to a projected $4 trillion by the end of the decade.Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan said on Tuesday that DoorDash and Meta’s recent use of stablecoins for payments in limited projects is likely “the real killer app of stablecoins.” “On a relative basis, these are not a big deal. Both are pilot projects and the dollar amounts are small,” Hougan wrote. “But they’ve answered a question I’ve had about stablecoins for a long time. They’ve also increased my confidence that stablecoins will scale to trillions in assets and hundreds of millions of users.”Multiple large non-crypto institutions have been testing stablecoin technology. Meta on Thursday launched stablecoin payouts for creators in the Philippines and Colombia, while the food delivery app DoorDash said on April 21 it would offer stablecoin payments to its users, workers and merchants.The market value of all stablecoins is currently just under $318 billion, but Hougan said projections, such as one from Citigroup in September, say the market could grow to $4 trillion by 2030 in a best-case scenario.Matt Hougan, pictured at Bitcoin 2026. Source: YouTube“To get there, stablecoins will have to expand beyond their current primary use case of crypto trading and be embraced for everyday activity, like payments,” Hougan said. “To really scale to hundreds of millions of users, stablecoins are going to need the support of very large players.”He said that the current pitch to businesses about stablecoins is that they are cheaper and faster, but another main reason multinational companies would adopt the technology is to simplify their global payments infrastructure.Related: Stablecoin firms have a $112B additional opportunity in LATAM remittance“Stablecoins make global payments simple,” he argued. “One wallet address, no banking infrastructure, no currency conversions. For a global business managing millions of micropayments, that type of simplicity is worth a lot.”Companies in the US have been more confident in testing stablecoins after Congress passed the GENIUS Act last year, a bill regulating stablecoin issuers and forming a framework for how the tokens should be backed.Visa is among the companies that have adopted stablecoins, and the payments giant expanded its pilot of the tokens on Thursday to include five more blockchains as the volume of settlements on its stablecoin settlement network has grown.US banks have meanwhile grown wary of stablecoins and have lobbied to restrict them, arguing they compete with and threaten bank deposits, which could harm the banking system.The Senate is shaping legislation outlining how crypto will be regulated, which currently includes a clause banning platforms such as crypto exchanges from paying rewards on idle stablecoin holdings, but allowing other forms of rewards.However, banking groups on Tuesday argued the clause that lawmakers pitched as a compromise between crypto and banking lobbyists’ interests, did not go far enough.Magazine: GENIUS Act reopens the door for a Meta stablecoin, but will it work?Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.

The crypto-focused arm of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz has raised $2.2 billion for its fifth fund dedicated to backing crypto projects.In a blog post on Tuesday, a16z Crypto said its latest fund, Crypto Fund 5, would back founders “turning new infrastructure into products people use every day,” including stablecoins, perpetual futures, prediction markets and tokenized assets.“Software is getting more complex and harder to trust,” a16z Crypto general partners Eddy Lazzarin, Guy Wuollet, Ali Yahya and founder and managing partner Chris Dixon wrote in the blog post.“The infrastructure the internet runs on is more consolidated than ever. In that environment, the properties that crypto networks were designed to provide become more valuable, not less,” they added.A16z’s latest fund comes a day after rival venture firm Haun Ventures said it raised a $1 billion fund for crypto and artificial intelligence, suggesting venture capital appetite for crypto remains strong even as the bulk of funding has focused on AI.Source: a16z CryptoAI firms received a record $242 billion in venture funding in the first quarter of 2026, according to a Crunchbase report released in April, with the technology capturing 80% of the record $300 billion in global venture funding during the quarter.Crypto Fund 5 is smaller than its predecessor, a record $4.5 billion crypto-focused fund that a16z Crypto launched four years ago in May 2022, just as the Terra blockchain imploded, causing a chain reaction of crypto company collapses and a regulatory crackdown.A16z said that crypto is in “one of those quieter moments” of the cycle, and it is seeking out “what people keep using when the hype fades.”It added that stablecoin use “has kept climbing even through downturns,” and it has also seen “meaningful growth” in crypto perpetual futures and prediction markets.Related: Crypto VC funding plunges to $659M in April, hits near two-year low“Traditional assets are starting to move onchain, and onchain finance is being used for assets beyond network tokens,” a16z added. “A new financial system is taking shape that runs continuously, settles nearly instantly, costs almost nothing, and is open to anyone with internet access.”It added that crypto has been buoyed by a US regulatory landscape that is “moving in the right direction,” with an array of supportive lawmakers and White House officials helping advance the stablecoin-regulating GENIUS Act, which a16z said was “a good example of what thoughtful policy can look like.” “We expect more regulatory progress for the rest of the crypto market through legislation and rulemaking,” it added.Magazine: Adam Back says current demand is ‘almost’ enough to send Bitcoin to $1MCointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.

Rapper Iggy Azalea is facing a class-action lawsuit in the US, accusing her of misleading investors about the real-world utility and future development of her Solana-based memecoin Mother Iggy (MOTHER).The complaint filed by plaintiff Kenneth Kolbrak in a Manhattan federal court on Monday claimed Azalea, whose real name is Amethyst Amelia Kelly, made representations about the token having real-world utility, commercial integrations and continuing development that never materialized.“Those representations were limited, incomplete, contradicted, temporary, or not delivered in a durable way,” the complaint said. “The terms and effects of the market support arrangements were never disclosed to consumers.”Azalea’s MOTHER was one of the buzzier tokens launched amid a frenzy of celebrity-tied memecoins in 2024. The token was launched in May 2024 and reached a peak market value of over $136 million by mid-June. Its market capitalization is now sitting at $1.3 million, according to CoinGecko.Unlike other celebrities who launched memecoins, Azalea has remained involved with the token, interacting with supporters on social media and promoting it on X.Kolbrak, the lead plaintiff, claimed he lost “several hundred dollars” investing in MOTHER, which the lawsuit said he would not have done, or would have paid less for, if not for Azalea’s promotions.According to the complaint, Azalea promoted the token as “the native currency of an expanding ecosystem of real businesses controlled or co-founded by Azalea, including a telecommunications company, an online casino, a luxury gifting marketplace, a merchandise store, and entertainment integrations.”Source: Burwick LawThe lawsuit claimed that Azalea promoted the online casino MOTHERLAND, which was marketed as being “powered by $MOTHER,” but when it launched in January 2025, the platform used Tether (USDt) for its “wagering, bonus accounting, and settlement.” The complaint also claimed that Azalea said MOTHER could be used to buy phones and mobile plans through the provider Unreal Mobile, however, “no durable, publicly observable MOTHER payment integration exists on the Unreal Mobile platform” as of the filing of the lawsuit.It further accuses Azalea of not telling tokenholders about the terms or risks involved when crypto market makers Wintermute and DWF Labs were brought on to manage MOTHER’s trading. Related: World Liberty sues Justin Sun for defamation in WLFI disputeThe lawsuit seeks damages for MOTHER buyers who lost money, along with attorney fees and costs.The class is represented by Max Burwick of Burwick Law, who has helped launch multiple class-action lawsuits against crypto projects.Information on Azalea’s lawyers was not available at the time of writing. Azalea and her management could not be reached for comment.Magazine: Meet lawyer Max Burwick — ‘The ambulance chaser of crypto’Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.

Haun Ventures has raised $1 billion to back early- and late-stage crypto startups, while expanding into artificial intelligence for the first time.The funds will focus on three areas: crypto financial infrastructure, tokenization and AI agents. The firm’s founder, Katie Haun, called these areas the “new economy.” “I’ve been following the flow of assets my entire career, and this is the most dynamic period in technology and finance I’ve ever witnessed,” said Haun, a former US government prosecutor turned crypto executive, in a blog post on Monday.“The foundations of capital, commerce and trust are undergoing meaningful structural changes,” she added. “The founders who can see across all of it, and build accordingly, will be defining entrepreneurs of this era.”It’s a significant shift for Haun Ventures, as it is the first time the crypto-focused firm has looked to invest in AI startups, joining a rush of venture firms that are moving into the growing industry.Crunchbase reported in April that AI firms received a record $242 billion in venture funding in the first quarter of 2026, capturing 80% of the total global venture funding over the quarter, which hit an all-time record of $300 billion.Haun’s vision for AI agents Haun said that AI agents, software that autonomously performs tasks, will “increasingly begin to conduct economic activity on our behalf,” and new products and services would need to be “developed for a world in which computers are the customers.”AI agents currently make a small number of payments, around $1.6 million worth over a 30-day period as of early March, according to Andreessen Horowitz partner Noah Levine, a number that the Boston Consulting Group expects to rise to $2.4 trillion a year by 2029.Source: Katie Haun“Every supporting layer will need to be rearchitected for this world: fraud prevention, credit, insurance, identity, privacy, provenance, reputation, and verification all require native versions designed for how agents transact, and cryptographic tools will be important here,” she added.Related: DTCC eyes October tokenized securities launch with 50 DeFi and TradFi giantsMeanwhile, Haun said that “the core plumbing of global finance” was being shifted to accommodate an always-on digital world, and noted tokenization as a technology that allowed traditional assets such as gold and oil to be “borderless, always on, and programmable.”She told Bloomberg on Monday that her company wants to focus on the cross-section of AI agents and crypto infrastructure, wanting to invest in “AI that is in our lane.”Magazine: AI-driven hacks could kill DeFi — unless projects act nowCointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.

The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission received more than 1,500 responses to a proposed rule tied to prediction markets, with some backing the regulator while others called for a tougher crackdown on the platforms.The CFTC’s request for public comments on a rule it proposed in March that would allow it to amend or issue new regulations for event contracts on prediction markets ended on Thursday, drawing responses from prediction markets, crypto firms and consumer advocacy groups.Kalshi co-founder and chief operating officer Luana Lopes Lara backed the CFTC in a letter on Thursday, saying its existing regulations were “well-designed and effective,” urging it to give guidance to ensure “that the universe of event contracts can continue to be listed, traded, and overseen by the Commission.”The CFTC’s proposed rule comes as it looks to cement its authority over prediction markets, which have faced legal challenges from multiple US states that accuse the platforms of offering unlicensed sports gambling.Kalshi, Polymarket and Coinbase are among the companies that have been sued over their sports prediction market offerings and have argued they are under the CFTC’s sole authority, a position the regulator has backed by suing at least five state governments that took legal action against prediction markets.Polymarket US CEO Justin Hertzberg applauded CFTC Chair Mike Selig in his letter for “asserting the CFTC’s longstanding exclusive jurisdiction over prediction markets,” adding the company believes the regulator “should continue to exercise its exclusive jurisdiction over prediction markets.”Mike Selig, pictured on a podcast in March, has threatened to sue any state that takes action against prediction markets. Source: YouTubeVenture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz also supported the CFTC, arguing in its letter that “state actions to regulate or ban prediction markets impose a serious barrier to impartial access,” a key rule for CFTC-regulated firms.Meanwhile, gambling regulators in Tennessee, Missouri and Pennsylvania, among others, blasted the CFTC over its defense of sports event contracts, urging the regulator to drop its support.Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Executive Director Kevin O’Toole said the CFTC was allowing prediction markets “to masquerade as unregulated sportsbooks,” while Tennessee Sports Wagering Council Executive Director Mary Beth Thomas said the council disputes “that sports event contracts offered on prediction markets fall within the jurisdiction of the CFTC at all.”Related: Polymarket pushes for broader US relaunch with CFTC talks: ReportMissouri Gaming Commission executive director Michael Leara said that Congress “did not intend futures markets to encompass gambling activities,” and urged the CFTC to “properly reserve jurisdiction over sports event contracts for the states.” Prediction markets have also come under scrutiny from some federal lawmakers, who are concerned about the platforms’ offering markets tied to geopolitical events and their possible use by those with insider knowledge after well-timed bets on the Iran war.Dennis Kelleher, the CEO and co-founder of the consumer advocacy group Better Markets, and 12 other consumer groups, told the CFTC in a joint letter that it should “prohibit event contracts that involve elections or geopolitical events,” arguing such contracts could influence government actions.Kalshi and Polymarket said last week, after the US Senate passed a ban on its members and staff using prediction markets, that they have cracked down on insider trading and ban or prohibit some users, such as politicians, from using their platforms.Magazine: Should users be allowed to bet on war and death in prediction markets?Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.