Category: Blockchain

a16z Outlines 5 Blockchain Solutions for AI Agent Infrastructure Gap

Timothy Morano Apr 16, 2026 17:48 Andreessen Horowitz researchers identify identity, payments, and governance as critical gaps where crypto rails can enable AI agents as economic actors. AI agents have outpaced the infrastructure meant to support them. A new research piece from Andreessen Horowitz argues that blockchains offer the missing coordination layer these autonomous systems need to function as legitimate economic actors. The six-author team from a16z crypto—including Christian Catalini and Andrew Hall—identifies five specific areas where traditional systems fall short and…

Legal & General Puts £50B in Liquidity Funds on Blockchain via Calastone

Ted Hisokawa Apr 15, 2026 19:23 UK asset manager L&G tokenizes £50 billion in money market funds through Calastone’s network, joining BlackRock and Franklin Templeton in the expanding tokenized treasury market. Legal & General Asset Management has tokenized £50 billion worth of liquidity funds through Calastone’s blockchain distribution network, marking one of the largest traditional asset manager moves into tokenized money markets. The funds went live on April 15, 2026, with initial deployment on Ethereum and EVM-compatible chains. The tokenized share classes…

Switzerland’s Crypto Valley Grabs 47% of Europe’s Blockchain VC in 2025

Darius Baruo Apr 15, 2026 07:26 Crypto Valley raised $728M across 31 deals in 2025, up 37% YoY. TON’s $400M round drove half the total as capital concentrates in fewer, larger bets. Switzerland’s Crypto Valley pulled in $728 million in blockchain venture funding last year, capturing nearly half of all European crypto investment while outpacing global growth rates. The 37% year-over-year jump came despite a sharp drop in deal count—a signal that institutional money is consolidating around bigger bets. The numbers, released…

Crypto Valley Captured 47% of Europe’s Blockchain Funding in 2025

Switzerland’s Crypto Valley captured 47% of European blockchain venture funding in 2025, raising $728 million across 31 deals, according to an annual report released Wednesday by venture firm CV VC. Globally, blockchain venture funding rose 30% to $15.5 billion across 986 deals last year, while Crypto Valley’s total climbed 37% from $531 million in 2024, the report said. One deal did much of the heavy lifting. The Open Network (TON) accounted for $400 million of Crypto Valley’s 2025 funding haul, followed by Sygnum Bank at $58 million, stablecoin platform M0…

Visa Becomes Anchor Validator on Tempo Blockchain for Stablecoin Payments

Peter Zhang Apr 14, 2026 18:50 Visa launches in-house validator node on Stripe’s Tempo blockchain, joining anchor validators for stablecoin settlement as payment giants race to build crypto infrastructure. Visa has officially entered the transaction validation business. The payments giant launched an in-house validator node on Tempo, the Layer 1 blockchain co-developed by Stripe and Paradigm, marking its deepest operational commitment to blockchain infrastructure yet. The node, developed over six months with Tempo’s engineering team, positions Visa as an “anchor validator” alongside…

Visa Launches Validator Node on Tempo Blockchain for Stablecoin Payments

Visa has launched a validator node on the Tempo blockchain, taking a direct role in verifying and processing transactions on a network designed for real-time stablecoin payments. Visa said the node is operated in-house using its own infrastructure and was developed over six months working with Tempo’s engineering team, positioning the company as an “anchor validator” alongside early participants including Stripe and Zodia Custody. The role places Visa in the transaction validation layer, where it helps order and confirm payments while supporting network security and performance during the network’s early…

AVAX Powers Global Telescope Network With Blockchain-Verified Sky Data

Felix Pinkston Apr 14, 2026 13:39 SkyMapper launches dedicated Avalanche L1 with 52 telescopes across six continents, introducing Proof of Space Observation for verifiable astronomical records. A network of 52 telescopes spanning six continents now records astronomical observations directly to an Avalanche Layer 1 blockchain, marking what developers claim is the first production-scale integration of scientific research infrastructure with decentralized verification. SkyMapper, the project behind the deployment, introduced a mechanism called Proof of Space Observation (POSO) that timestamps and cryptographically signs telescope…

Circle Builds Quantum Defense Into Its New Blockchain Before Hackers Get The Chance

Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure Bitcoin could be cracked in nine minutes. That’s the warning Google put out recently, and it’s part of what’s pushing companies like Circle to act now rather than wait. Arc Becomes A Testing Ground For Quantum Security Circle, the company behind the USDC stablecoin, has unveiled a quantum-resistant security roadmap for Arc, its layer-1 blockchain currently running on public testnet. The plan is phased. When Arc goes live on mainnet — expected sometime in 2026 — users…

JPMorgan CEO Flags Blockchain Rivals as Kinexys Scales

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said “new technologies” are intensifying competition across the financial sector, with blockchain-based players emerging alongside traditional rivals. In his annual shareholder letter on Monday, Dimon identified artificial intelligence, data and advanced technology as “key to the future,” signaling a shift toward more automated, data-driven financial services. While blockchain and digital assets were not a central focus, Dimon acknowledged that “a whole new set of competitors is emerging based on blockchain, which includes stablecoins, smart contracts and other forms of tokenization.” The comments come as JPMorgan continues…

China’s Tax Authority Urges Bank Blockchain Implementations for Lending

China’s tax and financial regulators on Monday urged banks and local authorities to use blockchain and privacy computing to upgrade the “bank-tax interaction” model and expand financing for small businesses. The State Administration of Taxation and National Financial Regulatory Administration said in a joint policy notice that banks and taxpayers should standardize data sharing and reduce information asymmetry between tax authorities, banks and enterprises. The report also urged banks to improve credit models, enhance credit approval efficiency and increase the supply of financing services to “honest, tax-paying enterprises.” The directive…