🫨 Ripple Shakes Up $40B UAE Market and Russia Trades Oil for Crypto – This Week in Web3 Payments (Mar, 17th 2025)

Welcome to PayFi Weekly by Transak – your essential roundup of the biggest happenings in web3 payments and crypto finance.

From groundbreaking partnerships and regulatory breakthroughs to innovative market moves, we’ve curated the week's highlights to keep you informed at a glance.

Dive in! 👇✨

🔥 Top Stories of the Week

🌊 Ripple rides the UAE wave! Ripple gets the green light in the UAE, tapping into a $40 billion cross-border payments market. Read more

🚀 RedotPay bags $40M for crypto payments! Crypto payments startup RedotPay raises $40 million to streamline blockchain-based payments in Asia. Learn more

🛢️ Russia turns to crypto for oil trade. Russia leverages cryptocurrencies to bypass Western sanctions, reshaping global payment flows in energy markets. Read more

📣 Paxos CEO demands stablecoin clarity. Paxos pushes for clear U.S. stablecoin regulation to boost international payments and limit regulatory confusion. Get Details

🎬 Hollywood turns to Web3 for film finance! Filmmakers leverage Web3 tech to democratize and disrupt traditional movie financing. Get the scoop

🇺🇸 Crypto-fying the US Economy

📈 Kevin O'Leary predicts crypto's rise! Investor Kevin O'Leary forecasts that cryptocurrency will become the 12th sector of the U.S. economy, highlighting its growing importance. Read here

🏛️ Senate advances stablecoin bill. The U.S. Senate Banking Committee moves forward with the GENIUS Act, aiming to establish clear regulations for stablecoin issuers and protect consumers. Details

⚖️ U.S. Treasury Secretary calm amidst corrections. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reassures markets that recent crypto corrections are part of normal market cycles. Read now

💡 Blockchain Adoption Highlights

🇧🇷 Brazil says "Sim!" to Bitcoin salaries! Brazil introduces a landmark bill allowing salaries to be paid directly in Bitcoin, revolutionizing payroll payments. More here

🇸🇻 El Salvador stacks BTC despite price dips. El Salvador doubles down, buying more Bitcoin as prices stay below $85,000. Read more

🇨🇦 Canada's PM race: Bitcoin vs. CBDC! Canada's prime ministerial race heats up between a Bitcoin advocate and a CBDC supporter, reflecting the nation's divided stance on digital currencies. Full story

💸 Pakistan eyes blockchain for remittances. Pakistan considers blockchain tech to improve the efficiency of billions in remittance transactions. Read more

🇷🇺 Bank of Russia opens crypto door slightly. The Bank of Russia proposes allowing citizens limited access to crypto investments, marking a shift towards acceptance. Read

📈 Crypto in TradFi

🗻 VanEck files Avalanche ETF! VanEck bets on Avalanche, filing an ETF to offer investors direct access to AVAX tokens. Read about it

📊 Bitcoin convertible bond ETF launches. REX Shares debuts a unique ETF offering exposure to Bitcoin-linked convertible bonds. Read more

A beginner’s intro to Bitcoin ETFs

💰 RedotPay secures major funding. RedotPay's $40M funding round underscores investor confidence in crypto payment infrastructure. Read more

🚀 Stay ahead with PayFi Weekly – your guide to the future of Web3 payments & stablecoins.

📩 See you next week!

PayFi Weekly

Your bite-sized roundup of weekly news on everything happening in Web3 payments.