The US banking giant seeks trademark protection for “WFUSD,” covering crypto trading, payments, staking software and blockchain-based financial services. US banking giant Wells Fargo has filed a trademark application covering a wide range of cryptocurrency trading, payments and blockchain software services. A filing submitted to the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on Tuesday seeks protection for the name “WFUSD.” The application is currently awaiting assignment to an examining attorney, according to official trademark records. The filing outlines a broad list of potential products and services linked to digital assets, including “cryptocurrency trading services; cryptocurrency exchange services; cryptocurrency payment processing; financial brokerage services for cryptocurrency trading; electronic transfer of virtual currencies.” Read more
Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Romania has appointed Anca Petcu as Chief Operations and Transformation Officer and Deputy CEO, following approval from the National Bank of Romania.
Binance filed a lawsuit after the Wall Street Journal reported a Justice Department probe into Iran’s alleged use of the exchange to avoid sanctions. Update, March 11, 1:00 pm UTC: This article has been updated to add a statement by Binance that the exchange filed a defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal. Binance said Wednesday it is suing the Wall Street Journal after the newspaper reported that the US Justice Department was investigating whether Iran used the crypto exchange to evade US sanctions. Binance filed a defamation lawsuit against the Journal in the Southern District of New York, seeking damages and legal fees, and demanding a jury trial. Read more
The European Central Bank has launched Appia to guide Europe’s tokenized financial ecosystem anchored in central bank money, with early Pontes pilots planned for 2026. The European Central Bank (ECB) on Wednesday published its Appia roadmap, setting out a long-term plan for building tokenized wholesale financial markets in Europe anchored in central bank money. The roadmap is built around two linked initiatives. Pontes is the Eurosystem’s distributed ledger technology settlement solution, while Appia is the broader strategic framework for developing a future tokenized financial ecosystem. The ECB said Pontes is scheduled to launch in the third quarter of 2026. “With Appia, we are building a road from today’s financial system to tomorrow’s tokenized markets, firmly grounded in central bank money,” ECB executive board member Piero Cipollone said. Read more