Mastercard is testing stablecoin settlement with SoFiUSD to speed up card transaction clearing and help bridge traditional finance and blockchain. Mastercard is integrating stablecoins into its payment infrastructure to modernize the back-end settlement process, allowing banks and issuers to settle card transactions using regulated digital dollars such as SoFiUSD. The partnership with SoFi Technologies enables SoFi Bank to settle Mastercard transactions in SoFiUSD, while Galileo’s platform allows other banks and fintech issuers to adopt stablecoin settlement. Stablecoin settlement focuses on the post-transaction clearing stage, meaning consumers will continue using cards normally while the underlying settlement between banks may occur through blockchain-based digital assets. Read more
Pakistan and Egypt concluded a two-week-long military exercise focused on counter-terrorism, the military’s media wing said on Monday. In a press release, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the “Pakistan-Egypt Joint Exercise Thunder-II” concluded in Cherat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — the military’s premier Special Operations School (SOS). “[The] two-week-long exercise was designed to enhance interoperability by refining drills, procedures, and techniques related to counterterrorism operations through joint training,” ISPR said. It added that “combat teams from the Special Services Group (SSG) of the Pakistan Army and the Egyptian Special Forces actively participated” in the exercise. The military’s media wing further said that the participants exhibited “exceptional professionalism and operational skill throughout the exercise”. The picture shows Pakistan-Egypt Joint Exercise Thunder-II underway. — ISPR General officer commanding SSG and Commander of Egyptian Paratroopers, Major General Mohamed Saad Ab...
Bitcoin saw a green weekly close despite renewed US-Iran war momentum, and a trader forecast that BTC price action would beat last week's local highs. Bitcoin (BTC) begins the last full week of April juggling fresh US-Iran war fears as resistance hurdles line up. Key points: Bitcoin stays green on weekly time frames with multiple nearby price levels in focus. Read more