WSPN (Worldwide Stablecoin Payment Network) has just announced a groundbreaking leap forward in the stablecoin market. The company has successfully closed a $30 million seed funding round, with notable contributions from Foresight Venture and Folius Ventures. This significant funding achievement is bolstered by the appointment of John Partridge, former President of Visa Inc., to its Board of Directors.
Partridge’s appointment is a game-changer for WSPN. Known for his pivotal role in Visa’s monumental $19 billion IPO in 2008, Partridge brings over two decades of fintech expertise to the table. His addition to the board not only adds a layer of credibility to WSPN’s ambitious plans but also highlights the growing confidence in the company’s vision.
The $180 billion stablecoin market is rapidly evolving, and WSPN is at the forefront with its innovative Stablecoin 2.0 initiative. The company’s flagship product, Worldwide USD (WUSD), aims to revolutionize the current landscape by addressing the limitations of high market concentration and limited use cases. WSPN’s approach envisions a decentralized alternative to traditional payment networks, focusing on user-centric value distribution, community governance, and enhanced accessibility.
WSPN’s differentiation lies in its team of industry veterans from CTH, Paxos, and Visa. The company has already garnered support from over 30 exchanges, more than 10 major wallets, and a slew of prominent payment institutions and market makers. This extensive network underscores the growing validation of WSPN’s Stablecoin 2.0 vision.
Raymond Yuan, Founder and CEO of WSPN, expressed his enthusiasm: “This substantial funding round and John’s appointment to our board represent a transformative moment for WSPN. With this capital and John’s deep expertise in global payments, we are well-positioned to accelerate the development of our Stablecoin 2.0 infrastructure and bring innovative, user-centric payment solutions to the market.”
As WSPN pushes forward with its Stablecoin 2.0 initiative, the company is set to redefine the role of stablecoins in global finance. By overcoming current limitations and introducing innovative features, WSPN aims to unlock the full potential of digital assets, reshaping how we interact with money in the digital age.
Welcome to the US Morning Crypto News Briefing—your essential rundown of the most important developments in crypto for the day ahead.
Grab a coffee to see what analysts say about Bitcoin amid the showdown between BTC behemoth Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) and Jack Mallers’ investment firm, 21 Capital. With their Bitcoin models coming into question, is there a specific definition of what winning means in Bitcoin?
Strategy Grows Bitcoin Stockpile, Buys $1.42 Billion in BTC
Strategy announced that it recently purchased another 15,355 BTC worth approximately $1.42 billion at an average price of $92,737 last week.
The firm currently holds 553,555 BTC, valued at approximately $52.7 billion. The average buying price is $68,459, and the unrealized profit is $14.8 billion.
“By continuing to grow its Bitcoin holdings, the company maintains its status as a major force in the cryptocurrency market, drawing interest from investors and industry analysts. Strategy is the largest Bitcoin Treasury Company, an independent, publicly traded business intelligence company, and a Nasdaq 100 stock,” Phoenix reported.
A recent US Crypto News publication highlighted the advent of 21 Capital. The Bitcoin investment firm sprouted after Cantor Fitzgerald, SoftBank, Tether, and Bitfinex pooled $3 billion in capital.
Based on sentiment, this new venture could inadvertently challenge Strategy’s position at the helm of corporate Bitcoin ownership in a model sense. According to 21 Capital, Strategy size could make increasing its Bitcoin per share difficult, a metric investors tend to consider.
Amid chatter that 21 Capital could threaten the Michael Saylor-led firm, BitStrategy, a shareholder at Strategy, challenged the prospective market rival’s business model.
Tension Grows in Bitcoin Treasury Space
In a detailed post on X (Twitter), BitStrategy acknowledged the brewing tension in the Bitcoin treasury arena. However, it holds that Strategy is way ahead of the competition.
“Their company is in direct competition with ours, and they seek to exploit a perceived vulnerability in our structure, openly highlighting their strengths relative to ours to win investment,” BitStrategy challenged in a recent post.
Beyond BTC Yield, also reported in a recent US Crypto News publication, the firm initiated key performance indicators months ago- BTC Gain and BTC $ Gain.
Bitcoin Gain multiplies the BTC Yield by Strategy’s aggregate balance, reflecting the scale of the firm’s operations.
Bitcoin $ Gain takes this further, converting the BTC Gain into dollar terms, for added transparency.
This proactivity by Strategy suggests a commitment to defend its position as a leading Bitcoin-holding corporation amidst rising rivals.
“You can fake an impressive BTC Yield. You cannot fake an impressive BTC Gain,” BitStrategy chimed.
However, analyst KenjiKoshu argues that while Strategy may show substantial Bitcoin gains, smaller companies like 21 Capital could achieve higher Bitcoin per share.
“As someone who has done deep thinking about why MSTR is undervalued, it might be true BTC gain can still be substantial if not higher for MSTR. On a per-share basis, however, which would be what supports the stock; it will be hard to deny a smaller, similarly reputable company is going to make more Bitcoin per share when on the same strategy,” the analyst wrote.
This outlook aligns with sentiment from 21 Capital that Strategy’s large size impedes increasing its Bitcoin per share.
However, BitStrategy articulated that the point of BTC Gain and BTC $ Gain signals the importance of a whole-of-company view of performance relative to a per-share view.
Per the shareholder, there is no agreed-upon conventional valuation methodology for Bitcoin companies. This means any metric is somewhat arbitrary.
Investors increasingly turn to digital assets as a safe haven, with Bitcoin becoming a hedge against the US dollar’s volatility as crypto inflows surge to $3.4 billion.
Arizona’s State Legislature just passed Bitcoin reserve bills SB1025 and SB1373. They now approach the final hurdle: the governor’s approval to become law.
Both bills won by comfortable margins and will only require the governor’s signature to become law. Governor Katie Hobbs recently ended a vow to veto all bills over a funding dispute, hopefully securing the Reserve’s future.
“Arizona passes second Bitcoin Reserve bill. SB 1373 passed 37-19! Both Reserve bills to Governor Hobbs’ desk for signature,” a crypto-related policy watchdog claimed.
According to SB1025’s text, it will enable Arizona to spend up to 10% of its public funds on Bitcoin or other unspecified digital assets. This funding requirement mirrors South Carolina’s bill, which also mandated a 10% maximum.
Now that SB1025 has passed a third reading, Governor Hobbs is the only thing separating Arizona from a Bitcoin Reserve.
Recently, she has been vetoing all proposed legislation in a bid to secure funding for Arizona’s Division of Developmental Disabilities. Less than a week ago, she ended this standoff, hopefully allowing her to sign these bills into law.
Arizona’s spending cap may deflate some Bitcoin enthusiasts’ hopes, but it’s still a victory. Amidst the microeconomic challenges, it’s a win for the industry if state-level acquisitions of any size pass.
ARIZONA JUST BECAME THE FIRST STATE IN THE NATION TO PASS STRATEGIC BITCOIN RESERVE LEGISLATION IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE.
Meanwhile, Trump’s Strategic Crypto Reserve intends to preserve an existing stockpile but doesn’t acquire BTC. Nonetheless, it’s a bullish development that helped build market enthusiasm.
If Arizona does pass the bill, it will likely increase Bitcoin’s demand and drive more bullish optimism. New Hampshire and Texas are also trailing Arizona’s lead, as both states are awaiting a Senate vote on their bills.
