Fuse CEO Mark Smargon says blockchain payments apps will rival Visa, not Ethereum
Episode 16 of Hashing It Out explores one of the most popular cryptocurrency use cases: payments. Mark Smargon, CEO of Fuse, joins host Elisha Owusu Akyaw to discuss various Web3 payment solutions and how Fuse contributes to businesses’ adoption of cryptocurrency payments.
Smargon explained that the payment network’s strategy involves looking beyond investments to focus on everyday use cases like payments, which will likely bring more sustainable adoption. Despite the goal, Smargon recounted the difficulty in convincing people and investors that businesses would adopt blockchain payments when starting Fuse in 2019.
Smargon further explained that Fuse is not competing with Ethereum but with Visa and Stripe, and that it’s intended to be the main payment layer for global transactions. On whether the battle of adoption will be won by a few blockchain networks, Smargon mentioned that Fuse has never held a maximalist mindset:
“We really believe that in the future, there is going to be many blockchains. There is not going to be one blockchain that will hold the entire human knowledge. We were never maximalists in that approach.”
Smargon believes that Web3 payments have come a long way in the last two years as things like nonfungible tokens and digital collectibles have become more popular. What’s more, the increase in freelancers from developing markets who are paid in cryptocurrency and the use of cryptocurrencies for cross-border payments have been among other catalysts spearheading Web3 payment adoption.
Related: Should we ban ransomware payments? It’s an attractive but dangerous idea
Owusu Akyaw asked about the impact of regulations on Web3 payments and adoption in the future. Smargon called it a rollercoaster ride, due to the unstable nature of regulations across the globe. He also added that blockchain technology may need to evolve by adding new features and taking away some existing features to fit regulations and create a better connection with traditional finance.
Listen to the latest episode of Hashing It Out with Fuse CEO Smargon on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or TuneIn. You can also explore Cointelegraph’s complete catalog of informative podcasts on the Cointelegraph Podcasts page.
This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.
Acting Chair of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Caroline Pham is in talks with regulated US crypto exchanges to launch leveraged spot crypto products as early as next month.
In a Sunday X post, Pham confirmed that she is pushing to allow leveraged spot crypto trading in the US and that she is in talks with regulated US crypto exchanges to launch leveraged crypto spot products next month.
Pham also confirmed that she continued meeting with industry representatives despite the government shutdown. The regulator is also currently considering issuing guidance for leveraged spot crypto products.
The news comes after the CFTC launched an initiative in early August to enable the trading of “spot crypto asset contracts” on exchanges registered with the regulator. In an announcement at the time, Pham invited comment on the rules that governed “retail trading of commodities with leverage, margin, or financing.”
According to the Federal Register, the Commodity Exchange Act “provides that a retail commodity transaction entered into with a retail person which is executed on a leveraged or margined basis” is “subject to the Commission’s jurisdiction, unless the transaction results in actual delivery of the commodity within 28 days of the transaction.” Consequently, leveraged crypto spot positions would only be allowed if their duration were limited to 28 days or they would be illegal.
Related: Republican Senator Says There’s a Small Time Frame for Passing Crypto Bill
Crypto pushes forward despite shutdown
A US government shutdown occurs when Congress fails to pass an annual spending bill or a short-term continuing resolution, blocking much of the federal government’s spending. In such situations, non-essential services are paused, some workers are furloughed, and others work without pay.
The current shutdown started on Oct. 1. However, Sunday reports suggest that the shutdown is likely nearing its end as the Senate moves to consider a continuing resolution to fund the government.
Related: Michael Selig Confirms CFTC Nomination, but Questions Linger
The report follows speculation about the impact of the government shutdown on progress in US crypto regulation. Early October reports noted that the SEC began its shutdown by announcing that it would “not engage in ongoing litigation,” except for emergency cases.
Despite this, at the end of October, many US senators reportedly moved to advance a bill on crypto market structure rules, despite the shutdown. Reports from earlier this month also suggest that meetings on the bill are still taking place in the US Senate despite the shutdown.
Magazine: US risks being ‘front run’ on Bitcoin reserve by other nations: Samson Mow
The United Kingdom’s central bank is moving toward stablecoin regulation by publishing a consultation paper proposing a regulatory framework for the asset class.
The Bank of England (BoE) on Monday released a proposed regulatory regime for sterling-denominated “systemic stablecoins,” or tokens it said are widely used in payments and therefore potentially pose risks to the UK financial stability.
Under the proposal, the central bank would require stablecoin issuers to back at least 40% of their liabilities with unremunerated deposits at the BoE, while allowing up to 60% in short-term UK government debt.
The consultation paper seeks feedback on the proposed regime until Feb. 10, 2026, with the BoE planning to finalize the regulations in the second half of the year.
Holding limits, backing and oversight
As part of the proposal, the central bank suggested capping individual stablecoin holdings at 20,000 British pounds ($26,300) per token, while allowing exemptions from the proposed 10,000 pound ($13,200) for retail businesses.
“We propose that issuers implement per-coin holding limits of 20,000 GBP for individuals and 10 million pounds for businesses,” the BoE stated, adding that businesses could qualify for exemptions if higher balances are needed in the course of normal operations.
Regarding stablecoin backing, the BoE suggested that issuers that are considered systemically important could be allowed to hold up to 95% of their backing assets in UK government debt securities as they scale.
Related: Bank of England pledges to keep pace with US on stablecoin regulations
“The percentage would be reduced to 60% once the stablecoin reaches a scale where this is appropriate to mitigate the risks posed by the stablecoin’s systemic importance without impeding the firm’s viability,” it added.
The BoE noted that His Majesty’s Treasury determines which stablecoin payment systems and service providers are deemed systemically important. Once designated, these systems would fall under the proposed regime and the BoE’s supervision.
Magazine: Bitcoin’s ‘speed bump’ to $56K? Ripple rejects IPO plans: Hodler’s Digest, Nov. 2 – 8
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