A major US-regulated crypto platform is about to lock down a $2 billion acquisition of BVNK—the UK startup that's been quietly building the plumbing between traditional banks and decentralized finance through stablecoin payment infrastructure.

Here's the kicker: they beat out Mastercard in a heated bidding war. Think about that for a second. A legacy payment giant versus a crypto-native player, and crypto won this round.

Once this deal gets rubber-stamped, the acquiring platform essentially gains steering power over how stablecoins flow across borders. Not just participating in the rails—actually shaping them. That's a different level of influence in the emerging payment ecosystem.