Let's rewind to 2013. Long before blockchain payments became a mainstream institutional conversation, Stronghold CTO, @ItsSeanBennett was already involved in the XRPL ecosystem. More than a decade later, that early experience continues to inform how we think about blockchain infrastructure, interoperability, and real-world payments. Why does that matter? Building financial infrastructure requires more than understanding the technology. It takes experience navigating how networks evolve, how financial systems operate, and what it takes to bring blockchain into real-world use. Today, with SHx accessible on XRPL through our cross-chain bridge, we're continuing to build on that experience and expand what's possible across ecosystems. From the early days of XRPL to where we are today, there's still plenty more to build.

With Swell NYC hosted by @Ripple bringing together leaders shaping the future of payments, we're bringing the conversation to you. All week, we're exploring XRPL's role in payments, Stronghold's history with the network, and how SHx is expanding across chains. Five days. Five conversations. Let's get into it. 🔵 First up: Why XRPL? When it comes to payments, speed, cost, and reliability matter. XRPL was built with these fundamentals in mind, offering settlement in seconds, low transaction costs, and infrastructure designed to move value efficiently across borders. For Stronghold, expanding SHx to XRPL aligns with our broader mission to make payments more accessible, connected, and efficient. With SHx now accessible on XRPL through our cross-chain bridge, we're opening new ways for users to participate in the Stronghold ecosystem.

47 days. That's where digital certificate validity periods are headed. For the payments ecosystem, that's not just an IT change. It's an operational challenge that could impact security, resilience, and business continuity. #PaymentsInnovationAlliance’s latest white paper, “47 Days to Failure?” explores what organizations should be doing now: Read now: hubs.la/Q04BBTxF0 Turn industry challenges into solutions. Join the Alliance: hubs.la/Q04BBSlr0

If you aren't paying attention to @IxsFinance right now, you're missing the play. $IXS ⏳👀

The @veloprotocol trading campaign is now live! Velo bridges TradFi and Web3, connecting banks, businesses, and emerging markets on one compliant rail where value settles across borders in real time, whether the instruction comes from a person or an AI agent. Trade $VELO on @Bybit_Official via Cede Hub and earn your share of rewards from the prize pool. app.cedehub.io/velo-tte

📣 Velo Q3 2026 Community Town Hall Join us for our next community town hall with Adrian Wang as we discuss Velo’s latest developments, ecosystem updates, and what’s coming next. 🗓 Date: Thursday, 29 October 2026 ⏰ Time: 12:00 PM UTC 📍 Venue: xitter.cf/veloprotocol/ ***** The agenda: 💳 Velo × Zebec Card — The latest updates 🌍 Orbit Plus Expansion — Now available in 15 additional countries 🔄 New Swap Feature — A look at the latest development ⛓️ New Chains — Expanding the ecosystem with additional chain support 🤖 Agentic AI & UOB — Velo’s role in the evolving agentic finance landscape 🗺️ What’s Next? — Upcoming developments and priorities Have questions for Adrian? Drop them here shorturl.at/Uc9FL ***** See you there! 👋 #Velo #CommunityTownHall #OrbitPlus

$30 trillion eligible. 25 securities on day one. That's how the firm at the center of US settlement is rolling out tokenization. DTCC's Tokenization Service overview: 1. About $30T in assets eligible to be tokenized 2. Launch starts with 25 securities across US equities, ETFs and Treasuries 3. Backed 1:1 by assets held at DTC, with the same CUSIPs, rights and investor protections 4. Transfers only between registered wallets on the same chain 5. DTC keeps the official books and records 6. Stellar and Circle's Arc anticipated in 2027 The most important infrastructure in the market isn't moving fast and breaking things. It's going narrow, controlled, and verifiable first. Scale comes later.

The ACH Network showed solid third quarter growth, handling 9.3 billion payments valued at $26.6 trillion. And with gains in Same Day ACH, B2B, and more, today’s ACH Network is a powerhouse. hubs.la/Q04BKJJ60

The future of payments is shaped by bold ideas, fresh perspectives, and emerging leaders.   Nacha’s #15Under40 Awards celebrates the professionals moving our industry forward. Know someone deserving of recognition? Nominate them by Nov. 27   hubs.la/Q04BqV5V0

日本のメガバンク共同ステーブルコイン：2026年Q4進捗アップデート 🏦 三菱UFJ銀行・三井住友銀行・みずほ銀行の3行は、共同発行する円建てステーブルコインについて、2026年度中（2027年3月末まで）の実取引開始を目指しています。 2026年6月10日の正式発表を踏まえ、現時点で確認できる主な動向を整理します。 ✅ 発行スキーム： 3行を共同委託者、信託銀行等を受託者とする信託型スキームを採用する方針。金融庁の支援を受けた実証実験を経て、制度設計や実務対応を進めています。 ✅ 運営・ガバナンス： 3行は共同検討のための協議会設置に向けて基本合意。発行基盤、運営体制、ガバナンス、制度設計などを検討し、実取引の開始を目指します。 ✅ 金融機関ネットワーク： 将来的に参加を検討し得る金融機関や関係者との連携も検討対象です。地方銀行などへの拡大は、今後の具体化を見極める必要があります。 ✅ 証券決済への応用： 伝統的資産の権利移転と決済をブロックチェーン上で連携させる実証実験が進行。共同ステーブルコインを活用した証券決済も想定されています。 🔎 技術基盤・国際決済： Progmat Coinなどのデジタルアセット基盤やクロスチェーン技術は関連する重要テーマですが、3行の共同発行プロジェクトにおける正式な採用基盤や、アジア各拠点との国際決済検証の進捗については、追加の公式発表による確認が必要です。 なぜ重要なのか？ 商業利用が実現すれば、企業間の資金移動やデジタル証券の決済を効率化し、企業の財務管理やオンチェーン金融の発展につながる可能性があります。 エンタープライズの財務・決済チームにとっては、導入を急ぐよりも、既存システムとの接続、会計・照合業務、利用可能な取引先、法務・コンプライアンス要件を整理し、具体的なサービス仕様と利用条件の公表に備えることが重要です。 定期的なアップデートは @strongholdjapan をフォローしてください。

BREAKING🚨: TRADITIONAL FINANCE IS MOVING CLOSER TO CRYPTO. Standard Chartered expanded spot Bitcoin and Ether trading access to professional investors in the UAE. Why it matters: 1️⃣ More institutional access. 2️⃣ Wider crypto market participation. 3️⃣ Another step in mainstream adoption.

Think you’ve already done Smarter Faster Payments? Think again. “We are not the same conference every year,” said Nacha’s Stephanie Prebish on Payments SmartCast. Our Conference Planning Committee has been working hard to plan must-attend keynotes, networking events, and exhibits. Missing #Payments2027 would be a mistake.   Listen to the full episode to get a glimpse into what’s in store this year: hubs.la/Q04yY1R10

🌍 Orbit Plus is now available in 15 more countries! Expanding access. Connecting more markets. Bringing digital finance to more people. Users in the following countries can now access Orbit Plus: 🇨🇦 Canada 🇳🇴 Norway 🇨🇭 Switzerland 🇳🇿 New Zealand 🇩🇪 Germany 🇫🇷 France 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇮🇪 Ireland 🇪🇸 Spain 🇮🇹 Italy 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇦🇹 Austria 🇫🇮 Finland 15 new countries. One step toward making digital financial services more accessible across borders. Download Orbit Plus today: 👉 iOS: apps.apple.com/my/app/orbit-… 👉 Android: play.google.com/store/apps/d…

10 USDC IN. 10 USD BACK 💰🤝🏼 Sign up for the Velo x Zebec Card via Orbit Plus, reload 10 USDC, and get back 10 USD. That's 100% cashback on your first reload! ⏳ Limited to the first 500 new users. Get started with Orbit Plus: 👉 iOS: apps.apple.com/my/app/orbit-… 👉 Android: play.google.com/store/apps/d…

It’s crucial to know where your bank/credit union’s vendors stand in quantum-safe encryption readiness. To help find out, use this new tool from Nacha’s #PaymentsInnovationAlliance. hubs.la/Q04zdp7m0

When building a house, you don’t turn on the plumbing before all the pipes are connected, sir. 🫡 INFRASTRUCTURE FIRST. Build the rails. Connect the pipes. Then turn on the flow. Price follows adoption. The takeover is inevitable. 🪐 $SHX TO THE FUCKIN’ MOON. 🚀 #SHX #SHXArmy

As the saying goes, you learn something new every day. But at Smarter Faster Payments 2027, you’ll have the opportunity to spend time near the nation’s capital learning from industry leaders, peers, and newcomers. That’s all thanks to the planning and hard work of our Conference Planning Committee.   #Payments2027 is a must-attend. Tune in to our newest SmartCast to get a sneak peek into what they’ve been working on: hubs.la/Q04z1nHC0