Philippines Payments Milestone: The Philippines’ jump to majority digital payments wasn’t driven by a single “super app,” but by shared payment rails—InstaPay, PESONet, and the national QR standard QR Ph—pushing interoperability and inclusion. US Crypto Regulation Push: The US Senate Banking Committee advanced the CLARITY Act, aiming to set stablecoin issuance rules tied to full dollar or Treasury-bond backing, as lawmakers argue clearer crypto tax and regulatory frameworks can boost US financial innovation. Banking Fraud & AI Risk: Nigeria’s fintech leaders warn that fraud and compliance risks are evolving fast—identity fraud, account takeovers, mule accounts, and third-party risk—so controls must keep pace with product launches. Crypto Market Watch: Dogecoin holds above key support after broader meme-coin weakness, while XRP and BNB face selling pressure amid technical uncertainty. Stablecoin Liquidity Update (DeFi): Sky is considering doubling its USDC liquidity buffer to $800M to handle higher stablecoin conversion demand. Enterprise AI Moves: TCS launched India’s first Oracle AI Data Platform Lab and CoE in Kolkata, rolling out similar hubs across more cities to help enterprises make data “AI-ready.” Big Tech Legal/Trust: Google sued a Chinese group accused of using Gemini to automate phishing scams, highlighting growing regulatory and legal pressure on AI-enabled fraud. Africa Fintech Expansion: MTN outlined a fintech-and-connectivity growth plan, including expanding retail banking services in Nigeria.