BRICS Advances Cross-Border Payment Links as Emerging Markets Seek Financial Autonomy
Published: September 12, 2026
Category: Stablecoins & Payments • Central Banks • Macro & Global Markets
By: Akinyele Oluwale & Co. Investment Ltd.
Executive Summary
BRICS finance ministers and central-bank governors are pushing for more interoperable payment systems, faster cross-border transactions and reforms to global financial institutions.
India is also expected to encourage greater connectivity between central-bank digital currencies. The initiative reflects growing demand among emerging economies for payment channels that are cheaper, faster and less dependent on Western-controlled financial infrastructure.
However, this is not the launch of a common BRICS currency, nor does it represent an immediate replacement for the US dollar.
Background
International payments frequently depend on correspondent banks, dollar liquidity and messaging networks operating across multiple jurisdictions. The process can be slow, costly and exposed to sanctions, exchange-rate risks and geopolitical disruption.
BRICS members have therefore explored direct settlement in national currencies, greater payment-system interoperability and possible links between sovereign digital-currency projects.
Their latest statement also calls for the International Monetary Fund and World Bank to become more representative, transparent and accountable to emerging economies.
Why It Matters
Payment infrastructure is an instrument of economic influence. Countries controlling the dominant settlement networks gain efficiency, financial intelligence and geopolitical leverage.
Interoperable BRICS payment systems could reduce transaction costs, improve trade settlement and provide alternative channels during periods of financial disruption.
The development is especially relevant to emerging markets where cross-border payments remain expensive and access to dollar liquidity can become constrained.
Stakeholders: Winners and Losers
Potential winners
* Exporters and importers could benefit from faster and cheaper settlement.
* Emerging-market banks may gain access to new payment corridors.
* Central banks could strengthen monetary and technological cooperation.
* Financial-technology providers may secure infrastructure contracts.
* Consumers and remittance users could eventually experience lower fees.
Potential losers
* Correspondent banks could lose fee income if direct settlement expands.
* Existing international payment networks may face additional competition.
* Smaller economies could become dependent on infrastructure controlled by larger BRICS members.
* Businesses may encounter new compliance and currency-conversion risks.
Short-Term Impact
The immediate effect will probably be further technical trials, bilateral payment links and policy negotiations rather than a unified BRICS network.
Markets should not confuse political declarations with operational infrastructure. Cross-border systems require common standards for identity verification, cybersecurity, liquidity, foreign exchange, sanctions compliance and dispute resolution.
Long-Term Impact
Successful interoperability could gradually increase direct settlement in national currencies and reduce reliance on traditional correspondent-banking channels.
Nevertheless, replacing payment rails is easier than replacing a global reserve currency. The dollar’s position rests on deep capital markets, trusted institutions, legal certainty, liquidity and the availability of dollar-denominated assets.
BRICS infrastructure could become an important alternative without displacing the dollar as the dominant global reserve asset.
Editorial Perspective
This development should be understood as payment diversification not instant de-dollarisation.
The strategic shift is occurring beneath the headline. Emerging economies are building optionality through domestic payment systems, bilateral currency arrangements and sovereign digital infrastructure.
The decisive question is whether BRICS members can overcome political differences and establish trusted, technically compatible and commercially useful systems.
What to Watch Next
* Pilot connections between BRICS national payment systems.
* Central-bank digital currency interoperability tests.
* Settlement volumes in national currencies.
* Foreign-exchange and liquidity arrangements.
* Governance, cybersecurity and data-protection standards.
* Adoption by banks, exporters and multinational companies.
* Evidence that the infrastructure lowers transaction costs.
Notes
The BRICS statement and proposed payment-system cooperation were reported by [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/brics-finance-chiefs-urge-reform-global-development-financial-institutions-2026-09-11/). Several proposals remain under development and should not be treated as completed infrastructure.
Akinyele Oluwale & Co. Investment Ltd.
Global Finance Meets Tomorrow’s Technology.
akinyeleoluwale.finance
Nasdaq Invests $100 Million in Kraken Parent as Tokenized-Equities Race Accelerates
Published: September 11, 2026
Category: Tokenization & RWAs • Institutional Finance • Crypto & Digital Assets
By: Akinyele Oluwale & Co. Investment Ltd.
Executive Summary
Nasdaq’s venture arm is investing $100 million in Payward, the parent company of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, as both organisations deepen their collaboration on tokenized-equity infrastructure.
The transaction is more than a conventional investment in a crypto company. It signals that established exchanges increasingly view blockchain infrastructure as part of the future architecture of securities markets. However, tokenization alone does not eliminate custody, liquidity, governance or investor-protection risks.
Background
Traditional securities generally operate within defined market hours and depend on multiple intermediaries for trading, clearing, custody and settlement. Tokenized equities represent ownership or economic exposure through blockchain-based instruments, potentially enabling faster settlement, fractional ownership and broader market access.
Kraken has expanded beyond conventional cryptocurrency trading into tokenized securities and derivatives. Nasdaq, meanwhile, brings regulated-market infrastructure, institutional relationships and extensive experience in exchange technology.
Their collaboration connects crypto-native distribution with traditional-market credibility.
Why It Matters
A $100 million commitment from Nasdaq validates tokenized equities as more than an experimental blockchain application.
Traditional exchanges now face competition from crypto platforms offering continuous trading, programmable settlement and global accessibility. Investing in that infrastructure allows Nasdaq to participate in the transformation rather than defend the existing model from the sidelines.
However, the central question is not whether shares can be placed on a blockchain. It is whether the token gives investors an enforceable legal claim over the underlying security.
Stakeholders: Winners and Losers
Potential winners
* Kraken gains capital, credibility and access to Nasdaq’s market expertise.
* Nasdaq obtains exposure to crypto-native technology and distribution.
* Investors could benefit from fractional ownership and more efficient settlement.
* Issuers may eventually access broader pools of global capital.
Potential losers
* Traditional intermediaries could face margin pressure if settlement becomes more direct.
* Smaller platforms may struggle against well-capitalised exchange partnerships.
* Investors could suffer if token structures provide unclear ownership, redemption or voting rights.
Short-Term Impact
The investment should strengthen institutional confidence in tokenized securities and encourage competing exchanges to accelerate their blockchain strategies.
Its immediate effect will probably be greater investment in infrastructure not the instant replacement of conventional stock markets. Regulatory restrictions, jurisdictional differences and limited secondary-market liquidity remain significant constraints.
Long-Term Impact
If legally recognised tokenized equities achieve reliable liquidity, securities markets could gradually move towards continuous trading, faster settlement and automated corporate actions.
Blockchain may ultimately become part of the market’s underlying infrastructure while remaining largely invisible to ordinary investors. The winners will be organisations capable of combining technology with regulated custody, credible governance and deep liquidity.
Editorial Perspective
Nasdaq’s investment represents institutional convergence, not the defeat of traditional finance.
The future market is unlikely to be purely decentralised or entirely conventional. It will probably be hybrid: regulated institutions using blockchain infrastructure to improve securities issuance, settlement and distribution.
Investors must still distinguish between owning an actual share and holding a token that merely tracks its price. Technology cannot compensate for weak legal rights or inadequate disclosures.
What to Watch Next
* The precise infrastructure Nasdaq and Kraken develop.
* Whether token holders receive direct legal ownership or synthetic exposure.
* Regulatory treatment across the United States and Europe.
* Custody, redemption and shareholder-rights arrangements.
* Institutional participation and secondary-market liquidity.
* Responses from competing exchanges and financial institutions.
Notes
The reported investment and strategic collaboration were covered by [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/nasdaq-invest-100-million-kraken-parent-deepen-tokenization-push-2026-09-10/). Commercial arrangements and regulatory approvals may evolve.
Akinyele Oluwale & Co. Investment Ltd.
Global Finance Meets Tomorrow’s Technology.
Tether’s $400 Million StableFund Takes USDT Into Private Credit
Published: 10 September 2026
Category: Tokenization & RWAs • Institutional Finance • Stablecoins
By: Akinyele Oluwale & Co. Investment Ltd.
Executive Summary
Tether has launched StableFund, a $400 million private-credit vehicle developed with London-based asset manager Fasanara Capital. The fund reportedly aims to attract as much as $3 billion from external investors and provide financing to small and medium-sized businesses underserved by conventional lenders.
The significant development is not simply the fund’s size. StableFund could extend USDT beyond crypto trading and payments into the financing of real economic activity.
However, stablecoin settlement does not remove ordinary credit risk. The fund’s success will ultimately depend on borrower quality, underwriting discipline, liquidity and transparent reporting.
Background
USDT is already widely used for digital-asset trading, cross-border transfers and dollar-based settlement outside the traditional banking system.
StableFund introduces another use case: connecting stablecoin liquidity with private loans to operating businesses.
Under the reported arrangement, Fasanara will source and assess borrowers, while Tether will provide initial capital and support USDT-based settlement. The fund enters a private-credit market that has expanded as banks have tightened lending requirements and businesses have sought alternative financing.
This does not necessarily mean every loan will become a freely traded on-chain token. It represents a broader convergence between digital money and real-world credit infrastructure.
Why It Matters
Private credit has traditionally involved restricted access, slow settlement and limited transparency. Stablecoins could improve the movement of capital by enabling faster settlement, programmable payments and broader international participation.
For Tether, the initiative creates potential demand for USDT outside exchanges. For borrowers, it may open an additional funding channel. But the technology only changes how money moves. It does not guarantee that loans will be repaid.
That distinction matters because a poorly underwritten loan remains risky whether settled through a bank account, stablecoin or blockchain.
Stakeholders: Winners and Losers
SMEs unable to obtain conventional bank financing could benefit if StableFund offers accessible and competitively priced credit.
Tether may gain from wider USDT usage, while Fasanara could expand its private-credit activities and reach new investors.
Institutional investors may gain exposure to privately originated loans through more efficient settlement infrastructure.
The risks fall on investors if borrower defaults increase, collateral proves inadequate or liquidity becomes unavailable. Traditional lenders could also face increased competition where stablecoin-based credit becomes faster and more flexible.
Short-Term Impact
StableFund will attract attention because it connects the largest stablecoin ecosystem with private credit.
Markets should now look beyond the announced $400 million commitment. The more meaningful indicators will be external capital raised, actual loans originated, borrower concentration, default rates and the terms governing withdrawals or redemptions.
The initiative may also encourage other stablecoin issuers and asset managers to explore credit products.
Long-Term Impact
If the model works, stablecoins could evolve from payment instruments into settlement rails supporting loans, bonds, funds and other real-world assets.
This could reduce operational friction and expand access to international capital. It could also deepen the relationship between stablecoin issuers and traditional finance.
However, that expansion will invite greater regulatory scrutiny. Authorities will examine investor protection, reserve separation, anti-money-laundering controls and whether risk is being transferred clearly and fairly.
Editorial Perspective
StableFund is strategically important, but it should not be confused with risk-free financial innovation.
The real breakthrough will not be putting private credit near a blockchain. It will be proving that digital settlement can coexist with strong underwriting, enforceable legal rights and reliable disclosure.
Investors should judge the fund by the quality of its assets not the prominence of the USDT name or the ambition of its fundraising target.
Technology can improve financial infrastructure. It cannot rescue weak credit.
What to Watch Next
Watch how much third-party capital StableFund raises and whether USDT is used for loan origination, repayment or both.
Also monitor borrower eligibility, geographic exposure, collateral requirements, default performance, investor liquidity and independent reporting.
The decisive question is whether StableFund becomes a scalable institutional-credit platform or remains a strategically funded experiment.
Notes
This analysis draws primarily on the Financial Times report on Tether’s StableFund launch. The reported $3 billion figure is a fundraising target not committed capital.
Akinyele Oluwale & Co. Investment Ltd.
Where Global Finance Meets Tomorrow’s Technology.
