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CryptoMultiple jurisdictions

Circle adds BTC-backed USDC borrowing for eligible institutions

Circle announced DABB on 21 September for eligible Circle Mint institutional customers on Arc and Ethereum. Customers deposit BTC, mint cirBTC and pledge it in third-party lending markets, with borrowed USDC credited to Mint. Morpho is supported at launch; New York clients are excluded.

Source:Circle ↗ · 21/09/2026

Money Notes analysis

One borrowing interface still leaves collateral at risk of liquidation

The integration connects BTC custody, a wrapped token and loan settlement, reducing cross-platform work for treasury teams. Borrowers retain BTC exposure while adding a USDC liability. Falling collateral prices still require them to manage top-up and liquidation risk.

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RWA & institutionsEurope

Eurosystem launches Pontes for tokenised asset settlement in central bank money

The Eurosystem launched Pontes on 21 September, enabling wholesale tokenised asset transactions to settle in central bank money. In a separate announcement, the ECB said it was preparing to invest a small share of its own funds in tokenised securities; the timing of those investments has yet to be decided.

Source:歐洲央行 / ECB ↗ · 21/09/2026, 18:00

Money Notes analysis

Pontes settlement is live; ECB investment remains in preparation

For tokenised securities to become part of everyday institutional trading, issuance and trading systems need a reliable way to settle the cash leg. Pontes provides settlement in central bank money, addressing the demand for a safe settlement asset expressed during earlier Eurosystem trials. The first participants are connected; settlement values and transaction frequency will show how much they use the service.

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