10 May, 2025

LADT Signs Blockchain Agreement with Laos Ministry of Technology and Communications

On May 9, 2025, Lao National Digital Technology Group Co., Ltd. (LADT) and the Ministry of Science and Technology of Laos officially signed a Strategic Cooperation Agreement. The two parties will carry out in-depth cooperation in the construction of national blockchain infrastructure as well as the development and issuance of digital assets. This collaboration marks the first time the Laotian government has officially participated as an initiator in the construction of national-level blockchain and digital finance, signifying the acceleration of the implementation of a series of digital projects centered on the “USDA” ASEAN stablecoin.

The signing ceremony was conducted on behalf of the company by LADT Chief Operating Officer Ms. Humble Wu and Legal Representative Mr. Meksavang Phommaly. Guests attending the ceremony on behalf of the Lao government included:

● Mr. Khamlay Sipaseuth, Member of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and Vice President of the Lao Front for National Development

● Ms. Sirilack Sayabounsou, Director General of the Department of Digital Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology

● Ms. Phaiphone Bounthavong, Deputy Director General of the Department of Planning and Finance, Ministry of Science and Technology

● Mr. Pasitthideth Luangvilay, Head of the Digital Information Center, Ministry of Science and Technology

24 Months of Intensive Preparation: A Solid Step from Vision to Implementation

It is reported that LADT and the Ministry of Science and Technology of Laos began exploring cooperation in 2023. Over the past 24 months, the two sides have conducted extensive testing and institutional design in areas such as national public blockchain development, stablecoin issuance, digital identity, and cross-border payments. The signing of this agreement represents the formal transition of these multi-year efforts into the implementation phase.

Two particularly critical outcomes include:

Construction of the Lao National Blockchain Mainnet

LADT will provide a trusted digital infrastructure for future applications including e-government, supply chain finance, electronic contracts, and digital identity;

Compliant Issuance of the ASEAN Stablecoin USDA

As the first fiat-backed stablecoin intended for circulation across ASEAN, USDA’s legal and compliant issuance path has now been formally confirmed by the Laotian government.

As the technical developer and compliance facilitator of the project, LADT will take the lead, while its subsidiary NewPay will be responsible for future USDA payment circulation and real-world application deployment.

Strong Government Attention, Regulatory Scope Expanded to All Digital Assets

This signing takes place against the backdrop of Decision No. 888/MOST, titled “Decision on Pilot Projects for Digital Asset Transactions”, issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology in September 2021. The decision explicitly defines “digital assets” to include both cryptocurrencies and digital tokens.

Notably, the scope of this agreement has significantly expanded beyond the original focus on stablecoins. According to the terms, the Ministry of Science and Technology recognizes LADT’s future development and issuance of all types of digital assets. This policy adjustment not only provides LADT with broader regulatory support but also signals Laos’s intention to take a stronger step forward in the field of digital assets and Web3 infrastructure.

A National Vision for Technological Transformation and Talent Development

After the signing ceremony, LADT Chief Operating Officer Ms. Humble Wu was interviewed by the Vientiane Times, where she stated:

“LADT is willing to leverage its years of experience and technical strength in blockchain to support the development of Lao national blockchain infrastructure, helping the country enhance its technological voice and financial influence in the ASEAN region.”

She further pointed out:

● LADT is committed to building an international platform that integrates research, application, and talent development. In the future, it hopes to attract outstanding blockchain and Web3 talent from around the world, especially through partnerships with local universities in Laos as well as educational institutions in China and other countries, to cultivate a workforce fit for the new era of technology;

● In addition to driving technological progress, LADT also attaches great importance to social development in Laos. It is willing to shoulder more corporate social responsibility in areas such as education, basic financial services, and improving people’s livelihoods, striving to become a “responsible” national-level technology force.

About LADT

Lao National Digital Technology Group Co., Ltd. (LADT) is a state-owned enterprise established under the supervision of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Finance of Laos. It is dedicated to the fields of digital technology, blockchain, public blockchain development, compliant digital currency issuance, third-party payment services, and digital infrastructure construction. LADT currently serves as a key technical support entity for Laos’s digital transformation strategy.

Its third-party payment brand NewPay has obtained a legal license from the Central Bank of Laos (BOL) and has integrated with major payment channels such as WeChat Pay, Alipay+, and Visa. It has been a pioneer in launching application scenarios such as eVisa, cross-border consumption, and online bill payment, becoming a vital digital bridge between Laos and the ASEAN digital economy.

14 May, 2025

Kima Joins Mastercard Sandbox to Enable Stablecoin Card Top-Ups

Kima has integrated with Mastercard’s sandbox program to enable stablecoin top-ups for prepaid cards from self-custody wallets.Decentralized settlement protocol Kima has integrated into Mastercard’s sandbox program, enabling stablecoin-powered top-ups for prepaid cards directly from self-custody wallets.According to an announcement shared with Cointelegraph, Mastercard partners can now rely on Kima’s settlement infrastructure to enable their prepaid cards to be topped up with stablecoins, including USDC and Tether’s USDT, from self-custody wallets across more than 10 blockchains.Kima CEO Eitan Katz said the integration shows that stablecoins can be practical for everyday use, removing friction and intermediaries from crypto-to-fiat conversions while expanding crypto usability.“Our goal at Kima is to eliminate barriers between digital assets and traditional finance,” Katz said.Infrastructure Designed for InteroperabilityKatz described Kima’s settlement system as asset-agnostic and designed to simplify cross-ecosystem payments, supporting public blockchains, private ledgers and traditional banking rails:“Kima’s asset-agnostic settlement layer is designed to abstract the complexity of transferring value across disparate ecosystems, whether that’s public blockchains, private ledgers, or even traditional banking systems.”According to the announcement, Kima’s infrastructure is aligned with Mastercard’s aim to bring stablecoins into mainstream financial usage. Katz rejects the Bitcoin and crypto hardliner vision of digital assets being contraposed to fiat currency, claiming that “crypto and fiat must coexist seamlessly to reach their full potential.”Katz explained that Kima’s solution allows easy crosschain interoperability and eliminates reliance on intermediaries, custodians or complex smart contracts. This, in turn, reportedly enhances security and efficiency for all parties involved.ECB Includes Kima in Digital Euro InitiativeEarlier in May, the European Central Bank (ECB) included Kima in a list of 70 private sector partners tasked with helping in digital euro innovation. The firms on the list have signed up to work with the ECB to explore digital euro payment functionalities and use cases.“The breadth and creativity of the proposals highlights the digital euro’s potential as a catalyst for financial innovation in Europe,” ECB executive board member Piero Cipollone said at the time.Despite Kima’s institutional partnerships, Katz told Cointelegraph that “compliance shouldn’t mean giving up control of your funds or your data.” He said that know-your-client and Anti-Money Laundering checks are handled by third-party banks and virtual asset service providers at onboarding, and Kima never has access to the data.Katz added that “once a user is cleared, every transaction carries immutable metadata tags that our protocol-level engine checks against local rules.” This, he said, covers compliance “from the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation to Singapore’s regulatory guidelines — before settlement.”Katz said that “keys are kept entirely under the users’ control,” while cryptographic proofs still allow for compliance.“Institutions get a plug-and-play control layer and users enjoy true self-custody,” Katz added.

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09 May, 2025

Ethereum Sparks Market Rally After Upgrade While Miners Face Squeezed Margins

Bitcoin Miners Expand Reserves, But Margins ShrinkBitcoin miner MARA Holdings expanded its BTC reserves by 175% year-over-year, amassing 47,531 Bitcoin now worth approximately $4.9 billion. This positions MARA just behind MicroStrategy, which still dominates the leaderboard with 555,450 BTC, according to CoinGecko data.Yet, MARA’s production tells a less bullish story. The firm mined 2,286 BTC in Q1 2025, marking a 19% drop compared to the same quarter last year. The decline follows the recent Bitcoin halving, which reduced block rewards to 3.125 BTC and tightened overall issuance.MARA's revenue fell slightly short missing analyst estimates by 0.35%, according to Zacks Research. The company has only outperformed revenue projections once in the past four quarters. Even so, MARA’s stock jumped 7.2% on May 8 before easing back in after-hours trading.Across the mining sector, companies are battling rising costs and slimmer margins:· Riot Platforms reported a 90% year-over-year increase in mining costs, now averaging $43,808 per BTC.· CleanSpark narrowly missed consensus expectations by 0.58%, while Core Scientific saw a sharper miss at 8.11%.· Hut8 reported the widest gap, falling 35% short of Wall Street revenue forecasts.Ethereum’s Pectra Upgrade Ignites Momentum ShiftAs miners grind through compression, Ethereum (ETH) staged a rally that outpaced broader crypto benchmarks. ETH surged nearly 20%, trading above $2,100, marking its strongest daily performance since 2021.The rally follows the rollout of Ethereum’s Pectra upgrade, a sweeping protocol overhaul that:· Raises the staking cap from 32 to 2,048 ETH via EIP-7251· Improves wallet flexibility through EIP-7702, introducing temporary smart contract functionality· Integrates nine additional Ethereum Improvement ProposalsThis upgrade narrowed the performance gap with Bitcoin. ETH had lagged much of the year, with the ETHBTC ratio plummeting to 0.02. Analysts from Presto Research and Flowdesk noted a return of risk-on sentiment, with capital rotating into high-beta plays.Flowdesk highlighted a "recycling of sell flow into higher-momentum assets," suggesting investor appetite is pivoting back toward altcoins and structured crypto products.Still, not all metrics inspire confidence. A report from CryptoQuant warned that Ethereum’s on-chain activity remains flat, stagnating since 2021 hinting that the rally may outpace underlying fundamentals.Bitcoin Continues Climb, ETFs Drive Upward PressureMeanwhile, Bitcoin (BTC) continues its steady ascent, trading above $102,500. ETF inflows remain positive, and analysts at Standard Chartered have begun calling their previous $120,000 Q2 target “too conservative.” The CoinDesk 20 Index, a benchmark for digital asset performance, is up over 10%.As miners fight for profitability and Ethereum regains market favor, the broader crypto ecosystem finds itself navigating a volatile blend of protocol upgrades, rising operational costs, and renewed retail interest.

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