15 Sep, 2025

Ethereum Stablecoin Supply Hits Record $166 Billion, Bolstering Role as DeFi’s Settlement Base

Ethereum's total stablecoin supply has climbed to a record $166 billion, underscoring growing confidence in the network’s role as a core DeFi infrastructure.Data shows that the total stablecoin supply on Ethereum reached $166 billion as of Saturday, up from $149.5 billion a month earlier. USDT remains the dominant stablecoin with $87.8 billion in supply on Ethereum, followed by USDC at $48 billion."Ethereum's stablecoin supply hitting an all-time high marks a defining moment, shifting from speculative asset to a backbone for dollarization within DeFi ecosystems," Vincent Liu, CIO of Kronos Research, told The Block. "It also highlights that liquidity is now strong enough to absorb volatility and support the market during macro dips."Nick Ruck, director of LVRG Research, shared similar views, suggesting that Ethereum's record stablecoin supply "signifies a massive increase in institutional liquidity and deepening trust in its infrastructure as the foundational layer for DeFi." "Primarily driven by USDC and USDT expansion, the growth indicates accelerating institutional adoption that may lead to an increase in DeFi activity and potential ETH price appreciation to meet ecosystem demand," Ruck added.Meanwhile, USDT's market cap climbed above $170 billion over the weekend, currently standing at $170.3 billion as of 2:30 a.m. ET Monday, according to CoinGecko data.

10 Sep, 2025

Laos to Boost Digital Skills with USD 9.9 million Support from South Korea

Laos is set to accelerate its digital transformation with support from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), which has pledged USD 9.9 million to train civil servants and strengthen their digital skills from 2025 to 2029.The project is designed to lay a strong foundation for a modern, digitally-enabled government, and will support the establishment of a Digital-Human Resources Development Center, a key initiative to enhance digital governance and improve public service delivery across the country. An agreement was signed on 9 September in Vientiane, main attendees were Korean Ambassador to Laos Jung Yung-soo, Minister of Technology and Communications Boviengkham Vongdara. The new center will operate under the Ministry of Technology and Communications, developing a comprehensive training master plan, producing learning materials, and providing structured programmes to upskill civil servants. Ambassador Jung highlighted the significance of the project, saying it will speed up Laos’ digital transformation, provide a permanent training system for civil servants, and create a sustainable digital education environment for the government. Boviengkham noted that the project aligns with Laos’ National Socio-economic Development Plans and will modernise government administration while improving the quality of public services. KOICA also emphasized that the initiative will strengthen bilateral ties and establish a long-term digital education system that benefits all citizens.Digital transformation has been identified as a top national priority. Laos has set out a long-term vision to modernise public services and drive economic growth through its National Digital Economic Development Vision (2021–2024), Strategy (2021–2030), and Plan (2021–2025). The National Committee on Digital Transformation has been tasked with promoting these strategies through policies, action plans, and project monitoring across multiple sectors.At a high-level meeting last year, President Thongloun Sisoulith emphasized the urgency of digital transformation for socio-economic development, warning that without swift progress, Laos risks falling behind as the world enters the Fourth Industrial Revolution.