Monoup news digest: main updates from fintech industry
As usual, we’re wrapping up the week with Monoup experts. Today, we’ve gathered the most relevant news from the past week and will briefly explain why you shouldn’t miss it. Today, you’ll find out why USDT might lose its peg to the dollar. This “news” has unsettled not only crypto enthusiasts but also regular business owners and users who rely on the stablecoin daily, storing assets, making payments, and ensuring their liquidity. Will the market rush to switch to other stablecoins, and is there a reason to worry? Let’s discuss it.
Meanwhile, the Chinese payment system is conquering new horizons — UnionPay has covered almost all of Kazakhstan and refers to the country as a “distant neighbor.” Relations between the two countries are developing, and the payment component plays an important role.
Stay with us to learn the details.
UnionPay Covers 90% of Kazakhstan
The Chinese payment system has reached almost all merchants in the country — according to the company itself, UnionPay cards are accepted by about 90% of businesses. The key partner is the local giant Kaspi. Cash withdrawals are also available through Halyk Bank, Forte Bank, CenterCredit, Jusan, and BCC. It took UnionPay nearly 20 years to achieve this level of expansion since its launch in the country.
Now, Chinese tourists and customers can pay using their familiar local payment method, which creates convenience and potentially increases the number of visitors. In 2025, there has been a lot of activity in integrating payment systems and collaborations between international payment methods. The European Union also decided not to lag behind this trend and is integrating with India’s UPI to send instant payments to India and receive payments across all EU countries from India. This is possible through the European TIPS system, with UPI serving as the foundation.
Plaid Introduces One-Click Solution for Open Banking
The open banking solutions provider Plaid has added a One-Click feature to its Pay by Bank payments. Now, loyal returning customers go straight to the payment confirmation page, bypassing the bank selection step (which is usually the first step in payment process).
The company promises that this accelerated checkout will increase conversion rates by approximately 11%. The fewer clicks between the cart and payment, the less chance the customer will change their mind. The feature currently works in 18 EU countries where Plaid operates.
For e-commerce businesses, this means the ability to reduce cart abandonment rates, and services with repeat purchases can offer their existing customer base a shorter payment path, potentially increasing the number of payments.
Is USDT at Risk of Losing Its Value?
The rating agency S&P Global claims that USDT could lose its 1:1 peg to the dollar in the near future. The main reason is the decline in Bitcoin value, which partially backs USDT, and the subsequent lack of funds to support reserves. Bitcoin is also forecasted to experience significant losses in price, though these predictions are currently unsupported. The rest of Tether’s reserves are held in short-term U.S. Treasury bonds and other cash dollar equivalents, which are considered high-risk investments.
S&P points to weak compliance and USDT’s involvement in high-risk transactions. Against the backdrop of the growing popularity of USDC among regulated companies, this could cost Tether part of its market share. In October, USDC led in transaction volumes on the stablecoin market for the first time, further alarming users. Previously, Tether’s rating wasn’t the highest too, but its popularity and market coverage provided confidence in its stability. Now, if a significant share of the market switches to the more regulated USDC, the risk is quite real.
Tether itself disagrees with this assessment and is confident it will withstand the turbulence, as it has done before. The company’s CEO posted a message on his X (formerly Twitter) account, calling the rating a “propaganda machine” and hinting that the traditional financial system is deliberately trying to damage Tether’s reputation.
WERO Launches for E-Commerce in Germany
New European payment wallet has started accepting online payments for German merchants. For now, access is limited to major players — Decathlon, Lidl, BAUR, Air Europa and few others. After their testing phase, other companies will also be able to connect to the service.
In 2026, WERO e-commerce will also expand to Belgium, France, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, wallet will replace iDEAL, local payment method that is gradually migrating to a unified European system.
The launch of WERO is Europe’s attempt to create an alternative to American payment giants. For merchants in the EU, this could mean lower fees and independence from Visa/Mastercard. However, it’s still unclear whether users will want to switch from their familiar cards to the new wallet, despite significant interest. Success will depend on the speed of WERO’s implementation and its popularization among the European population.
These are the updates we’ve gathered for you this week. To stay informed at all times, subscribe to our Telegram channel, where we promptly publish industry updates, analyze news, and share expertise in payments. Our subscribers are major payment systems, businesses in gaming and other online sectors, and representatives of other significant players in the payment niche.
