Nedbank, Crypto.com, And KBC Lead Crypto Partnerships In March’s 2nd Week

The second week of March highlighted a different side of crypto growth: integration. Banks, exchanges, hardware wallets, and global brands moved deeper into collaboration, expanding stablecoin payments, regulated trading, institutional infrastructure, and bitcoin-native finance. Across regions from Africa to Europe and Asia, partnerships continued quietly reshaping how digital assets interact with traditional systems.

Nedbank Teams Up with Crypto.com to Offer Advanced Crypto Services Across Africa

Nedbank has entered a strategic partnership with Crypto.com to develop blockchain-based payment, settlement and liquidity solutions across Africa.

The initiative aims to modernize cross-border transactions in a region that still relies heavily on legacy payment rails. High settlement costs, currency volatility and geopolitical exposure have long complicated trade flows across African markets. By integrating blockchain infrastructure with traditional banking systems, Nedbank hopes to create a more resilient and efficient financial framework.

Through Crypto.com’s digital asset platform, the partnership will enable real-time conversion between South African rand and the stablecoin USD Coin. Clients — ranging from individuals and SMEs to large corporates — will gain access to digital dollar liquidity for trade, remittances and treasury management. The system will also introduce daily net settlements between the two institutions, improving transparency and regulatory oversight.

The rollout will take place in phases over the next year, beginning with retail clients before expanding to businesses and institutional users. Nedbank executives described the effort as a step toward building a compliant blockchain payment backbone for Africa, capable of connecting banks, businesses and regulated crypto service providers.

The project also aligns with the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area, which seeks to deepen economic integration across the continent.

Hana partners with Circle, Crypto.com to support global stablecoin payments for foreign customers

Hana Financial Group is expanding its digital asset strategy through a new partnership with Circle and Crypto.com to pilot stablecoin-based payments for foreign visitors in South Korea.

The initiative, led by Hana’s card unit, Hana Card, will allow international travelers to make purchases at local merchants using payment cards connected to stablecoin balances. The program centers on USD Coin, the dollar-backed digital asset issued by Circle.

As part of the rollout, foreign customers holding a Crypto.com Visa card will receive 5% cashback when paying with USDC at participating merchants. Eligibility requires cardholders to maintain a USDC balance or recharge history linked to their accounts.

The pilot aims to give inbound visitors hands-on experience with digital asset payments while helping merchants attract demand from crypto-native users. At the same time, Hana plans to assess how stablecoin transactions can function within South Korea’s existing card infrastructure.

Executives indicated the project will help evaluate the “growth potential” of stablecoins as a payment tool while expanding cooperation with global digital asset companies. The move builds on a memorandum of understanding signed between Hana Card and Circle in December to explore broader USDC payment and settlement initiatives.

KBC Becomes First Belgian Bank to Offer Regulated Crypto Trading Through Its Retail Brokerage Platform, Selecting Taurus as Custody Partner

KBC Group is entering the regulated crypto market through a new custody partnership with digital asset infrastructure provider Taurus.

The collaboration will allow KBC to offer crypto trading to retail clients through its online brokerage platform, Bolero. With the rollout, KBC becomes the first Belgian bank to provide crypto trading within a fully regulated banking framework.

The service will provide execution-only trading services for Bitcoin and Ether to self-directed investors. The offering will operate under European regulatory requirements, which include the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation and mandatory risk disclosures and investor education.

Custody will be handled through Taurus’ institutional-grade platform, Taurus-PROTECT, which provides secure digital asset storage designed specifically for regulated financial institutions. The infrastructure integrates with KBC’s internal compliance, risk management and operational systems, ensuring full oversight of crypto activity.

The platform will operate under a closed model in which crypto assets traded through Bolero remain within the brokerage environment. This setup reduces fraud, operational and security risks while sparing users from managing private keys or navigating external exchanges.

Executives at both companies framed the initiative as a step toward making regulated crypto services a reliable offering for traditional banking clients.

OKX McLaren F1 Partnership: Crypto Sponsorship Analysis & Livery Evolution

OKX and McLaren Racing have built one of the most visible crypto sponsorships in Formula 1 since launching their multi-year partnership in 2022.

The partnership established OKX as McLaren’s main sponsorship partner who displayed its brand on three car models which included MCL36 and MCL60 and MCL38. The team maintained its traditional papaya-orange color scheme but used OKX’s black-and-white colors to design its livery which appeared on various components including the engine cover and sidepods and rear wing because those sections provided optimal visibility to television viewers and podium presentations.

The partnership extends its reach beyond branding because it dedicates most of its resources to activities that bring fans closer to their favorite teams. The two companies created multiple digital assets, which include NFT collections and digital collectibles and interactive campaigns that enable motorsport fans to experience blockchain technology. The initiatives use tokenized rewards and exclusive content and race event merchandise to convert inactive fans into active participants by their implementation.

Crypto companies use this partnership as a strategic move to establish connections with international sports brands. The Formula 1 racing series provides exchanges with a strong platform because its international audience exceeds 1.5 billion viewers who have watched its recent seasons.

The partnership also includes race-day activations, hospitality programs and co-branded merchandise, turning the relationship into a full-scale marketing and engagement platform rather than a simple sponsorship.

Babylon, Ledger partnership targets secure use of bitcoin as DeFi collateral

Babylon Labs has partnered with hardware wallet maker Ledger to expand access to its trustless Bitcoin vault infrastructure, aiming to bring native BTC deeper into decentralized finance while preserving self-custody.

The integration introduces native Ledger signer support for Babylon’s BTCVaults, allowing users to authorize vault transactions directly from a Ledger device through the company’s Clear Signing interface. Instead of interacting through browser wallets, users can review and approve transaction details directly on the hardware device’s screen.

BTCVaults are designed to let holders deploy their bitcoin as collateral in DeFi applications without relying on custodians, bridges or wrapped tokens. The assets remain on the Bitcoin network and operate under programmable conditions that are verified on-chain.

Babylon co-founder David Tse indicated the system aims to remove a long-standing limitation in crypto markets, where bitcoin’s size contrasts with its limited participation in DeFi due to custody and intermediary risks.

The partnership also expands Babylon’s presence within the Ledger ecosystem, including integration with the Ledger Wallet application and support for the BABY token. The broader Babylon platform focuses on what it calls “trustless Bitcoin productivity,” enabling BTC to secure proof-of-stake networks and other decentralized systems.

Industry players like Kraken have already integrated Babylon-based bitcoin staking solutions.

Gate and Bank Frick have entered into a strategic partnership to launch multi-currency fiat currency deposit and withdrawal services.

Gate.com has partnered with Bank Frick to introduce fiat deposit and withdrawal services for institutional clients across multiple jurisdictions.

The collaboration is designed to improve institutional access to major fiat currencies while strengthening the bridge between traditional banking and digital asset markets. Through the partnership, Gate’s institutional users will be able to deposit and withdraw funds using Bank Frick’s payment infrastructure, enabling direct fiat trading of major cryptocurrencies on the platform.

A key component of the integration is Bank Frick’s xPULSE payment system, which operates around the clock. Unlike traditional banking rails that follow limited operating hours, xPULSE supports near-instant fiat transactions 24/7, allowing global traders to move funds across time zones without settlement delays.

The system also removes the need for regional currency pre-conversion, enabling clients to trade directly in major fiat currencies while benefiting from faster settlement and streamlined liquidity management. All services will operate under established compliance and regulatory frameworks designed for institutional-grade financial activity.

Executives from both companies indicated that the partnership responds to long-standing demand for reliable fiat access within crypto markets. The offering is aimed at hedge funds, asset managers, family offices and other institutional participants seeking secure and efficient banking channels for digital asset trading.

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