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The Marshall Islands NTA announced a partnership with Google Cloud and U.S. Government (USTDA-funded feasibility study) to deploy the IOKWE subsea fiber-optic cable system. The 'trunk and island' model gives RMI ownership of the Iokwe cable while tapping into Google's transpacific Halaihai system, dramatically reducing latency and increasing bandwidth redundancy for the nation.
Senators Tillis and Alsobrooks reached bipartisan compromise on stablecoin yield language. The draft prohibits VASPs from offering yield on stablecoin balances (anything economically equivalent to bank interest) but explicitly permits activity-based rewards tied to loyalty programs, transactions, and platform use. SEC, CFTC, and Treasury must jointly define permissible rewards and draft anti-evasion rules within 12 months. Senate Banking Committee markup is targeted for April; Sen. Moreno warned legislation must pass by May or stalls indefinitely.
The FATF issued a report defining offshore VASPs (oVASPs) as entities created under one jurisdiction's laws but serving clients in other jurisdictions without physical presence. The framework establishes consistent AML/CTF standards for cross-border VASP operations, including proper governance, custody separation, and transaction monitoring requirements across jurisdictions.