One bank's push to use Ripple's XRP in cross-border payments; LendUp spins off credit card business, names new CEO; a worrisome resurgence of rivalry among the banking agencies; and more from this week's most-read stories.

Efforts to build better connections to bank customer data, trade digital currency and explore artificial intelligence for security and compliance purposes were some of the biggest draws of fundraising for U.S. startups.

Ethereum Classic, an offshoot of the second-largest cryptocurrency, remains under attack by some of the so-called miners whose servers support the underlying network operations, according to the cooperative that funds development of the digital coin.

Sell-offs are happening all over, bitcoin has shown strength in the past and is attracting partnerships, argues Ken Gary, vice president of corporate strategy and development at Stafford Communications.

Facebook’s WhatsApp unit has been testing its payments app in India since May; investors price in an almost a 90% probability of no Fed hikes this year.

Samsung is exploring the development of a smartphone-based cryptocurrency wallet, according to a recent patent application the electronics giant filed in the U.K.

As a growing number of cryptocurrency ventures struggle for funding, cut staff or shut down, all is well in one small corner of the industry: lending.

The industry has largely avoided added federal oversight after the Equifax hack; the product has created a “financial albatross” as consumers game the system.

Merchants will need to feel comfortable that enough of their vendors will also accept crypto, writes Jared McClure, co-founder and COO of CrayPay.

More traditional players interested in creating a safer market for digital assets have issued a checklist that cryptocurrency firms can follow to build confidence among banks, consumers and regulators.

Prometheum may succeed whether others have failed because it has attempted to work closely with regulators.

Facebook’s payments ambitions have made banks wary for years, despite many false starts. But now it looks as if Facebook is pivoting to develop a remittance business, starting with a cryptocurrency project in India.

Facebook Inc. is working on making a cryptocurrency that will let users transfer money on its WhatsApp messaging app, focusing first on the remittances market in India, according to people familiar with the matter.

Litecoin founder Charlie Lee says he’s focusing on increasing use of the eighth-largest cryptocurrency rather than dwelling on his fortuitous decision a year ago to sell all his holdings at the height of the digital-asset market bubble.

The NYSE contract will pay out in cryptocurrency; 10 Estonians who worked at the Danish bank were detained, and prosecutors promise more arrests.

The SEC is already ramping up action in the cryptocurrency space, with stronger moves in the year ahead, and market participants should be preparing to respond, according to Aaron Kaplan, a securities lawyer and founder at Prometheum.

After one of the worst stretches of losses for cryptocurrencies on record, enthusiasts are taking comfort in a recovery in prices of digital assets including Bitcoin, Ether, EOS and Litecoin.

Many banks and government officials are dubious about crypto, but Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel lets businesses pay their taxes with it and has put all the state government’s expenses on a public ledger.

The People’s Bank of China, the country’s central bank, plans to introduce a digital currency of its own. But unlike the decentralized blockchain-based offerings, this one could give Beijing more control over its financial system.

Two U.S. senators demand an investigation into the German bank over security, criminal risks; the Treasury has proposed rules to help foreign banks deal with last year’s tax law.