SAN FRANCISCO, CA

Uphold, the infrastructure provider for on-chain finance, today releases research which reveals that 75% of American banks have blockchain finance programmes underway: 22% have projects that are live or scaling, while an additional 53% are piloting or assessing specific use cases. 

• Three quarters of U.S. banks confirm digital asset programmes – 22% with projects live or scaling; more than half piloting or actively evaluating
• The buying phase for digital asset infrastructure has started – two-thirds of banks have allocated funds; more than half have issued RFPs for digital asset vendors and partners
• Key use cases are digital asset wallets, custody and buy/ sell/ hold for wealth management
• Main barriers to adoption are cybersecurity, risk management concerns, and regulatory uncertainty/ compliance
   

The study leaves no doubt that the majority of American banks – both large and regional – have kicked off processes for buying digital asset services: 54% have issued RFPs for digital asset vendors and partners, while two-thirds have allocated funds for infrastructure.

Among other markers of banks embarking on blockchain-focused transformation, the survey found that 72% of institutions have appointed an executive accountable for digital asset/blockchain strategy, while 68% confirmed possessing the necessary in-house regulatory and compliance capabilities.

“Blockchain powers cheaper, faster and better financial services. The kind the next generation of bank customers expect as digital natives who’ve grown up with instant, borderless, always-on messaging services,” said Simon McLoughlin, Uphold’s CEO.

“Our survey shows that promise is already moving from theory to practice, as financial institutions commit capital and talent to blockchain-based infrastructure. The failure of the Clarity Act has delayed a comprehensive legal framework for the US market, but it has not stopped progress. It’s been gratifying to see the SEC and CFTC move swiftly to fill the regulatory gap, smooth the path for blockchain adoption and give firms a clear way forward. Regulation is no substitute for durable legislation, but the direction seems clear and irreversible: finance is moving on-chain.”  

Uphold commissioned American Banker to poll U.S. banks of all sizes on their progress in integrating blockchain-powered services, priority use cases, and expected benefits. The survey spanned multinationals, regional banks, and credit unions. More than half of respondents (53%) report more than $50 billion of assets under management.

When asked which blockchain services were most important, respondents said:

• Digital wallets and/ or custody solutions (72%)
• Digital asset buy/ sell/ hold for wealth management (70%)
• Digital wallet-led international expansion (65%)
• Stablecoin rails for institutional settlement (64%)
• Prime brokerage and institutional-grade clearing (64%)

Two in three respondents (66%) see a shared upside in blockchain-powered services, believing that both banks and their customers will benefit. And banks are building for all customer segments: of those institutions with initiatives live, in pilot or evaluation, two-thirds (65%) are designing services for commercial customers, with 52% building for retail customers and 47% for wealth management.

Amid this momentum however, the industry recognises a number of challenges in advancing their digital asset and blockchain strategies. The top three barriers to progress were cybersecurity concerns (cited by 47%), risk management and operational risk concerns (47%) and regulatory uncertainty and compliance requirements (46%).

McLoughlin continued: “The world’s biggest economy and largest capital market is now at the forefront of blockchain-powered transformation. Thankfully, our report shows strong momentum among banks across a wide range of areas, and particularly in digital wallets, wealth management, custody and stablecoins. Irrespective of recent news from Washington, the financial industry will continue innovating, customer demands will keep evolving, and the legal framework will take shape via diverse regulatory forces – some international, some domestic. The coming blockchain economy will unlock significant pools of capital and has the potential to accelerate  global growth.”

Research Methodology

American Banker conducted this research online from July 27 to August 14, 2026 among 114 qualified respondents. Qualified respondents work at a bank, credit union, or neobank, and are a primary decision maker, significant influencer, or directly involved in their institution’s digital asset and blockchain strategy. Respondents span community, regional, super-regional, and national/global banks, as well as credit unions.

This was a blind data collection effort. Uphold was not identified as the sponsor of this research.

About Uphold

Uphold, is a financial technology company that believes on-chain services are the future of finance. It provides modern infrastructure for on-chain payments, banking and investments. Offering Consumer Services, Business Services and Institutional Trading, Uphold makes financial services easy and trustworthy for millions of customers in more than 140 countries.

Uphold integrates with more than 30 trading venues, including centralized and decentralized exchanges, to deliver superior liquidity, resilience and optimal execution. Uphold never loans out customer assets, except at customer request, and is always 100% reserved.

The company pioneered radical transparency and uniquely publishes its assets and liabilities every 30 seconds on a public website (https://uphold.com/en-us/transparency).

Uphold is regulated in the U.S. by FinCen and State regulators; and is registered in the UK with the FCA and in Europe with the Bank of Portugal. Securities products and services are offered by Uphold Securities, Inc., a broker-dealer registered with the SEC and a member of FINRA and SIPC.

To learn more about Uphold’s products and services, visit uphold.com.

Media Contact Details
Marc Sparrow
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Colorado’s $152,000 settlement underscores how regulation and enforcement are critical to consumer protections

Washington, DC

The Kratom Consumer Advisory Council (KCAC) today applauded Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser’s $152,000 settlement with the owners of a 15-store smoke-shop chain that sold products that exceeded the state’s legal 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) potency limit and failed to meet critical consumer safety labeling and packaging requirements. Under the Daniel Bregger Act, the amount of 7-OH in a product may not exceed 2 percent of a product’s total alkaloid content — a level that natural kratom leaf cannot reach. Products over the cap are, by definition, concentrated synthetic 7-OH products, not natural kratom leaf products.

The settlement requires the businesses to test products sold in Colorado, maintain purchase documentation and comply with the Colorado Consumer Protection Act and the Daniel Bregger Act. A violation of the agreement triggers an additional $500,000 payment to the state.

Colorado law restricts kratom sales to adults 21 and older, bans synthetically derived products like concentrated synthetic products, and prohibits products that exceed the state’s 7-OH potency limit, lack required labeling or packaging, or otherwise violate consumer-protection standards. The Attorney General’s announcement draws the same line: “While the alkaloid substance 7-OH naturally occurs in the kratom plant, companies manufacture concentrated forms of 7-OH products that interact with the same brain receptors as opioids, which can be extremely potent and addicting.”

“Colorado’s action demonstrates that policymakers can protect consumers without treating every product sold under the ‘kratom’ label as the same thing,” said KCAC Chair Dr. C. Michael White, Pharm.D., FCP, FCCP, FASHP, Distinguished Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Connecticut. “Natural kratom leaf, conventional extracts and highly concentrated 7-OH products have important differences in composition and risk. Effective policy recognizes those differences, targets products that violate the law and gives consumers clear, accurate information. Well done to AG Weiser on this decisive action”

“Policymakers must distinguish between natural botanical kratom leaf and the highly concentrated or chemically manufactured products that are driving legitimate concern,” said, David Bregger, a former member of the Kratom Consumer Advisory Council whose son Daniel died in Denver in 2021 after consuming a highly concentrated product sold without serving directions or warnings, and for whom Colorado’s Daniel Bregger Act is named. “It is rewarding to see the state take the Daniel Bregger act seriously and bring businesses and manufacturers to task for violating the provisions in the act. I want to express my gratitude to AG Weiser and his team for this decisive and important action.”

The Kratom Consumer Advisory Council supports science-based safeguards modeled on the Daniel Bregger Act and Kratom Consumer Protection Act frameworks, including 21-and-over sales restrictions, independent testing, transparent labeling, manufacturing standards and strong penalties for companies that market adulterated or noncompliant products.

About the Kratom Consumer Advisory Council

The Kratom Consumer Advisory Council (KCAC) is an independent board made up of a clinician-scientist and consumers that uses the strongest available evidence to produce position statements that promote evidence-based policy. The KCAC is supported by the Global Kratom Coalition, which advocates for regulations that protect consumers and curb the sale of adulterated or synthetic products falsely marketed as kratom. For more information, visit globalkratomcoalition.org/about-kcac.

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Global Kratom Coalition
Kratom Consumer Advisory Council
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Acquisition of Randhurst Village Expands Rhino’s Presence in the Affluent Chicago Metropolitan Market

Mount Prospect, Illinois

Rhino Investments Group, a commercial real estate investment firm specializing in value-add and necessity-based retail assets, announced today the acquisition of Randhurst Village, an open-air, dual grocery-anchored power center located in Mount Prospect, Illinois. The acquisition closed on September 15, 2026.

The acquisition marks Rhino’s second major retail investment in the Chicago metropolitan area in the past year, following its acquisition of The Promenade Bolingbrook in Bolingbrook, Illinois. Together, the acquisitions reflect Rhino’s continued expansion in the Chicago market and its strategy of investing in large-scale, well-located retail destinations with strong tenancy and long-term value-creation opportunities.

Randhurst Village is an approximately 931,798-square-foot open-air power center situated on 94.22 acres at the high-traffic intersection of Rand Road (U.S. Route 12) and Elmhurst Road (Illinois Route 83). The property is currently dual-anchored by Jewel-Osco, the leading supermarket in the Chicago MSA, and Costco, the nation’s top warehouse grocer and a rare inclusion in retail collateral.

The center features an institutional-quality tenant roster. Beyond its grocery anchors, Randhurst Village is home to Home Depot, Macy’s, TJ Maxx, HomeGoods, Nike, Skechers, PetSmart, Planet Fitness, and AMC Theatres, among others, creating a diverse and resilient tenant mix.

As one of the highest-trafficked power centers in Illinois, Randhurst Village draws more than 7.3 million annual visitors, reinforcing its standing as a dominant regional shopping destination in Chicago’s affluent northern suburbs.

“Randhurst Village is an important addition to our portfolio and builds on the momentum we established with our acquisition of The Promenade Bolingbrook last year,” said Sanjiv Chopra, CEO of Rhino Investments Group. “These two acquisitions demonstrate our continued commitment to the Chicago market and our strategy of investing in large-scale retail destinations with strong tenancy, embedded growth and long-term relevance within their communities. Randhurst Village’s dual grocery anchors and multiple opportunities for future upside make it an especially compelling addition to our portfolio.”

Rhino Investments Group plans to operate and evaluate strategic leasing and development opportunities that further enhance the community.

About Rhino Investments Group

Rhino Investments Group is a leading commercial real estate firm based in Las Vegas, Nevada, specializing in value-add investments across retail and commercial properties nationwide. With a proven track record of successful acquisitions, development, and asset management, Rhino is focused on transforming underutilized properties into thriving community destinations.

For more information, visit www.rhinoig.com.

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Michael Sanchez
Rhino Investments Group
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Website: rhinoinvestmentsgroup.com