United

2026

Wednesday

Galaxy

would

Barclays, one of the world’s biggest banks and a systemically important global financial institution, has made its first investment in a stablecoin-related company.
The United Kingdom-based bank <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/barclays-invests-in-ubyx-to-advance-digital-money-connectivity-302654135.html" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">said</a> Wednesday it had invested in Ubyx, a US stablecoin clearing platform that aims to connect regulated issuers with banks and fintech companies. Barclays did not disclose the size of the investment.
“As the landscape of tokens, blockchains and wallets evolves, specialist technology will play a pivotal role in delivering connectivity and infrastructure to enable regulated financial institutions to interact seamlessly,” said Ryan Hayward, head of digital assets and strategic investments at Barclays.
The investment follows <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/ubyx-raises-10m-to-standardize-stablecoin-redemption-and-drive-mass-adoption" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Ubyx’s $10 million seed funding round in June 2025</a>, backed by investors including venture capital arms of Michael Novogratz-founded Galaxy and the US crypto exchange Coinbase.
<h2 id="ripple-paxos-among-key-partners">Ripple, Paxos among key partners</h2>
Ubyx was founded in March 2025 by payments veteran Tony McLaughlin, who spent more than 20 years at Citi, managing payments and cash flows.
Describing himself on LinkedIn as a “tokenized money maximalist,” McLaughlin has highlighted the growing role of tokenized financial services.
“Our mission is to build a common globalised acceptance network for regulated digital money including tokenised deposits and regulated stablecoins,” McLaughlin said.
<figure>
 <img src="https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-01/019b97da-a005-72a5-9a0f-54e7a4b9459d.png" title="" alt="Barclays makes first stablecoin investment with stake in Ubyx">
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 Source: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-mclaughlin-7b627a3/?originalSubdomain=uk" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Tony McLaughlin</a>
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“We are entering a world in which every regulated firm offers digital wallets in addition to traditional bank accounts,” he added.
When announcing its 2025 seed funding, Ubyx <a href="https://chainwire.org/2025/06/17/ubyx-the-stablecoin-clearing-system-enabling-bank-fintech-off-ramps-announces-10m-seed-led-by-galaxy-ventures/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">said</a> its platform was designed to enable broad adoption of stablecoins, including those issued by major industry players including Ripple, Paxos, AllUnity and Eurodollar.
<h2 id="barclays-makes-first-stablecoin-investment">Barclays makes first stablecoin investment</h2>
Barclays’ investment in Ubyx is the first time the bank has taken a stake in a stablecoin-related company, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/transactional/barclays-buys-into-stablecoin-settlement-company-ubyx-2026-01-07/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">reported</a>.
“This investment aligns with Barclays’ approach to explore opportunities based on new forms of digital money, such as stablecoins,” the bank said, without disclosing the size of the investment.
Related: <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/rakbank-in-principle-approval-uae-stablecoin" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">UAE’s dirham stablecoin race widens as RAKBank nets in-principle approval</a>
The investment also represents a notable shift in Barclays’ approach to crypto after years in which the <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/barclays-ceo-refutes-rumors-the-bank-is-opening-crypto-trading-desk" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">bank highlighted risks</a> and restricted some crypto-related transactions.
In June 2025, Barclays said it would begin <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/barclays-ban-crypto-transactions-credit-cards-june" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">blocking crypto purchases on Barclaycard credit cards</a>, citing the volatility of cryptocurrencies.
Magazine: <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/magazine/how-crypto-laws-changed-2025-further-2026/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_self">How crypto laws changed in 2025 — and how they’ll change in 2026</a>

Barclays makes first stablecoin investment with stake in Ubyx

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