HONG KONG, May 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Global finance is entering a new phase. Stablecoins are no longer experimental—they are becoming core infrastructure for payments, settlement, and value transfer. At the same time, regulation is rapidly taking shape across major financial hubs, defining how digital assets can operate at scale.

Rather than operating in isolated markets or fragmented compliance environments, Alchemy Chain takes a different approach, aligning directly with the world's most important regulatory frameworks while building a seamless payment and settlement network on top.

The goal is simple, but ambitious: To create a globally compliant stablecoin payment network that works across jurisdictions, institutions, and real-world use cases.

Building the First Dual-Compliant Stablecoin Payment Network

Alchemy Chain is designed to become the world's first dual-compliant payment blockchain, bridging Europe's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) and Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) regulatory framework, while enabling the native issuance of its own USD stablecoin, aiming to be the regulatory and financial infrastructure layer purpose-built for the next phase of digital finance.

By plans to integrate Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) and the Second Payment Services Directive (PSD2), a regulation implemented by the European Union to modernize and improve payment services across Europe, Alchemy Chain unlocks compliant access to European payment rails, from merchants and payment institutions to enterprise treasury flows. Businesses can seamlessly move between fiat and stablecoin rails within a regulated framework, enabling real-world usability at scale.

In parallel, through Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) Type 1, Type 4, and Type 9 licenses, combined with alignment to Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) stablecoin regulatory requirements, Alchemy Chain establishes a compliant financial gateway into Asia-Pacific, one of the fastest-growing regions for digital asset adoption and institutional capital.

Real-World Impact: Unlocking Stablecoin-Powered Cross-Border Trade in Africa

The value of Alchemy Chain lies not only in its infrastructure design, but in the real-world economic efficiency it unlocks.

One of the clearest opportunities is in Africa's cross-border B2B trade corridors, where traditional payment systems continue to create significant friction for businesses. Merchants operating across markets such as Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and Egypt often face settlement cycles of three to seven business days, transaction costs reaching 5–8%, foreign exchange restrictions, and capital lock-up that constrains working capital.

These inefficiencies directly impact business growth, particularly for small and medium-sized exporters operating in sectors such as agriculture, textiles, manufacturing, and commodities.

Alchemy Chain addresses these challenges through a stablecoin-native B2B settlement framework that enables instant cross-border payment flows between major African local currencies and USD-denominated stablecoin liquidity.

Through Alchemy Chain's native settlement layer, businesses can settle using compliant USD, euro, or Hong Kong dollar stablecoins and seamlessly convert into local currencies such as the Nigerian naira, Kenyan shilling, and South African rand, completing the entire settlement lifecycle in near real time.

Powered by Alchemy Chain's MiCA and HKMA/SFC dual-compliant framework, this infrastructure delivers:

Transformational settlement speed: Transactions settle in seconds, eliminating delays caused by correspondent banking networks

Substantial cost reduction: Payment costs are reduced by an estimated 70–80% compared to traditional cross-border channels

Enhanced liquidity management: Multi-currency stablecoin settlement reduces reliance on pre-funded accounts and minimizes foreign exchange exposure

Enterprise-grade compliance and scalability: Fully auditable and aligned with global KYC and AML standards, enabling secure deployment for high-volume commercial transactions

By enabling faster settlement, lower operating costs, and improved capital efficiency, Alchemy Chain is expected to help participating African trade merchants increase transaction volume by 40–50% within six months of integration.

More importantly, it establishes a pathway for major African economies, including Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and Egypt, to integrate directly into a unified global payment network, where stablecoins evolve from financial instruments into essential economic infrastructure.

Alchemy Chain's Native USD stablecoin

At the core of this system is the upcoming Alchemy Chain's native USD stablecoin. Designed to issue directly on-chain under compliant frameworks, it will serve as a unified settlement asset across jurisdictions, connecting Europe, Asia, and beyond into a single liquidity network.

What emerges is a new financial infrastructure:
A globally compliant, enterprise-grade stablecoin settlement layer that enables:

• Cross-border payments without fragmentation
• Real-time enterprise settlement across jurisdictions
• Unified liquidity across fiat and crypto systems
• A foundation for next-generation applications, including AI-driven financial agents

In one word, Alchemy Chain transforms stablecoins from isolated instruments into a fully integrated global payment network.

Roadmap and Key Plans

Here's how Alchemy Chain roadmap and key plans unveil:

2026 Q1 — Regulatory Foundation (Hong Kong)

• Upgrade Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) Type 1 license to support crypto-related activities, enabling compliant digital asset trading and distribution.
• Establish the regulatory groundwork for integrating trading, payment, and settlement capabilities under a unified compliance framework.

2026 Q2 — European Payment Expansion

• Portfolio company ZBX obtains authorization under the Second Payment Services Directive (PSD2), unlocking regulated access to European payment infrastructure, fully activating Electronic Money Token (EMT) payment capabilities across Europe, enabling compliant issuance, transfer, and redemption of stable-value assets.
• Launch enterprise-grade compliant stablecoin payment products, targeting merchants, payment institutions, and global businesses operating across borders.
• Begin bridging European fiat payment rails with on-chain settlement, forming the first phase of cross-region payment connectivity.

2026 Q3 — Asset Management & Stablecoin Issuance

• Upgrade Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) Type 9 (asset management) license to support crypto assets, enabling regulated on-chain asset management and treasury operations.
• Submit Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) application granted by Australian Securities & Investment Commission to conduct relative financial services business.
• Officially launches Alchemy Chain's compliant USD stablecoin, issued natively on-chain with built-in compliance, transparency, and redemption mechanisms.
• Enable early-stage cross-border settlement flows between Asia and Europe using the native stablecoin.

2026 Q4 — Global Compliance & Network Expansion

• Initiate direct applications under Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) and the Second Payment Services Directive (PSD2) through Alchemy Pay's own entity, strengthening regulatory independence and scalability.
• Complete upgrades of Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) Type 1, Type 4, and Type 9 licenses, forming a fully licensed digital asset financial stack.
• Apply for the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) stablecoin issuer license, enabling fully regulated issuance and circulation within Hong Kong's financial system.
• Secure Virtual Assets Service Providers (VASPs) in Korea to expand its market presence.
• Enable compliant circulation of the Alchemy Chain USD stablecoin across Hong Kong and global crypto payment ecosystems, including merchant payments, enterprise settlement, and institutional flows.
• Expand enterprise stablecoin settlement from "Europe + Asia" into a globally interconnected network, covering major economic regions and payment corridors

Wrapping Up

Alchemy Chain is about building the layer between traditional finance and the digital economy, where compliance, liquidity, and usability converge. The mainnet is live now, and we welcome builders and developers to visit Alchemy Chain official website, review the documentation, and follow our mainnet deployment guides.

By aligning with major regulatory regimes and enabling a unified settlement asset, Alchemy Chain is positioned to move stablecoin payments from regional experimentation to global infrastructure.

From Europe to Asia, from enterprises to emerging AI-driven economies, the direction is clear: A single network. A compliant foundation. And a global standard for how value moves.

About Alchemy Chain

Alchemy Chain is a payments-focused Layer-1 blockchain developed by Alchemy Pay to support fast, low-cost, and reliable stablecoin transactions at global scale with predictable transaction fees and fast settlement. Alchemy Chain integrates seamlessly with ready to use on & off-ramp infrastructure, connecting stablecoins directly to fiat payment rails, banks, and wallets worldwide. The network uses $ACH as its native gas fee token, reinforcing $ACH's utility at the core of the ecosystem by powering transactions, securing the network, and incentivizing participation.

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SOURCE Alchemy Pay