The bank applied for a US banking license, partnered with stablecoin issuer Bastion, and expanded its Web3 ambitions through its new subsidiary, BlockBloom. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan is also moving forward with stablecoin adoption by launching a regulated sandbox in 2026 to test blockchain-based payment systems and allowing tokenized securities to be issued and traded domestically. This is part of the regional push across Central Asia where countries like Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are quickly moving forward with stablecoin, CBDC, and digital asset initiatives.
