As the second largest financial giant in the UK by market capitalization, Barclays Bank announced a major move yesterday (1/7) — directly investing in Ubyx, a US startup. This company specializes in bank deposit tokenization and regulated stablecoin clearing systems, essentially enabling traditional financial institutions to confidently enter the blockchain payment space.

What’s interesting about this investment is that Barclays has shifted from its previous stance of "watching and avoiding" to "actively embracing." This marks the first time a major global systemic financial institution has directly invested in a stablecoin technology company. Once traditional banks start to act, the market signals become clear — regulatory-friendly blockchain payment infrastructure is becoming the next battleground for traditional finance.

The team behind Ubyx is also impressive. Founder Tony McLaughlin spent over twenty years at Citibank, focusing on global payments and cash flow management, with a deep understanding of the payments industry. He founded Ubyx in March 2025, and by June and July, during seed funding rounds, the company secured $10 million. Investors include Galaxy Ventures, founded by Michael Novogratz — this lineup shows there is consensus within the circle about this direction.

What does it reflect when traditional banks are willing to take action? It indicates that within the existing financial regulatory framework, everyone is aiming to establish standardized infrastructure for blockchain payments. This is not a Bitcoin-style revolution, but a strategy of "embracing and integrating."