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Valereum PLC (AQSE:VLRM, FRA:6TJ, OTCQB:VLRMF) said Quorium Global Photonics has launched a stablecoin on Ripple’s XRP Ledger, marking a further step towards completing the companies’ proposed transaction.

The VXRUP stablecoin will serve as the primary liquidity vehicle for QGP’s ecosystem. QGP told Valereum that the issuance forms the foundation of its liquidity framework and advances the execution of Valereum’s digital asset strategy.

Valereum continues to hold 20,000 QMTN2601001 medium-term-note tokens under the original agreement announced in January. Each token carries a stated value of US$10,000, implying an aggregate stated value of US$200 million, although the company stressed that token valuations are inherently uncertain.

Chair James Bannon said the parties were in the “final stages” of a project that has been three years in development. Chief executive Gary Cottle acknowledged that completion had taken longer than anticipated, while QGP said its infrastructure was operational and the pathway to liquidity was clear.

Total Graphite PLC (LSE:TGR, OTCQX:TGRHF) announced it has appointed mining engineer Graeme Chester to lead preparations for restarting its Vatomina graphite operation in Madagascar at more than 1,000 tonnes per month from January 2027.

Chester, who has around 50 years of experience across mining, construction and project management, will oversee plant optimisation, infrastructure upgrades and other operational-readiness work over the coming months. He previously carried out the site review that identified opportunities to improve production and efficiency.

Diamond drilling is also continuing to strengthen confidence in the mineral resource and support mine planning. Seven holes have been completed so far, with the company reporting promising intersections of graphitic mineralisation, although assay results remain pending.

An independent geologist is reviewing the initial findings and helping design the continuing drill programme ahead of an August site visit. SRK previously estimated an exploration target of 18–20 million tonnes at 4% graphitic content, complementing Vatomina’s existing 6Mt resource grading 3.8%.

Wise Group PLC (LSE:WISE, NASDAQ:WSE) has kicked off its 2027 financial year with another strong quarter, as more customers turned to the fintech group for fast, low-cost international payments.

The company reported first-quarter net revenue of $714 million, up 25% from a year ago, driven by continued growth in cross-border payment volumes and customer numbers.

Customers transferred $69.3 billion through the platform during the three months to 30 June, a 26% increase on the same period last year, while active customers climbed 21% to 11.9 million. Customer balances also surged 31% to $41.2 billion, highlighting the growing use of Wise's multi-currency accounts.

Transaction revenue rose 27% to $540.9 million, even as the average fee fell to a record-low 0.50%. The lower pricing reflects Wise's strategy of passing on efficiency gains to customers while continuing to grow volumes.

Speed also improved, with 77% of transfers arriving instantly, up from 70% a year earlier.

"We continue building 'the' network for the world's money," co-founder and chief executive Kristo Käärmann said, noting that almost 12 million people and businesses used Wise during the quarter.

The company also expanded into Chile, where customers can now send money abroad and top up multi-currency accounts using local instant payment methods.

Looking ahead, Wise reaffirmed its full-year guidance, expecting revenue growth to remain comfortably within its medium-term target range and profitability towards the top end of its target margin.

Wise PLC (LSE:WISE, FRA:6WS) reported a sharp rise in profit and customer activity in the 2026 financial year and unveiled plans for a new share buyback worth at least $500 million.

The money transfer and payments company said income before tax rose to $660.4 million, giving it a margin of 26%, ahead of its medium-term target range. Net revenue increased 19% to $2.5 billion, at the top end of its long-term growth target.

Growth was driven by a 21% increase in active customers to 18.9 million and a 31% rise in cross-border volumes to $243.5 billion.

The company also continued to expand beyond international transfers. Customer holdings rose 40% to $39 billion, while spending on Wise cards increased 37% to $43.6 billion.

Chief executive and co-founder Kristo Käärmann said: "These investments helped us drive even better customer outcomes and support 19 million people and businesses move $243 billion across the world last year."

During the year, Wise added direct connections to payment systems in Brazil and Japan, secured new licences in South Africa, the UAE and Thailand, and signed new platform partnerships including UniCredit and Raiffeisen Bank.

Wise said it expected net revenue growth in the 2027 financial year to be around the middle of its 15-20% medium-term target range, with its income before tax margin around the top end of its 20-25% guidance range.