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Tether might also play a role in this upcoming chapter in the evolution of stablecoins if they decide not to cooperate with the U.S. government. “If Tether chooses not to comply with U.S. government regulations under a future Trump administration, it could become a dark stablecoin in an increasingly censored internet economy,” Young Ju stressed.

This seems unlikely given the long story of government collaboration with the stablecoin company. “I think dark stablecoin-related assets could have investment potential in the Internet capital markets,” Young Ju concluded.

The AI startup was originally looking to remove the control of the non-profit, a plan that drew criticism from many in the tech space, including rival and initial OpenAI co-founder Elon Musk.

Since the non-profit would retain control, and the original restructure plan was ditched, it was unclear if OpenAI's major investors were on board.

But SoftBank's finance chief Yoshimitsu Goto said during an earnings press conference on Tuesday that "nothing has really changed."

"I don't think that's the wrong direction … that's something that we expected," Goto said, according to a company translation of his comments in Japanese.

"The platform will securely convert these payments into Emirati dirhams and transfer them to Dubai Finance accounts, ensuring a streamlined, secure, and innovative payment framework," it added.

In a statement to CNBC, a Crypto.com spokesperson added that the agreement will allow anyone within Dubai to pay for government-provided utility services, including parking, with large-market-cap crypto assets.

Meanwhile, American environmentalist and entrepreneur Paul Hawken praised the material as “an extraordinary breakthrough that exalts the genius of the natural world,” adding that he envisions it shaping the future of the construction industry worldwide.

The most recent funding round brings the company’s total raised capital to more than USD 50 million, much of it coming from major public and private sources, including the U.S. Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, Grantham Foundation, Builders Vision, JLL Foundation, and Baruch Future Ventures.