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May 15, 2025
Top Post
The Future of Cryptocurrency: A 10-Year Forecast
ABC Money
"As we look ahead to 2035, the cryptocurrency landscape is poised for transformative changes that will reshape our financial systems, technological infrastructure, and global economy. What began with Bitcoin in 2009 has evolved into a complex ecosystem of digital assets, decentralized applications, and financial instruments that challenge traditional economic paradigms."
On the web
Plaid: Using ML to Counter GenAI with New Identity Verification Features
Plaid
"We’re excited to announce new security features that make it even harder for fraudsters to manipulate or bypass identity verification. We’ve enhanced our identity verification with advanced machine learning to detect deepfake injections and synthetic camera feeds during both liveness and document checks."
Apple Is Placing Warnings on EU Apps That Don’t Use App Store Payments
The Verge
"Apple suggests that users are putting themselves at risk by using third-party alternatives. Apple is trying to dissuade Europeans from using iOS apps that support alternative payment options by making them look scary. Daring Fireball’s John Gruber spotted that a red exclamation mark icon is being prominently displayed on the App Store listing for Instacar, alongside a message warning users that it doesn’t use Apple’s “private and secure payment system.”"
Cross Switch Bolsters African Footprint with Strategic Partnership with Pesawise, Kenya
Cross Switch
"Cross Switch has strengthened its African presence by launching services in Kenya and partnering with licensed local payment provider Pesawise. This collaboration makes the most of Pesawise’s solid regulatory standing and trusted reputation, allowing Cross Switch to establish its footprint and, together with Pesawise, immediately deliver payment solutions to businesses throughout Kenya."
Optimizing EMV Testing & Certification: Automation Strategies for Streamlining Payment Acceptance
U.S. Payments Forum
"The payments industry is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by evolving consumer demands and technological advances. As EMV and contactless payment solutions become more widespread, the need for rigorous and efficient testing methodologies has never been more essential. This white paper explores the critical role of test automation in enhancing the quality, speed, and reliability of payment acceptance applications."
Central Banks Prepare for a Tokenized Future
Ledger Insights
"Imagine a financial world where every transaction, from billion-dollar treasury purchases to retail payments, exists entirely as digital tokens. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Bank for International Settlements Innovation Hub aren’t just imagining this scenario, they’re actively preparing for it through Project Pine."
Perplexity Selects PayPal to Power Agentic Commerce
PayPal Newsroom
"Perplexity announced that it has partnered with PayPal to power agentic commerce across its Perplexity Pro platform. Starting this summer in the U.S., consumers can check out instantly with PayPal or Venmo when they ask Perplexity to find products, book travel, or buy tickets."
DeCard by DCS and Visa Offers Secure, Frictionless, Real-World Utility — Micro Credit Card Fueled by Fiat or Digital Assets
Macau Business
"DCS Card Centre, a financial institution that pioneered cashless payments as Diners Club Singapore, and Visa, have launched DeCard Visa card — a regulated micro credit card with a flexible and high limit, allowing users to top up via fiat or with digital assets. DeCard Visa card delivers flexibility, control, and transparency across both traditional and digital funding sources."
Stablecoin Legislation Gets Renewed Bipartisan Support in Senate
Crypto News
"Lawmakers in both parties are trying to quickly bring back the GENIUS Act, a stablecoin bill backed by the crypto industry giants, after it stalled last week following backlash over U.S. President Donald Trump‘s growing crypto ventures."
Streaming Services Have a “Huge Appetite” for Automatic Pix, Says BC
Finsiders Brasil
"With its launch confirmed for June 16, Automatic Pix has already been attracting interest from large companies, including some of the largest streaming services operating in Brazil. The new method, which has been undergoing approval testing since the end of April, is designed to facilitate recurring payments, such as utility bills, subscription plans, school fees, and more."
On the wires
Nuvei Joins the European Payments Initiative to Launch Wero for Ecommerce
PR Newswire
"Nuvei, the Canadian fintech company, announced its membership in the European Payments Initiative (EPI), becoming one of the first payment services providers to enable ecommerce businesses to accept Wero, EPI's innovative digital wallet, in their online checkouts."
May 14, 2025
Top Post
2025 Diary of Consumer Payment Choice Reveals Cash Remains Relevant in an Increasingly Digital Economy
FRB Services
"Federal Reserve Financial Services issued the 2025 Diary of Consumer Payment Choice (Diary), an annual survey measuring the evolving role of cash in the U.S. economy. Findings from this nationally representative survey showed that amid the increasing digitalization of payments, consumers continue to use cash and keep it handy."
Monzo Customers Can Cancel Bank Transfers if They Quickly Spot an Error
MSN
"Monzo customers will have the ability to cancel a bank transfer if they realise within seconds that they have made a mistake. The new feature gives customers a 10- to 60-second window, allowing them to cancel a payment if they realise they have made an error, such as sending the wrong amount or selecting an incorrect recipient."
On the web
Plaid: Product Updates - May 2025
Plaid
"Key improvements across Plaid in May—from faster fund availability and smarter fraud detection to a more streamlined onboarding flow. Plus, now get instant product support by chatting with Claude in the dashboard."
Project Pine: Central Bank Open Market Operations With Smart Contracts
BIS
"Project Pine is a joint research study by the New York Fed's New York Innovation Center and the BIS Innovation Hub Swiss Centre that explores if and how central banks can implement monetary policy in a potential future state where the financial sector widely adopts tokenisation in wholesale markets."
Introducing Square Handheld: A Pocketable Powerhouse to Serve Tables, Manage Inventory, and Close Sales Anywhere
Square
"Square launched Square Handheld, its most powerful, portable point-of-sale device ever. Combining a sleek, durable design with comprehensive, versatile software, Square Handheld enables sellers to manage everything from payments to back-of-house operations right from their pocket."
Stablecoins Will Expand Beyond Crypto Trading, Become Part of Mainstream Economy, Citi Predicts
CoinDesk
"The stablecoin market could soon eclipse the entire crypto trading ecosystem that gave birth to it as regulatory tailwinds allow for the integration of the fixed-value tokens into the mainstream economy, according to predictions from global bank Citi. Above and beyond their role as tokenized cash for the crypto trading community, stablecoins — digital tokens whose value is pegged primarily to the U.S. dollar — are already expanding into payments and remittances."
On the wires
Zoho Enters U.S. Payments Market with the Launch of Zoho Payments, a Unified Solution for Secure, Seamless, and Scalable Payment Processing
Business Wire
"Zoho Payments helps businesses accept card payments in over 135 currencies and ACH payments for transactions within the U.S. The payment solution works out-of-the-box with Zoho's apps from finance and operations, sales and marketing, low-code, and collaboration platforms."
May 13, 2025
Top Post
‘It Is Not Illegal to Charge Fees,’ Apple Tells Brazilian Regulator on NFC Probe
9 to 5 Mac
"Apple Pay and the iPhone’s NFC sensor have long been the subject of disputes around the globe. Last year, the European Commission compelled Apple to grant developers access to the NFC reader, and more recently, the company expanded this access in other regions due to increasing regulatory pressure. Now, a national payment system in Brazil has a regulatory body taking an even closer look at the iPhone’s NFC, and it appears the company isn’t willing to budge."
On the web
U.S. Faster Payments Council Publishes Practical Guide for Building Open Alias Directory Services
Faster Payments Council
"The U.S. Faster Payments Council published a new industry resource from its Directory Models Work Group: Decision Points for an Open Alias Directory. The report presents critical considerations for the development of an open, alias-based directory service that could simplify and accelerate faster payments in the United States."
Gen Z and Millennials Expect In-App Payments, NMI Survey Finds
NMI
"Gen Z and Millennials expect in-app payments or they’ll take their business elsewhere. The best transactions are invisible, say 60% of consumers, and it’s time for businesses and the software that empowers them to catch up."
Square Releases is Here: Built for Sellers to Discover What’s New and Shape What’s Next
Square
"Square debuted Square Releases — a new biannual product launch that delivers the most important new features and tools, all at once. Born out of feedback from the Square seller community, Square Releases gives businesses a simple, consistent way to discover what’s new, understand what’s next, and take action to grow."
Circle’s Dollar Coin Payment Network: South Korea Left Out
Business Korea
"Circle Internet Group, the issuer of the dollar-based stablecoin USDC, has established a systemenabling global remittance and settlement solely through stablecoins. However, it has been revealedthat not a single South Korean company has participated in the network. Critics argue that due tothe legal and institutional vacuum regarding stablecoins in Korea, domestic nancial institutionsand ntech companies are falling behind."
Visa and Ubisoft Partner to Blend Gaming and Digital Payments
IBS Intelligence
"Visa has announced a three-year strategic partnership with Ubisoft, the renowned video game developer and publisher headquartered in France. This partnership marks a significant step in the convergence of gaming and financial services in Europe and the UK."
On the wires
Telecom Italia Mulls Including Insurance, Payments, Energy Services in Bylaws, Sources Say
Reuters
"Italy's biggest phone group Telecom Italia is considering adding insurance, digital payments and energy to its business as described in its bylaws ahead of expanding the offering of those services, two sources told Reuters. Having sold its prized landline grid, TIM, the heir to Italy's phone monopoly, is looking to reshape its consumer arm to offer clients more services beyond mobile and fixed broadband connectivity, to boost its average monthly revenue per unit."
Adyen and JCB Launch Card-on-File Tokenization to Enhance Payment Security
JCN Newswire
"Adyen and JCB Co., Ltd., announced the rollout of JCB's card-on-file tokenization service aimed at enhancing the security of credit card transactions for e-commerce merchants. Adyen is the first to offer and implement JCB’s new technology both domestically and globally."
May 12, 2025
On the web
FamApp Overtakes Amazon Pay In April’s UPI Count, PhonePe Continues To Lead
Inc42 Media
"FamApp By Trio (erstwhile FamPay) surpassed Amazon Pay to become the eighth biggest Unified Payment Interface (UPI) player in April. The month of April saw a marginal decline of 2.2% in the UPI transactions. Maintaining the domination streak, PhonePe and Google Pay continued to hold the duopoly in the UPI market."
Nigeria Adopts Papss to Simplify Intra-African Cross-Border Payments
Trade Finance Global
"The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has unveiled a progressive circular that dramatically simplifies documentation requirements for transactions via the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS). Under the new directive, effective immediately, individuals can now conduct transactions up to $2,000 per month with minimal documentation, while corporate entities enjoy a threshold of $5,000. Only basic know your customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) documents will be required."
On the wires
FTC Hits Pause on ‘Click to Cancel’ Rule
Reuters
"The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is delaying implementation of a rule set to take effect next week that would require businesses to make it as easy to cancel subscriptions and memberships as it is to sign up, to give companies more time to comply, the agency said on Friday. The rule that has drawn cheers from consumer groups and a lawsuit from business associations was set to take effect on May 14. The FTC will now begin enforcing it on July 14, according to the announcement."
Recurly Announces Strategic Acquisitions of Redfast and Prive to Accelerate the Future of Subscription Growth
Business Wire
"Recurly announced that it has acquired the Shopify-first subscription platform Prive and subscriber engagement personalization tool Redfast. With these additions, Recurly becomes the first and only subscription management suite to fully integrate billing, payments, analytics, real-time subscriber engagement, and ecommerce subscription management."
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