Digital Currency Update
FTX, a crypto exchange, has partnered with Visa to offer FTX-branded debit cards to customers in more than 40 countries. Cards are currently available in the US and will be offered in Europe later this year.
Area of Interest: Digital Currency
Payment Firms Prototype UI for Digital Euro
The European Central Bank (ECB) published a call for development partners to explore user interface (UI) models for a potential digital euro. There were 54 applicants and 5 partners have been selected to develop UI prototypes for specific use cases of a digital currency.
Digital Currency Update
Mastercard partnered with Hi, a crypto exchange and app provider, to produce personalized debit cards featuring the image of an NFT avatar the cardholder already owns. The Hi card will support NFTs from approved collections, which include CryptoPunks, Moonbirds, Goblins, Bored Apes and Azukis.
Digital Currency Update
NearPay, a crypto protocol provider, launched virtual-card and digital-wallet services for residents of the EEA and the UK. The NearPay Wallet is available for iOS and Android operating systems and supports 38 cryptocurrencies.
Digital Currency Update
Binance will launch a Mastercard prepaid card in Argentina. The card will be issued by Credencial Payments and will be the first crypto card from Binance issued in Latin America.
Paystand Adds DeFi Card to Blockchain-Based AR
Business-to-business (B2B) payment specialist Paystand has added dynamic discount pricing as an option for monthly subscribers connected to its blockchain-enabled network. Accounts receivable (AR) teams at Paystand seller customers can use an early pay option as an incentive to accelerate payments received from accounts payable (AP) teams at buyers.
Digital Currency Update
Gemini, a cryptocurrency exchange and custodian, has expanded its partnership with Plaid in the US and the UK. The partnership lets Gemini users share account details with other services, including apps for financial planning, net worth calculations and tax advice.
Nexo’s Crypto Mastercard
Among the many companies that provide loans to owners of cryptocurrencies, three offer a credit card to their customers. BlockFi (Visa) and Gemini (Mastercard) offer credit cards in the US. The Nexo Mastercard, which is issued and processed by Poland-based DiPocket, is the first available in the European Economic Area.
Digital Currency Update
Plaid announced support for crypto exchanges and investment platforms. Users will be able to link crypto account information with platforms used for financial planning, tax advisory and other services. The company currently connects to Binance.US, Gemini, Robinhood and SoFi. Connections to additional platforms, including Blockchain.com and BitGo, are planned for later this year.
Mastercard’s CipherTrace Technology
Blockchain analytics and cryptocurrency intelligence is the expertise of CipherTrace, which was acquired by Mastercard last year. CipherTrace had more than 50 customers worldwide among financial institutions, digital asset exchanges and governments when Mastercard bought the company.