Crypto cards have become a must-have for many crypto services. Hoping to reduce the risk of blocking transactions, companies have been looking again and again for reason why their customers should use “plastic.” But a crypto card is a placebo that does not solve the problems of either users or fintech companies — its only goal is to bring profit to payment systems and intermediaries. Crypto cards are not needed in the same way that special financial instruments are not needed to buy gold, oil, precious metals or any other resource. The word “cryptocurrency” — like “dollar” or “euro” — …

KB Kookmin Bank, one of the largest banks in South Korea, has partnered with blockchain venture fund, Hashed, and crypto trading platform, Cumberland Korea, to establish “strategic technology cooperation” on the custody of digital assets. The companies belonging to the partnership state that their inception into the crypto custody business is a response to regulatory changes. These changes encouraged them to look into new business models — specifically ones which rely on blockchain technology. Simon Kim, CEO of the Seoul and San Francisco-based firm, Hashed, stated: "Combining our insight in the blockchain industry and providing both technical and commercial consultations …

Sberbank, a state-owned company and the largest bank in Russia, is considering the possibility of issuing its own token, according to its key executives. Sergey Popov, director of the transaction business at Sberbank, says that Russia’s banking giant is thinking of issuing its own stablecoin that could be pegged one-to-one to the Russian ruble, local news agency Kommersant reported on Tuesday. Sberbank’s stablecoin would be compliant with the recently passed crypto law According to the report, the potential stablecoin could be used for settlements involving other digital financial assets. Popov reportedly noted that Sberbank would be able to issue the …

The largest cryptocurrency, Bitcoin (BTC), is not going away once the ongoing financial crisis subsides, United States Representative Tom Emmer (R-MN) believes. A known industry advocate, Emmer says that Bitcoin will only be getting stronger after the world eventually emerges from the economic chaos caused by the coronavirus. Bitcoin and blockchain will continue to become more important “As we come out of the crisis, Bitcoin ain’t going away, it’s gonna get stronger,” the Congressman saod during an Aug. 3 interview with co-founder of Morgan Creek Digital Anthony Pompliano. According to Emmer, both Bitcoin and its underlying technology of blockchain will …

Basler Kantonalbank, or BKB, a government-owned commercial bank in Switzerland, is planning to launch cryptocurrency services through its banking subsidiary. According to an Aug. 3 report by local news agency Finews, BKB’s subsidiary and a national banking group, Bank Cler, are working on services that will allow customers to trade and store cryptocurrencies. BKB holds a majority stake in Cler, though the subsidiary possesses its own banking license separate from BKB. Access to financial products A spokesperson at BKB confirmed the news to Cointelegraph. They also noted that the bank plans to launch these products in response to an increased …

In response to a request for comment on potential rules from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), many major players in crypto have written in, asking the regulator to expand the authorizations it gives banks to handle cryptocurrencies and use blockchain technology. Blockchain-backed transfers and new stablecoins as dollar competitors One of the leaders in blockchain-backed financial services, Silvergate Bank wrote to the OCC to promote blockchain as a more efficient way for banks to send money to each other and between client accounts. Silvergate pointed to USD-backed stablecoins like USDC or USDT as examples of how …

Leading global payment companies Mastercard and Visa have been making moves to accelerate the support of cryptocurrency payment processors by opening up new options for users around the world. Both companies made strong statements in support of the use of cryptocurrencies in July by announcing respective projects and collaborations that are driving the adoption of cryptocurrencies. The positive attitude toward cryptocurrency exchanges and payment platforms from the world’s largest traditional payment processors signals a shift in perception from the traditional financial space. Mastercard has been actively encouraging exchanges and payment service providers to enlist in its recently expanded cryptocurrency card …

Data from Bitcoin (BTC) marketplace Paxful shows a huge surge of interest in cryptocurrency peer-to-peer trading in Russia, with 350% growth on a year-over-year (YoY) basis. According to the study, from the period of May 2019 to May 2020, Paxful is now seeing an average monthly trading volume of $4M in Russia. The company says that this number “exceeds expectations,” together with the YoY usage increase figures. The last three-months saw a 42% increase, with May recording the best monthly performance amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus is one of the major drivers of growth according to Paxful. Lack of …

There is no doubt that digital currencies provide benefits for an individual, a company and an institution by facilitating better access to financial products and services. Money laundering costs the global economy between $800 billion and $2 trillion annually, according to a United Nations report. This amounts to 2%–5% of the global gross domestic product. Today, more than 90% of money laundering still goes undetected. Developments in technology, however, have resulted in newer and faster tools. Criminals use these advancements to continue laundering money. At the same time, government authorities and fintech companies leverage technology to identify transaction attributes and …

This platform is set to become a nationwide system for exchanging verified customer data. Dubai’s Department of Economic Development, or DED, and state-run bank Emirates NBD are rolling out their so-called UAE KYC Blockchain Platform. 120 local firms already signed up for the platform with Emirates NBD First revealed in February 2020, the new blockchain platform is designed to unlock digital customer onboarding, instant bank account functions, and verified KYC data sharing between licensing authorities and financial institutions. Announcing the news on July 28, the DED and Emirates NBD said that the platform has over 120 companies already on-boarded by …

Brian Brooks, the Acting Comptroller of the Currency and former head of Coinbase’s legal department, put forward blockchain as better than the United States’ current bank-dependent payments system. Decentralization for future payments On July 29, Brooks spoke with Aaron Klein of the Brookings Institution, a major U.S. think tank. In answer to hypothetical platforms for a future five-year term as Comptroller — Brooks is, at this point, in a liminal state as acting comptroller — Brooks emphasized decentralization: “I’m a believer in decentralization. At the end of the day, I think that stablecoins and other blockchain-based tokenization of dollars are …

The cryptocurrency market has come a long way in a seemingly short amount of time. Digital payment platforms have particularly taken note of the crypto market’s impressive growth, which is evident, as many have adopted new features and support for more cryptocurrencies. United States-based customers in particular seem to be reaping the benefits of recent implementations being made by digital payment providers. It’s especially notable that these new features are coming at a time when the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has granted permission for federally chartered banks to custody cryptocurrency. Mati Greenspan, a crypto market analyst and …