The merger of Web2 and Web3 tools continues as crypto-backed debit cards become more mainstream. In an announcement on Feb. 10, Bit2Me, the largest Spanish cryptocurrency exchange, revealed its new cashback debit card in partnership with Mastercard. The original Bit2Me card works for its users via the Mastercard network that hosts millions of businesses worldwide. This new update offers users up to 9% crypto cashback for all purchases made with the card online or in-store. Leif Ferreira, the CEO and co-founder of Bit2Me, told Cointelegraph that the use of already known Web2 financial tools like debit and credit cards comes …

Credit card giant MasterCard has teamed up with the world’s largest crypto exchange Binance to launch another prepaid crypto card in Latin America. On Jan. 30, Binance announced the launch of the Binance Card in Brazil. The new card is issued by Dock, a payment institution regulated by the Brazilian Central Bank. It will allow new and existing Binance users in the country with valid national IDs to make purchases and pay bills with crypto assets. The card is in a beta testing phase and will be “widely available in the coming weeks,” according to Binance. Brazil is the second …

Satoshi Nakamoto developed the first decentralized cryptocurrency called Bitcoin (BTC) and referred to it as “a peer-to-peer electronic cash system.” As per Bitcoin’s white paper, online payments could be made directly from one party to another without going through a banking institution with a peer-to-peer version of electronic cash. READ ALSO Who is the mysterious Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto? by Cointelegraph 8 months ago That said, other than using Bitcoin as an investment vehicle or a store of value, it can be used to pay for goods and services. Similarly, other cryptocurrencies like Dogecoin (DOGE) can be used to pay …

Crypto exchange Blockchain.com has partnered with Visa to launch a crypto card, available to only U.S. residents initially, which allows users to pay using their crypto or cash balance wherever Visa debit cards are accepted. In an Oct. 26 announcement, Blockchain.com revealed that there would be no sign-up or annual fees, no transaction fees, and users would earn 1% of all purchases back in crypto. In a Yahoo Finance interview, Blockchain.com CEO Peter Smith said the card already had 50,000 signed onto a waiting list, noting: “There’s still a lot of demand for crypto products, but you’re seeing that demand …

Japan Credit Bureau (JCB), a Japanese analog to international payments systems like Visa or Mastercard, announced the start of its central bank digital currency (CBDC) infrastructure testing. The project will assumably prepare the payments platform for a national CBDC, which is currently being tested by the Bank of Japan (BoJ). The infrastructure project, announced by the company in local media, will come under the title JCBDC and aims at adjusting the JCB’s existing credit card infrastructure for CBDC payments. The France-based provider of facial recognition technology IDEMIA and Malaysian Softspace will collaborate with JCB in the platform’s development. The platform …

Mastercard officially announced on Oct. 17 a new program to enable financial institutions to bring crypto trading capabilities and services to their customers. Called “Crypto Source,” the program is designed to allow users to buy, hold and sell cryptocurrencies, complemented by Mastercard’s proprietary Crypto Secure solution for additional security and compliance. The tool is launched in cooperation with Mastercard’s existing partner Paxos Trust Company and is reportedly expected to launch in Q4 2022. Paxos is known for providing similar services to global payment giant PayPal, which launched its first crypto services in late 2020. Within the new partnership, Paxos will …

Spending cryptocurrency may become a lot easier. FTX, one of the world’s largest crypto exchanges, partnered with payments giant Visa to roll out debit cards in 40 countries worldwide. The move would allow FTX users to pay for goods and services using debit cards that boast “Zero fees.” Plus, card ownership is free according to the company website. Sam Bankman-Fried, the most influential person in crypto according to Cointelegraph’s Top 100, has long touted his desire to unveil an FTX debit card. His company's decision to partner with legacy payment rails — as opposed to crypto payment rails such as …

At the Blockchain Economy Dubai Summit 2022, Cointelegraph spoke with Codego CEO Simone Binotto Torre about crypto cards. During the talk, the executive argued that one of the catalysts for broader adoption is the simple ability to make purchases with your crypto through a credit or debit card. Even with Web3 use cases sprouting left and right within the space, the ability to spend crypto to make purchases at real-world stores and shops is still one of the most important applications for digital assets according to Torre. The exec highlighted that it’s important for holders to be able to easily …

Receiving cashback from your credit and debit card purchases has been a long-time benefit for credit card users. However, crypto entered the scene as projects start to implement crypto back rewards for card purchases. Back in 2021, BlockFi launched a Visa-backed Bitcoin rewards card as a way to welcome users into the crypto ecosystem. With the card, users can get 1.5% back in Bitcoin (BTC) instead of other rewards like cashback or miles. In the same year, Venmo also employed mechanics that allows users to buy crypto with their cashback rewards. A program called Cash Back to Crypto allowed credit …

Price action in the crypto market has not been for the faint of heart over the past 48-hours and it's clear that volatility following Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether’s (ETH) breakouts to new all-time highs. While the top two cryptocurrencies fight to hold key support levels, the altcoin market has seen a handful of tokens post double-digit gains on Nov. 5 and Cointelegraph Markets Pro’s altseason indicator suggests the current market conditions line up with previous altseason price moves. Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView shows that the biggest gainers over the past 24-hours were XYO Network (XYO), Crypto.com Coin …

The blockchain ecosystem has evolved significantly over the past decade as smart contract capabilities have moved the industry from being a simple medium of exchange to a bustling ecosystem full of decentralized finance (DeFi) and nonfungible tokens (NFT). One project that has benefited from the increased capabilities of blockchain technology and the recent launch of smart contracts on Cardano is Coti, an enterprise-grade fintech platform focused on helping organizations create their own payment solutions and digitize any form of currency as a way to facilitate decentralized payments. Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView shows that since bottoming out at …

Hybrid crypto-fiat platform Alchemy Pay announced Monday that the company would be launching virtual crypto-linked cards accepting more than 40 cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC). The new cards can be linked to Google Pay and PayPal digital wallets and make payments across the Mastercard and Visa networks, as well as popular e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and eBay. According to the announcement, Alchemy Pay has already completed the product’s development and launched beta testing in multiple key markets. The firm expects to proceed with a full roll-out of the new product at the end of 2021 or early 2022. The …