The global payments industry is bullish on the potential of cryptocurrencies and blockchain to enable faster and cheaper transactions, according to a new survey co-hosted by Ripple. Blockchain-based digital payment network Ripple and the Faster Payments Council (FPC) payment organization on March 2 issued a report devoted to the opportunities of crypto-enabled payments. Titled “Transforming the Way Money Moves,” the report provides insights on global crypto payment trends based on a survey sent to over 950 FPC subscribers, such as analysts and CEOs across 45 countries. The survey included a total of 281 respondents addressing 25 questions on topics of …

Alchemy Pay has obtained a license from the central bank of Indonesia to operate remittances and fund transfers in cooperation with the local fintech Berkah Digital Pembayaran. Announcing the news on Feb. 27, Alchemy Pay noted that the Bank of Indonesia issued the licenses jointly to Alchemy Pay and Berkah Digital’s platform BDPay, enabling the firms to offer better payout methods and reduce associated operating costs. Fiat-to-crypto payment provider Alchemy Pay is expanding services in Asia by scoring new major regulatory approval in Indonesia. Exciting news! #AlchemyPay and @mybdpay have jointly received license from the Central Bank of Indonesia to …

Bitcoin’s Lightning Network (LN) capacity recently surpassed an all-time high of 5,000 BTC. The Lightning Network is a neutral protocol built on top of Bitcoin and currently it does not have a “native” token attached to it like many decentralized finance platforms. Although the Lightning Network’s total liquidity is less than 0.5% of the ETH in DeFi contracts, the uptrend in Bitcoin’s LN capacity versus a downtrend in the amount of ETH locked in smart contracts is encouraging for LN development. While the liquidity on the LN has been rising consistently, the number of channels on the peer-to-peer network dropped …

A new study by DECTA highlighted the importance of embedded finance features in today's fintech world. With online shopping and digital payments becoming a norm, the study pointed towards some of the key drivers for a seamless experience for customers. Embedded finance is a new type of software distribution that works with financial infrastructure providers to include financial services in the ecosystems of already-existing products. The most common embedded finance offerings include banking, lending, insurance, payments and branded credit cards. According to the study, quick payments and the availability of a selected payment option are the most crucial elements for …

A 48% Bitcoin (BTC) price surge since the start of the year has pushed BTC's market cap past that of payment processing giant Visa once again. With the BTC price currently at $24,365, its market cap of $470.16 billion is now marginally above that of Visa with a market cap of $469.87 billion, according to CoinMarketCap. This is the third time that BTC has "flippened" the market cap of Visa, according to Companies Market Cap. The first time came in late December 2020 when BTC also happened to hit $25,000 for the first time. This was achieved during a price …

The Bitcoin (BTC) white paper title describes Bitcoin as a “peer-to-peer electronic cash system.” So how is Bitcoin being used as a means of exchange, or electronic cash, in the first country to adopt Bitcoin? Reporter Joe Hall spent a few weeks in El Salvador attempting to live off Bitcoin and Bitcoin only. He documented his trials, tribulations, successes and satoshis (the smallest amount of a Bitcoin) in a video for Cointelegraph’s YouTube channel: Headlines from El Salvador within the crypto community have been largely positive. Moreover, statistics emanating from the country have been abundantly positive; tourism is up 30%, …

The crypto industry will “probably” start using euro, yen, or Singapore dollar based stablecoins in the future, reducing its reliance on US dollar based stablecoins, according to a Feb. 14 statement on Twitter Spaces by Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, also known as “CZ.” CZ gave the statement in answer to a question about the crypto industry using gold as a standard of value instead of the US Dollar. CZ agreed that it “makes sense” to use gold. However, “most people’s costs are still in fiat currencies.” For this reason, most people calculate their investment returns in dollars, which is why …

For readers looking for unique, meaningful gifts for their valentine this Valentine’s Day, consider giving a cryptocurrency-related gift. Here are nine options: A cryptocurrency gift card Give your significant other the gift of choice by giving them a cryptocurrency gift card. They can use it to buy food or any digital asset they want, whether that’s Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) or a stablecoin like USD Coin (USDC). Virtual real estate Readers can buy virtual real estate in the metaverse, such as in Decentraland or The Sandbox, as a unique, romantic gift. Their significant other can build and customize their own …

Brazilian bank Banco do Brasil is offering a new and convenient option for taxpayers to settle their dues using cryptocurrencies. According to a statement published by Banco do Brasil on Feb. 11 it is now “possible” for Brazilian taxpayers to pay their tax bill with crypto, in a joint initiative with Brazilian-based crypto firm Bitfy. This initiative is available to Brazilian’s who have their crypto under the custody of Bitfy, who will act as a “collection partner” for the major Brazilian bank. It noted that besides the convenience it brings to customers, it makes it possible to “expand” the use …

Global payment giant PayPal holds a significant part of its financial liabilities in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) offered to its customers. As of Dec. 31, PayPal held a total of $604 million in various cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ether (ETH), Litecoin (LTC) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH), according to the annual report filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Feb. 10. Bitcoin has the largest share in PayPal’s crypto assets, accounting for $291 million in the firm’s asset breakdown, while $250 million is held in ETH. The remaining $63 million includes Litecoin and Bitcoin Cash combined. The amount …

Max Levchin, the CEO of buy-now-pay-later company Affirm, has confirmed that they will be shutting down their “Affirm Crypto Program” amid dampening consumer spending and a changing macroeconomic environment. The CEO released a letter to shareholders on Feb. 8 alongside a 19% staff cut. He cited uncertain macroeconomic conditions and the need to offset some liabilities on the firm’s balance sheet as the two main reasons behind the decision: “In a period of increased economic uncertainty, we are doubling down on our core businesses, delaying projects with less certain revenue timelines, and aligning our operating expenses with revenue. Concurrent with …

The financial technology (fintech) industry has its roots in the late 20th century, with the advent of electronic banking and online stock trading. Since then, fintech has expanded and changed over time as a result of technological and internet advances. As a result, new financial services and products have been created with the intention of enhancing accessibility, simplicity and effectiveness in the financial services industry. The 2008 global financial crisis aided the growth of fintech by increasing customer demand for non-traditional banking and financial services. By enabling customers to access financial services from any location at any time, the rise …