Global payment giant Visa is moving forward with its commitment to digital currency adoption by approving the issuance of a new Bitcoin (BTC) debit card in Australia. Sydney-based crypto spending app CryptoSpend announced Wednesday that Visa has approved the issuance of a physical debit card that will allow Australians to spend their Bitcoin at local merchants. CryptoSpend co-founders said in an interview with the Australian Financial Review that the new card will be issued by major local payments company Novatti and is expected to hit the market in September. Visa is expected to announce the approval later this week. According …
Global payments giant Visa will continue to support the development and adoption of the cryptocurrency industry as part of its business, the company said in its latest crypto update. In an official statement on Wednesday, Visa announced that its crypto-enabled cards processed more than $1 billion in total spending in the first half of 2021. The company noted that Visa is partnering with 50 major companies in the crypto industry as well as crypto card programs enabling users to convert and spend digital currency at 70 million merchants worldwide. Given the size of spending on Visa crypto-linked cards, the company …
Canadian investment fund manager Arxnovum Investments has filed a prospectus for a new Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund, or ETF, in Canada. On Monday, the company filed a stack of preliminary documents for the Arxnovum Bitcoin ETF with Canada’s Ontario Securities Commission. According to a preliminary long-form prospectus, Arxnovum plans to list its new Bitcoin ETF on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The listing is subject to the approval of the TSX in accordance with its original listing requirements. “The TSX has not conditionally approved the listing application of the Bitcoin ETF and there is no assurance that the TSX will approve …
Major American cryptocurrency exchange Gemini is expanding the company’s business in the Asia-Pacific region with a new high-profile hire. Andy Meehan, a former executive at major American investment bank Morgan Stanley, has joined Gemini as chief compliance officer of the APAC region. Announcing the news on Oct. 7, Gemini executives noted that Meehan will work with regulators to promote smart regulations that drive adoption. Formerly head of legal for Morgan Stanley’s global financial crimes division in the APAC, Meehan will now shape strategy, product and operations of Gemini in the region. The new Gemini CCO will be based in Singapore …
Apple announced plans to launch Tap to Pay for iPhone, a new feature that effectively turns the smartphone into a point of sale (POS) device for businesses and merchants. So, what’s in it for crypto? The announcement explains that with Tap to Pay, iPhone-owning merchants receive contactless payments by using their mobile devices as a POS machine thanks to the NFC technology. According to Apple, the soon-to-be-launched Tap to Pay feature will extend support to “Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards and other digital wallets.” It basically means that, unless Apple places a direct barrier for it, customers who …