Uphold, an American digital wallet and trading platform, has acquired European card issuer Optimus Cards UK Limited to launch a cryptocurrency-enabled card on the continent. According to a Feb. 2 announcement, Uphold is planning to roll out its crypto-powered debit card in Europe starting in April 2021. Uphold CEO JP Thieriot said that the launch in Europe follows a successful roll out in the United States: “From April, we plan to start rolling out the world's first, multi-asset, crypto-enabled debit card on the Optimus platform in Europe. The card has already proved a hit with our U.S. customers offering a …

Over 200 Simplex partner companies can now offer crypto debit cards to their customers, potentially enabling greater adoption of cryptocurrencies for retail transactions. The development is the result of a recent partnership between Simplex and Visa announced Monday. Simplex, a fiat-to-crypto on-ramp service is now a principal member of Visa in Europe. A Simplex spokesperson explained to Cointelegraph that the partnership is mainly a boost for the company’s business-to-business activities. “The principal membership is what enables us to roll this out to our partner network, basically giving any Simplex partner the ability to offer a crypto or fiat Visa card.” …

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has started shipping its physical Binance Visa cards in the European Economic Area. According to a Dec. 14 announcement, users in the EEA region will soon receive their physical Binance Visa cards. Customers that have already ordered the card can now complete the delivery process in their card wallet. In conjunction with debuting its physical cards in the EEA region, Binance also added Ether (ETH) support to its crypto debit card, so customers can now pay with the altcoin. “Simply transfer Ethereum to your Card wallet and drag it above the other coins to …

Crypto exchange and debit card provider Crypto.com has completed the acquisition of an Australian financial services company in order to secure an Australian Financial Service License, or ASFL. The acquired firm, named The Card Group Pty Ltd, has been described as specializing in "prepaid card, mobile, and wearable solutions" for enhancing cardholders' engagement. Crucially, the firm was already approved by Australia’s Foreign Investment Review Board, paving the way for Crypto.com's ASFL. With an ASFL under its belt, Crypto.com will be licensed to legally issue its proprietary card in Australia and to establish direct relationships with domestic consumers along with actors …

A new debit card is gearing up to launch in 31 countries across the European Economic Area after becoming one of the first digital asset companies to secure approval from UnionPay International. Amon says its multi-currency card allows users to spend euros and pounds seamlessly. The plastic is connected to a wallet that supports eight cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin — and a one-click exchange makes conversions effortless. Plans are in place to support U.S. dollars next, with the Amon community given the opportunity to vote on which digital assets they would like to be added in future. According …

As technology titans in the United States capture a larger part of their industries and beyond, regulators and governments have become increasingly concerned about their extensive power and influence. Indeed, Facebook, Twitter and Google’s parent company Alphabet all appeared before a Congressional antitrust in July. The primary concern of the government is that these companies use their authority to stifle competition and manipulate users to maintain their leading position in the marketplace. The latest in a series of ongoing antitrust charges and investigations on corporate giants is the one being considered by the U.S. . The DOJ said in a …

Bitcoin (BTC) P2P marketplace Paxful has partnered with Spanish neobank Bnext to launch its first crypto debit card in Mexico. The partnership will allow Paxful’s Mexican customers to use their crypto funds to pay with a debit card in any national and foreign point-of-sale, or PoS, and even withdraw cash from ATMs without fees. Bnext customers will also have direct access to the P2P marketplace to buy and sell crypto. Paxful explained in the announcement that “strict banking regulations” in Mexico are encouraging people to focus on cryptocurrencies, and quoted figures from crypto exchange Bitso that revealed a growth of …

Prominent crypto exchange and debit-card provider, Crypto.com, has surpassed five million users for the first time. The milestone comes only three months after the platform first exceeded three million users. Crypto.com has seen accelerated growth since the platform hit one million users in Sep 2019 and tripled its user base over the following nine months. Crypto.com co-founder and CEO Kris Marszalek said the company plans to continue “aggressively” increasing its user base, noting that the platform is targeting 15 million users “by the end of 2021,” adding: “Our longer term strategic goal is to reach 100m users in the Crypto.com …

Swipe, a Binance-owned cryptocurrency debit card provider, is expanding its offering with a new crypto Visa card that allows users to borrow funds using blockchain technology. Dubbed the “LendFi Visa Card,” the new product deploys major decentralized finance protocols to provide “near-instant access to lending balances.” The card is integrated with the LendFi app — a decentralized lending platform that is connected with the borrower through their mobile device. At launch, the platform will support major DeFi protocol Compound, a spokesperson for Swipe said. According to an announcement, the new blockchain-based lending platform approves loans for users and disburses them …

The world’s largest exchange, Binance, has officially announced that its cryptocurrency debit card is now available in Europe. According to a Tuesday blog post, the Binance Visa Card is now available to everyone in European Economic Area, or EEA, countries. To celebrate the launch in Europe, Binance is offering up to 7% cashback from purchases with the card. According to the firm, this is the highest cashback rate available in the market to date. Binance noted that Binance Visa Card converts the user's crypto funds into a local currency automatically, allowing them to spend crypto like Bitcoin (BTC) at 60 …

Revolut, a major European cryptocurrency-friendly trading application is expanding to another major market. The London-based firm has launched its digital banking app in Japan, as Revolut announced in a Sept. 8 tweet. According to a report by The Nikkei, Japan is the first non-English speaking market for Revolut. Headquartered in London, the company reportedly has 13 million users worldwide, operating in European countries, the United States, Australia and Singapore. As reported, Revolut’s initial rollout in Japan will be limited to “international transfers” and “managing money in 23 currencies.” Registered users will also reportedly receive a Revolut-branded Visa debit card. Cointelegraph …

International cryptocurrency giant Binance is not going to give up launching the Binance Card in Russia despite the upcoming ban on crypto payments. Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange by daily trading volume, is working on the rollout of its crypto debit card in Russia, a senior executive told Cointelegraph on Sept. 7. Gleb Kostarev, Binance’s head of operations for Russia and the CIS, says that the plan to introduce Binance Card in Russia comes in line with Binance’s mission to provide all users with the “same experience that is fully compliant with local regulations.” However, Binance is not ready …