Bitcoin (BTC) did more than hit $60,000 per coin last week — it also became worth more than the world’s three biggest banks combined. According to publicly available data, the largest cryptocurrency surpassed the three highest-valued global banking giants by market capItalization. Bitcoin market cap blasts past financial stalwarts At its all-time highs of $61,700, Bitcoin’s market cap was roughly $1.15 trillion. The combined market cap of JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China is $1.08 trillion. The achievements do not stop there: Visa and Mastercard, the biggest payment networks, have a combined market …

As big-name payment processors like Visa and Mastercard increasingly integrate blockchain technology into their payment rails, decentralized platforms offering the best solutions to issues like scalability and fast transaction times are gaining traction. COTI is one such platform that has been gaining momentum in recent weeks after a series of network upgrades and big announcements brought extra attention to the enterprise-grade fintech platform. According to COTI’s website, the protocol focuses on empowering organizations to create their own payment solutions and digitize any form of currency as a way to save time and money. Data from Cointelegraph Markets and TradingView shows …

Credit card providers charge merchants a cut of the payments they accept, called interchange fees or swipe fees. With two major card providers aiming to elevate rates, could crypto become an alternative? “Visa Inc. and Mastercard Inc. are planning to raise swipe fees for some types of credit-card purchases in April,” the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, adding: “Though invisible to consumers, they [interchange fees] are glaring to merchants, which often end up paying fees of about 2% of their customers’ credit-card purchases. The fees are set by the card networks, such as Visa and Mastercard. Merchants pay them …

Non-collateralized borrowing and larger loans could start to be offered by the DeFi sector if decentralized digital identities are rolled out, a blockchain project says. Metaverse claims digital identities are an essential piece of infrastructure that’s currently missing from this thriving industry — despite the fact that they would allow protocols to offer personalized services, and achieve regulatory compliance. Digital identities normally consist of data including an online user’s search history, social media activity, usernames, national ID number, date of birth, and current location. The team behind Metaverse claims that this information can be put to good use without compromising …

A digital payment provider is bringing crypto payments to retailers and consumers through a suite of products — including a sleek, modern physical terminal. Lunu’s point-of-sale device comes in an array of skins and can process a plethora of cryptocurrencies as well as credit cards and contactless payments made using smartphones. Executives have positioned their company as an aspirational 21st-century brand that has art and social responsibility in its DNA — with a laser-like focus on design. The terminal is complemented by a cutting-edge processing service that delivers decentralized and competitive exchange rates — through its patented arbitrage system and …

On Feb. 10, Mastercard announced that it would start supporting a select few cryptocurrencies on its payment network. According to the payments giant, the inclusion of cryptocurrencies will allow customers to “save, store and send money in new ways” while opening up new opportunities for merchants as well. The announcement followed a presentation on Jan. 30 in which Visa reaffirmed its plans to continue to push for cryptocurrency payments and on-ramps, showing that the company has long-term plans for the sector. With both credit card giants on board, it’s safe to say that Bitcoin (BTC) is no longer just an …

The Bahamas is moving to make its national digital currency more accessible by launching a prepaid card for the “sand dollar.” The Central Bank of The Bahamas has partnered with global payment giant Mastercard and local payment startup Island Pay to create a card that supports the sand dollar central bank digital currency. According to a Wednesday announcement, the card is running under a new program from Mastercard and Island Pay, allowing users to convert the digital currency to traditional Bahamian dollars and pay for goods and services. The new card will be accepted for payments across the Caribbean region …

As institutions move into the cryptocurrency space, the need for clear rules regarding digital assets is critical, an official at the Securities and Exchange Commission said. SEC commissioner Hester Peirce believes that clear cryptocurrency rules are needed now more than ever due to firms like Tesla and Mastercard actively embracing the alternative asset class. Peirce discussed the implications of institutional crypto adoption with Reuters on Saturday, following a series of massive crypto-related events in the last few weeks. After Elon Musk’s Tesla hinted at payments in Bitcoin (BTC), more companies including the United States’ oldest bank BNY Mellon and payment …

Electric car manufacturer Tesla has seen more than $55 billion wiped from its market cap since announcing the purchase of $1.5 billion in Bitcoin four days ago — but Twitter and MasterCard have headed in the other direction. Since Tesla’s announcement on Monday, the electric car giant’s stock price has dropped 7% from $869.52 ($834.6 billion market cap). It is currently trading at $811.66 ($779 billion market cap). While there may be other factors behind the share price drop, some investors, such as Baker Avenue Wealth Management chief strategist King Lip, are concerned that holding 8% of the company's cash …

Mastercard has announced plans to support cryptocurrencies in 2021, paving the way for its nearly one billion users to spend digital assets at more than 30 million merchants. The firm believes this may open merchants up to new customers and build loyalty with existing customers who are already migrating to digital assets over traditional fiat options. “It’s about choice. Mastercard isn’t here to recommend you start using cryptocurrencies. But we are here to enable customers, merchants and businesses to move digital value” While the global payments giant noted it is planning to support stablecoins due to their “reliability and security,” …

Verge (XVG), the cryptocurrency now infamous for its links to the porn industry, is on the up again — thanks to a classic fiat money scandal. As adult entertainment giant Pornhub confirmed this week, payment providers Visa and MasterCard are no longer servicing its payments, leaving only cryptocurrency for its roughly 120 million daily visitors. "Crushing news" for Pornhub The reason, the companies say, is questions which remain over Pornhub’s handling of illegal content. For MasterCard, the block is permanent, while Visa will continue to monitor its decision. Responding, Pornhub told the Associated Press that the allegations were “irresponsible and …

Cuba is apparently seeing an influx of Bitcoin (BTC)-related activity as Bitcoin interest is on the rise in the country. According to data from Google Trends, Cuba now ranks second in terms of Bitcoin interest over the past 30 days. The island nation follows Nigeria, which has remained as the top country searching for Bitcoin on Google since April 2020. The rest of Google’s top five regions searching for Bitcoin comprise the African countries of South Africa, Cameroon and Ghana. Cuba’s rise in Bitcoin-related searches comes amid reports of Cubans increasingly turning to Bitcoin to circumvent sanctions imposed by the …