When the United States government voted in stimulus payments to its citizens in the wake of COVID-19, to say it went well would be… categorically untrue. From delivering checks to the deceased to the simple fact that most people would have to go to a bank to cash a paper check during a viral pandemic, it became clear that our financial systems are not prepared for this. As countless Americans struggle to stay afloat, the effects of COVID-19 have confirmed what many have suspected for years now — this system was not built to keep up with the needs of …

Mainstream banking giant Santander added available regions for its One Pay FX international payments app built in collaboration with blockchain and crypto payments outfit Ripple. A forward-thinking entity, Santander constructed One Pay FX as a borderless blockchain-based payment channel, in the form of an app, according to a statement posted by Ripple on July 9. Building the app alongside Ripple, Santander launched the app in 2018. Formerly only available in the United Kingdom, Spain, Poland and Brazil, One Pay FX now enables users from additional regions. "One Pay FX has been launched in six countries and payments can be sent …

Bitso, one of the biggest cryptocurrency exchanges in Latin America, has hit 1 million users prior to its upcoming launch in Brazil. Santiago Alvarado, director of cross-border payments at Bitso, discussed the latest developments in leveraging crypto for cross-border payments in Latin America during a Unitize panel on July 8. The discussion was joined by Ripple’s director of product Craig DeWitt and Prysm Group’s Reed Cataldo. Bitso tops Argentinian market after launching in February During the panel, Alvarado revealed that Bitso reached a major milestone by hitting a one million user market last week. After topping Mexican and Argentinian crypto …

The global travel industry ground to a standstill after governments worldwide announced strict lockdowns to prevent the spread of COVID-19. At the Unitize virtual blockchain conference on July 6, Juan Otero, the co-founder and CEO of the Binance-backed online crypto travel agency Travala, said that the platform experienced a steep drop in booking volumes. Otero stated that till February, Travala was seeing exponential growth with a consistent rise in booking volumes. But as the coronavirus pandemic reached crisis levels, the firm saw an 80–90% drop in total bookings within a few weeks. Recovery around the corner? However, it appears that …

Expedia now allows its over 700,000 accommodations to be booked with cryptocurrency through crypto travel platform Travala.com. According to an announcement shared with Cointelegraph by Travala.com on July 6, the firm added over 700,000 accommodations to its crypto-powered travel platform’s already over 2 million options available in 230 countries. Senior Vice President at Expedia Group Alfonso Paredes said that the company aims to scale up Travala.com’s business faster than it did expand so far. Furthermore, he said that the firm also recognizes innovation and the importance of allowing users to choose their preferred payment method. This is the result of …

The news that PayPal, the payments giant with 325 million active user accounts worldwide, was considering the direct sale of crypto assets — along with custodial services — had the crypto community buzzing last week, even if the reports couldn’t be verified. On July 1, a PayPal representative told Cointelegraph: “PayPal does not comment on rumors or speculation.” Guy Hirsch, the United States managing director of eToro, told Cointelegraph: “The importance of a global company like PayPal and Venmo getting into crypto is profound.” It will change the nature of cross-border transactions, which are now expensive and slow. Moreover, Hirsch …

The payments feature of the popular messaging platform WhatsApp remains suspended in Brazil, despite local regulators easing restrictions placed on its owner, Facebook. On June 24, Brazil’s Administrative Council for Economic Defense, known locally by its Portuguese acronym ‘CADE’ suspended an agreement between Facebook and Brazilian payment firm Cielo to process payments for WhatsApp. On June 30, it reversed the decision, however WhatsApp payments remain suspended as a result of parallel action taken by Brazil’s central bank. New information CADE reversed its sanctions on Facebook and Cielo after receiving information from the firms evidencing a substantial reduction in the risks …

Rumors recently surfaced of mainstream payment giant PayPal adding crypto as an option on its platform. Although he had no additional information on the legitimacy of the rumors, OKCoin COO Jason Lau said digital assets on PayPal would further crypto adoption. "When a traditional player like PayPal, who has 325 million users, enters the crypto space, it is sure to have a positive impact in highlighting cryptocurrencies to a big new audience," Lau told Cointelegraph via email correspondence on June 24. PayPal rumors and job listings surface Rumors hit the web on June 22 of PayPal adding cryptocurrencies to its …

Earlier this month, global payments giant PayPal was rumored to be considering listing crypto assets on its platform, which is estimated to have around 325 million active accounts worldwide. The company is currently hiring crypto and blockchain specialists, meaning that its potential arrival could be more than a wild guess. But what does PayPal’s apparent interest in crypto mean for the industry, and how well does it align with the company’s principles? Two steps forward, one step back PayPal started to take baby steps toward crypto back in 2013. At the time, David Marcus, then-president of the payments company and …

Singapore-based blockchain firm Pundi X has integrated PayPal support for its point-of-sale device ‘Xpos.’ PayPal is the first mobile payment gateway to be integrated onto Xpos, and users from more than 30 countries can now accept funds via the payments processor. The integration will take place over two stages, with U.S-based merchants who use Xpos able to apply for PayPay-based keyed transactions from July 1. A PayPal app is expected to be integrated onto all Xpos devices within two weeks — completing the roll-out. 70% of Xpos users request Paypal support Pundi X decided to launch the integration after conducting …

Bitcoin.com introduced a new service that allows users to send any amount of Bitcoin Cash (BCH) via email. Roger Ver: not possible with Bitcoin Bitcoin.com founder Roger Ver told Cointegraph that in his opinion, this service is unique in the sense that high fees make similar Bitcoin (BTC) services unrealistic. Ver also pointed out that the service is transnational and preserves user privacy: “It doesn’t matter what nationality they are, what country they reside in, or anything else. If they can access email, they can access their Bitcoin Cash. Bitcoin.com never keeps a copy of the private key.” Censorship resistant …

Australians can now pay for Bitcoin (BTC) at national post offices, thanks to a new collaboration. According to a June 24 announcement, customers of local cryptocurrency exchange Bitcoin.com.au will be able to pay for Bitcoin at more than 3,500 Australian Post offices. The firm’s CEO Holger Arians explained that he believes the new payment option will make some people more comfortable with buying crypto: “For many people, paying for Bitcoin at an Australia Post office feels safer than transferring funds online — particularly for first-time buyers. We’re proud of this partnership and would like to thank Australia Post for their …