Ransomware activity soars, Treasury finds

The number of "suspicious activity reports" filed this year has already jumped 30% over the 2020 total, and the agency has tracked billions of dollars in bitcoin payments potentially linked to ransomware.

By Samantha Schwartz • Oct. 19, 2021

Celsius, Tether and the 'known known'

Lender Celsius' admission that Tether accepts crypto tokens in exchange for stablecoins should be a bombshell. Rather, it confirms a suspicion regulators held so strongly that they've already penalized Tether for it. Twice.

By Dan Ennis • Oct. 19, 2021

Explore the Trendline➔

Digital wallets proliferate as features advance

As more companies aim to offer digital wallets the rise in competition is sharpening their features.  

By Payments Dive staff

Coinbase sees single regulator, new framework for crypto supervision

The approach would keep companies from having to comply with several agencies, which are adapting old laws to new tech, and help maintain the U.S.'s status as a "shaper" of oversight, Coinbase said.

By Dan Ennis • Oct. 18, 2021

Andreessen Horowitz poaches Facebook digital wallet execs

Two executives who had been working on the Novi wallet project backed by Facebook will pivot to crypto investing for Andreessen Horowitz.

By Dan Ennis • Oct. 13, 2021

Half of CFOs plan to assess digital currencies for business: Gartner

“Sentiment towards digital currencies appears to be improving among finance leaders,” a Gartner researcher said.

By Jim Tyson • Oct. 13, 2021

Cross-border payments competition heats up

Three bank-backed payments companies are attempting to increase the speed of cross-border payments, jumping into an arena teeming with fintech rivals. 

By Lynne Marek • Oct. 12, 2021

Paytech firms outside US gain ground

Payment technology companies based outside the U.S. were big venture capital winners during the third quarter as funding soared to a new record, according to a report from research firm CB Insights. 

By Lynne Marek • Oct. 11, 2021

Payment tech lifts construction venture funding

New venture funding for Built Technologies, which provides finance and payment tech for the construction industry, contributed to contech firms attracting $2.1 billion this year, a Construction Dive analysis has found.

By Sebastian Obando • Oct. 8, 2021

Green Dot sued after ditching $165M deal

The prepaid card company was sued by Republic Bank, which alleges Green Dot breached a contract to buy its tax refund processing unit.

By Dan Ennis • Oct. 7, 2021

Spat erupts over postal banking pilot

Bank and trade groups derided the US Postal Service's new limited pilot program for financial services, but advocates say it could provide needed services for unbanked consumers and buttress USPS's operations.

By Anna Hrushka , Robin Bradley • Oct. 6, 2021

Rich payment startups target B2B market

Veem and Melio are among the fintechs bulging with new capital and taking aim at the small and mid-sized end of the trillion-dollar business-to-business payments market.

By Lynne Marek • Oct. 4, 2021

Fiserv to create New Jersey corporate tech hub

The Wisconsin-based payments giant will invest $105 million in the new Berkeley Heights corporate campus where it expects to employ about 3,000 workers.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Sept. 30, 2021

Visa to add big new office in Atlanta

The card behemoth said some of its top executives will move to the new Atlanta office, set to open next year and eventually host 1,000 employees.

By Lynne Marek • Sept. 29, 2021

Don't hold your breath for a US CBDC

Given the vast spectrum of American payment choices and slower U.S. digital advances, any central bank digital currency may be a long time coming. 

By Lynne Marek • Sept. 27, 2021

Square, PayPal mobile wallets attract funds

The payment companies have seen significant increases in the total amount of money stored on their mobile wallets, but individual accounts still hold relatively small sums.

By Lynne Marek • Sept. 24, 2021

PayPal, Robinhood play business-model musical chairs

PayPal is trying out a high-yield savings like Goldman Sach's Marcus and Robinhood is following Coinbase's lead on crypto wallets.

By Dan Ennis • Sept. 24, 2021

Fed won't go it alone on CBDC

At a press conference Wednesday, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell emphasized the need for the Fed to work with Congress and the Biden Administration in moving ahead on any cental bank digital currency.

By Lynne Marek • Sept. 23, 2021

Mastercard Executive Chairman to exit

Mastercard's long-time leader Ajay Banga will retire at the end of the year, leaving the card company in the hands of new CEO Michael Miebach.

By Lynne Marek • Sept. 22, 2021

Treasury sanctions crypto exchange Suex to thwart ransomware

While more legal measures await international cybercrime, the U.S. government is sending interim messages to ransomware gangs.

By Samantha Schwartz • Sept. 22, 2021

Airwallex raises $200M, targets US expansion

The Australian company's latest fundraising round was led by a U.S.-based venture firm, and it's setting its sights on U.S. expansion too.

By Lynne Marek • Sept. 21, 2021

Payment industry racks up two more deals

The two latest deals continue to move the payments industry toward what is likely to be a record-breaking year in acquisitions.

By Lynne Marek • Updated Sept. 20, 2021

U.S. cash payment kiosks rise despite digital age

Cities and utilities are making more use of the kiosks provided by vendors like CityBase to give consumers additional no-fee options for paying bills in cash.

By Lynne Marek • Sept. 17, 2021

BNPL benefits from venture capital haul

Buy now-pay later companies raised a record $1.5 billion in funding last year — a 42% increase over 2019 — across 20 major investments, according to a CB Insights Report.

By Wendy Cole • Sept. 16, 2021

Goldman Sachs to acquire BNPL lender GreenSky for $2.24B

The deal will connect some 10,000 merchants, mainly in the home-improvement category, to Goldman's consumer-banking arm and allow them to use buy now-pay later financing options.

By Robin Bradley • Sept. 15, 2021

PayPal's Peggy Mangot sees vertical neobanks poised for growth

While mass-market neobanks continue to turn heads with user numbers and funding rounds, affinity neobanks are poised to experience their own market expansion soon, PayPal's venture arm executive said.

By Anna Hrushka • Sept. 14, 2021