Regulations & Policy

Valley Bank unveils payments app for cannabis businesses

Valley Bank is partnering with a large processor to offer the service, which is similar to using a reloadable Starbucks wallet gift card, Chief Digital Product Officer Stuart Cook said. A "large processor" that's involved wants to remain anonymous.

By Anna Hrushka • Oct. 27, 2021

Discover CEO plans payments push

Discover's Payments business could have a much bigger impact on the company's bottom line, according to analysts at William Blair

By Jonathan Berr • Oct. 26, 2021

Elavon eyes BNPL arena

Payments processor Elavon will do what it takes to get into the buy now-pay later market--whether that means buying, building or partnering, said CEO Jamie Walker.

By Lynne Marek • Oct. 25, 2021

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

Retail groups urge credit swipe routing changes

Retail and merchant trade groups have long pressed policymakers for regulatory changes to reduce card interchange fees. Now, they're urging that routing of credit card transactions be regulated just as debit transactions already are. 

By Doug Kantor • 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

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

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. 06, 2021

Card critics call for credit routing scrutiny

One merchant group has opened up a new front in the battle against Visa and Mastercard, calling for more federal antitrust scrutiny of credit card routing.

By Lynne Marek • Oct. 01, 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

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

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

Fed finds businesses eager for faster payments

The Federal Reserve said Tuesday that a survey of businesses last year revealed a majority are eager to make use of faster payments, with many ready to do so now. The Fed doesn't plan to launch its real-time system until 2023.

By Lynne Marek • Sept. 01, 2021

Crypto ATMs multiply despite challenges to the currency

The biggest crypto kiosk companies are expanding as the value of bitcoin recovers and more merchants seek a piece of the action.

By Lynne Marek • Aug. 26, 2021

BitPay CFO: long-time crypto users incentivized to keep spending

Cryptocurrency is well on its way to “emerge as the next evolution to modern alternative payments,” Jagruti Solanki, CFO of Bitcoin and payment provider BitPay, said Friday.

By Jane Thier • Aug. 20, 2021

Justice, FTC support Fed's debit rule proposal

The two agencies not only backed the Fed's effort to make sure two unaffiliated card networks are available for debit transactions, they encouraged it to further strengthen the proposal.

By Lynne Marek • Aug. 20, 2021

Senators raise privacy concerns about Amazon One

Senators Amy Klobuchar, Bill Cassidy and Jon Ossoff questioned the security of customer data and noted the palm payment tool technology raises additional anti-competitive concerns.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris and Cara Salpini • Aug. 18, 2021

PayPal drops BNPL late fees worldwide

The payments giant will soon get rid of the late fees on buy now-pay later transactions in the U.S., the United Kingdom and France, catching those regions up with other parts of the world where it didn't have them.

By Lynne Marek • Aug. 18, 2021

Big bank, merchant groups weigh in on Fed rule clarification

Bank and merchant trade groups weighed in on the Fed's debit rule clarification at the 11th hour, digging in their heels in a long-time battle over whether to ease merchant access to increased debit transaction networks.

By Lynne Marek • Aug. 12, 2021

Binance.US CEO resigns

Former regulator Brian Brooks is leaving the crypto exchange as the company faces scrutiny from the CFTC, Justice Department and IRS.

By Robin Bradley • Aug. 10, 2021

Debit rule battle dumps 500-plus comments on Fed

The Federal Reserve asked for public comment on a proposal to clarify rules regarding the processing of debit card transactions and it's getting an earful.

By Lynne Marek • Aug. 09, 2021

OCC conducting review of overdraft policies, acting comptroller says

Acting Comptroller Michael Hsu's remarks come as more banks are revamping their overdraft policies and as Democrats are calling for legislation that would rein in the practice.

By Anna Hrushka • Aug. 05, 2021

Mastercard CEO pushes back against regulatory zeal

Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach tucked a warning for Washington into a recent discussion with analysts.

By Lynne Marek • Aug. 05, 2021