WalletConnect Pay Becomes Available in South Africa via Ezeebit
WalletConnect Pay, a payment infrastructure for crypto and stablecoin transactions, is now available to merchants in South Africa through Ezeebit
News
Malaysia’s Central Bank Launches Tokenized Bond Platform with 24/7 Settlement
Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has launched a new distributed ledger-based platform for the issuance and safekeeping of tokenized bonds and Islamic sukuk, linking digital securities records to round-the-clock settlement in central bank money.
51% of New Online Spending in Emerging Markets Will Come from Consumers Over 45
People aged 45 and over will account for 51% of the increase in annual online spending in emerging markets through 2036, or $4.4 trillion.
28th Connected Banking Summit – Southern Africa Closes in Johannesburg with a Day of Industry Dialogue and Recognition of Banking Excellence
Silver Jubilee edition unites banking, technology and cybersecurity leaders around intelligent banking, digital trust and enterprise modernisation
Mesh and Visa to Enable Crypto and Stablecoin Payments Directly from Wallets Across Visa’s Network
An agreement between Mesh and Visa will allow digital wallet holders to pay with cryptocurrency and stablecoins directly from their balances, both in physical stores and online, wherever Visa is accepted.
Mastercard Opens Early Access to Agent Pay for Machines for AI Agent Payments
Mastercard has begun the phased rollout of its payment solution, with Agent Pay for Machines now in early access.
Block Selects Marqeta to Power the Square Credit Card
Marqeta is powering the new Square Credit Card, Square’s business credit card for sellers, backed by the American Express network.
Mastercard Launches Stablecoin Security to Address Risks in Payments
Mastercard introduced a new risk intelligence solution called Stablecoin Security. Borderless.xyz and Keyrails are the initial partners.
Microsoft Launches Protection Against Its Own AI Agents
Microsoft has introduced new security tools designed to protect enterprise customers from the growing threat posed by AI agents.
Thunes and Coinbase Partner on Unified Digital Asset Infrastructure
Thunes and Coinbase have announced a strategic collaboration. The alliance combines Thunes’ global fiat payout infrastructure with Coinbase’s advanced stablecoin infrastructure.
JPMorgan Launches JPM Coin on Ethereum Mainnet
As of October 19, JPMoragan’s institutional clients will be able to make transfers of JPM Coin (JPMD) on Ethereum’s main blockchain.
Checker Partners With MoneyGram to Support Treasury and FX Operations Using Stablecoins
Checker has announced a partnership with MoneyGram, one of the world’s largest cross-border payment networks.
Verizon and Ericsson Complete First Outdoor 6G Test in the 7 GHz Band
Verizon and Ericsson have announced the completion of what they describe as the first outdoor pre-standard 6G field call in the 7 GHz band.
US PhD Graduates Who Used AI in Dissertations Are More Likely to Join Industry
In 2026, artificial intelligence was responsible for generating text used in 30% of PhDs in STEM fields in the USA, as per a working paper analyzing dissertation abstracts submitted to an online repository since 2019.
Korean Kospi Index Falls From Global Leader to October’s Worst Performer
South Korea’s stock market has taken a sharp turn. After a record rally early in the year, the Kospi has become the worst performing major global index since the start of October.
Rising Yields and Political Crisis in France Hit Banks and the Fintech Sector
Weekend unrest in France has added pressure on the government bond market and the banks.
