05 Apr 23 @ 10:07

Recent thinking published by HM Treasury and the European Central Bank show divergence between the UK and European Union (EU) visions for digital currency. At present, the UK seems to... read more

16 Feb 23 @ 16:40

As the year turns and the dust settles on the crypto crash, it might be tempting to think crypto’s over. But think again: as of January 3, 2023, more than... read more

16 Feb 23 @ 16:18

New technologies such as Account-to-Account payments and Open Banking are taking intermediaries out of the value chain in payments, while fresh advances in blockchain threaten total disintermediation. James Wood looks... read more

29 Dec 22 @ 04:23

From Open Banking and instant payments through the Next Big Thing in crypto, James Wood reads the cards to find out what’s coming next in the new year. Those who... read more

29 Dec 22 @ 04:05

Back in his old role as Chancellor of the Exchequer (Finance Minister), Rishi Sunak proposed a CBDC for the UK known as “Britcoin”, due to be launched across the UK... read more

29 Dec 22 @ 03:52

Japan’s JCB has launched “JCBDC” (JCB Digital Currency) pilot project with IDEMIA and FinTech company Soft Space. JCBDC pilot will develop a CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency) payment solution and... read more

24 Oct 22 @ 13:12

As part of our ongoing quest to demystify the hype and find the truth in payments, we take a look at the latest buzz-word, “embedded payments” and ask what it... read more

24 Oct 22 @ 12:16

A global pandemic and war in Europe haven’t just caused inflation to rise. They’ve also led to interruptions in global supply chains, whether that’s Ukrainian wheat not being shipped to... read more

25 Aug 22 @ 12:18

Some experts say cards are a legacy technology while digital wallets and alt-pays are the future. But more powerful cards with multiple functions and better security are fighting back. So... read more

25 Aug 22 @ 11:56

Current systems that let consumers pay small amounts are nearing the end of their utility. users seek easier payments and merchants want better value and higher growth. PCM looks at... read more

25 Aug 22 @ 11:51

Cryptocurrencies have lost sixty percent of their value and are looking increasingly hobbled for the future. So what’s next for the digital currency dream of frictionless, fast and low-cost payments?... read more

26 May 22 @ 09:48

Facebook is so convinced the metaverse is the future, it’s changed its name. But is a fully-digital life possible, or even desirable? James Wood peers into his crystal ball to... read more

26 May 22 @ 09:22

Credit card reward schemes have been in the doldrums for years. With “alt pays” such as account-to-account payments and crypto slowly replacing cards, we ask what’s happening to reward schemes,... read more

26 May 22 @ 06:50

In the last issue of PCM (March-April 2022) we reported on burgeoning interest among banks and governments in stablecoins – that is, cryptocurrencies whose value is pegged to a fiat... read more

26 May 22 @ 06:00

By introducing a first digital investment fund, a stable digital asset and an investment and payment application, Petale is positioning itself at the crossroads of three major growing markets: blockchain... read more

21 Apr 22 @ 10:06

As blockchain-enabled systems and crypto FLOURISH, pundits claim there’s a non-bank future before us with lower fees, faster transactions and instant exchanges of value from person to person. WE LOOK... read more

20 Apr 22 @ 13:23

India’s central bank says it will launch a digital rupee CBDC in the next financial year, according to the country’s finance minister. “Introduction of a central bank digital currency (CBDC)... read more

17 Feb 22 @ 15:05

This year’s PCM’s Digital and Card Payment Yearbooks suggest payment card use may be starting to decline, to be replaced by digital wallets, direct-to-account payments and other methods. James Wood... read more

17 Feb 22 @ 14:13

A group of US banks have announced that they intend to launch their own stablecoin, called USDF, in a move they hope will tackle concerns about the reserves behind nonbank... read more

17 Feb 22 @ 13:50

Visa has announced plans to offer central banks and financial institutions a central bank digital currency (CBDC) product in Q2 2022. The payment provider developed its Visa CBDC Payment Module... read more