News

Bitcoin’s Black Market Will Continue Post Silk Road
October 18, 2013

“The proliferation of digital currencies fuels the proliferation of tools and services necessary for cybercrime. This in turn helps fuel the growth in cybercrime, and other forms of digital disruption.” This finding was just one major conclusion of a recent McAfee white paper that aimed...

Mobile Commerce Ignition: Death March Or Sprint?
October 17, 2013

Be truthful. How many times have you asked the following question: “How long will it take for mobile commerce to reach critical mass in the U.S.?” Well, I have the answer. It depends. (I know, not the answer you were hoping for). So, here’s the...

Bitcoin Is A Remarkable Innovation, Here’s Why It Will Fail
October 16, 2013

Bitcoin is absolutely brilliant.  The insight behind this alternative currency is counterintuitive. Most everyone in payments sees cash as an inferior species. Cash is technologically backward and dirty to boot. It’s only bad habits that die hard that perpetuate anyone ever paying with paper. But...

Belly Talks Payments, Funding And Saturation In Loyalty Market
October 15, 2013

Andreessen Horowitz, Lightbank, 7-Ventures – with these big-name VC firms associated with its digital loyalty platform, it’s no surprise Belly made a splash when it announced its $12 million Series B round of fundraising on August 28. Founded in 2011, Belly has experienced rapid growth,...

The Data and the Hype | NFC Predictions Over the Years
October 11, 2013

Economists have a famous saying .. never make a prediction that you don’t plan to outlive. Turns out it’s pretty good advice, especially when it comes to payments stuff. I was asked to give a presentation yesterday about igniting mobile payments. I decided to focus...

Week In Payments Spawns He Said-She Said Battles
October 10, 2013

Welcome to What’s Trending In Payments – a weekly look at the most popular, irreverent and important stories the payments industry had to offer over the past five days. Which companies grabbed the most headlines – for better or for worse – this week, and...

Bitcoin Goes From Bust To Boom, Clinkle’s Not So Big Reveal
October 03, 2013

Welcome to What’s Trending In Payments – a weekly look at the most popular, irreverent and important stories the payments industry had to offer over the past five days. Which companies grabbed the most headlines – for better or for worse – this week, and...

Behind Heartland’s Leaf Investment
October 02, 2013

“I believe the point of sale is that for small business owners what the phone is for you and me.” Aron Schwarzkopf, founder and CEO of Leaf, may truly believe in his company’s mobile point-of-sale (POS) technologies, but it wasn’t until earlier this year that...

The Durbin Amendment
October 02, 2013

On November 6, 2013, PYMNTS.com will present a conference in Washington, D.C. “The Durbin Amendment and the Regulation of the Debit Card Industry” where thought leaders from all sides of this debate will come together.   The debit card industry is in turmoil over regulations...