Today in the Connected Economy: Mastercard, Paxos Help Banks Trade Crypto

Today in the connected economy, Mastercard begins a new phase of its collaboration with cryptocurrency platform Paxos by offering banks help in improving their crypto offerings. Plus, Samsung brings its digital wallet to several new countries, while research by PYMNTS and Paypal finds growing interest in super apps.

Mastercard Teams With Paxos to Help Banks With Crypto Trading

Mastercard is expanding its partnership with cryptocurrency trading platform Paxos with the debut of Crypto Source, a program to help financial institutions (FIs) improve their offerings when it comes to crypto trading. Under the new agreement, Paxos will offer banks crypto-asset trading and custody services, with Mastercard leveraging its technology to integrate those capabilities into banks’ interfaces.

Samsung Wallet to Launch in 11 New EMEA Markets

Samsung Electronics will launch its Samsung Wallet in 11 new markets in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) by year’s end. The EMEA countries set to be included in the expansion of the service are Bahrain, Denmark, Finland, Kuwait, Norway, Oman, Qatar, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates. In addition, the digital wallet will also debut in Kazakhstan and Vietnam.

40% of Millennials ‘Very’ Interested in Super Apps

The super app — and one-stop mobile control over a wide range of online and off activities — is ready for an open-armed embrace from consumers. PYMNTS’ latest research showed that a substantial set of activities is already being done online, as interest in super apps grows among younger consumers. Forty percent of millennials are very or extremely interested in using super apps, while more than two-thirds overall have shown similar levels of interest.

Square Terminal Adds Niche Commerce Tools for Retail, Appointments

Square has unveiled two specialized commerce tools on Square Terminal to help online merchants around the world sell their products and services. Square for Retail and Square Appointments on Square Terminal are aimed at retailers and beauty and personal care professionals, letting them provide customers with on-the-go checkout experiences that save time.

Bond Financial Technologies, i2c Partner on Credit Card-as-a-Service

Embedded finance platform Bond Financial Technologies has joined forces with digital payment and banking technology provider i2c to roll out Credit Card-as-a-Service solutions. The Bond Credit Builder Card lets businesses offer consumers a secured credit building program, while the Bond Credit solution helps them create personalized credit products for individuals and small businesses and provides approved borrowers with immediate access to a virtual credit card.