EMEA Daily: Coinbase Taps Solarisbank Exec for Growth in Europe

Today in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Coinbase has hired a new managing director for EMEA, and Samsung is launching its digital wallet in 11 new markets.

Coinbase Picks up Solarisbank Exec to Drive Growth in Europe

Coinbase hired the former chief operating officer for Solarisbank to advance its current expansion drive across Europe.

Daniel Seifert joined Coinbase as vice president and regional managing director, EMEA, overseeing Europe, the Middle East and Africa, a spokesperson from Coinbase told PYMNTS Monday (Oct. 17).

He will be in charge of driving the company’s business growth in Europe and working to help further Coinbase’s mission in the region. Seifert will also build out the workforce with local talent, support regulatory efforts and ensure Coinbase is operating in full compliance with local regulatory requirements.

Samsung Wallet To Launch in 11 New EMEA Markets

On Friday (Oct. 14) Samsung Electronics announced that Samsung Wallet will be launched in 11 new markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) before the end of the year. The digital wallet will also become available in Kazakhstan and Vietnam.

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 UAE.

FinTech One Finance Debuts BNPL Solution In Egypt

Integrated financial services platform One Finance announced yesterday (Oct. 16) that it is rolling out a new buy now, pay later (BNPL) product for the Egyptian market.

The company says it serves a range of different financing categories, including consumer goods and services, household appliances and durable goods, auto loans, education fees, home finishing.

The company says it is targeting a 12% share of the local market which currently stands at about the equivalent of $750 million.

According to Tarek Elhousseiny, One Finance chairman, the expansion is needed to mitigate the impacts global economic volatility which has heightened demand for consumer financing services that support purchasing needs.

Half of ‘Big Retail’ Thinks Consumer Digital Experience Could Be Better

A PYMNTS study “Big Retail’s Innovation Mandate: Convenience and Personalization,” produced in collaboration with ACI Worldwide and based on surveys of 300 retail operations, found at a baseline that “only around half of retailers in the U.S. and the U.K. believe that they have the right mix of digital tools to serve their customers well.

Examining the state of digital transformation in what PYMNTS categorizes as “big retail” — in this case U.S. and U.K. merchants with a minimum of 50 store locations and revenues of at least $1 billion for U.S.-based companies or 100 million pounds (about $127 million) for U.K. operators — we found a high number of retailers who said more digital innovation is what’s needed now.

Although half of merchants said they were pleased with their digital progress, an equal number said they haven’t gone nearly far enough, with over 70% of retail executives in the United States and United Kingdom saying digital-first tools are a necessity to lock in loyalty.

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