FinTech

Samsung and BOK will continue to explore new ways of developing a CBDC ecosystem and leverage the NFC technology to power offline CBDC payments. The latest development in the crypto space is that South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics has decided to work with the central bank – Bank of Korea – in order to build an ecosystem for the offline payments of the central bank digital currency (CBDC). Both players have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at Samsung’s headquarters in...

On May 11, MetaMask revealed that it had added PayPal as a payment option for Ethereum purchases. However, the new payment channel is only available to U.S. users. “MetaMask is the first web3 wallet to enable users to buy ETH using PayPal, a leader in the digital payment space,” it said. The integration also supports ETH transfers from PayPal to MetaMask, creating more self-custody adoption. However, many of those responding to the tweet were more interested in when MetaMask...

Chinese chip powerhouse SMIC saw Q1 revenue fall to $1.46 billion as it continues to withstand chip shortages and US trade sanctions.  Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) has seen its revenue fall according to its latest quarterly figures. On Friday, the Chinese chipmaking giant posted revenue of $1.46 billion for Q1 2023 amid challenging macroeconomic parameters. In addition to being down 20.6% year-on-year (YoY), SMIC’s latest revenue haul represents the first...

Vision Fund, SoftBank’s tech investment arm, posted a loss of 4.3 trillion yen for its fiscal year that ended March 31st.  SoftBank sustained a $32 billion record loss for its Vision Fund tech investment arm amid a challenging period for tech stocks. For its fiscal year ending March 31st, the Japanese investment holding company’s Vision Fund posted a 4.3 trillion yen ($32 billion) deficit. This loss surpassed the 2.55 trillion yen that SoftBank sustained in the same period last year....

The network combines applications designed with Daml, Digital Asset’s smart contract language. Digital Asset, which is a financial technology firm, plans to introduce a global privacy-enabled interoperable blockchain network curated to offer a decentralized infrastructure for institutional clients, the announcement for which was made on Tuesday. Participants of the network, which is also called the Canton Network, include companies like BNP Paribas, Deloitte, Cboe Global Markets, Goldman...

Visa is working with its partners to launch programmable CBDCs thereby optimizing capital flows to SMEs. Although blockchain technology has shown its prowess in multiple business verticals, its adoption hasn’t been fast enough. However, payments giant Visa Inc (NYSE: V) is now working towards pushing innovative blockchain use-cases towards real-world use cases. As part of its most recent LIFT Challenge, Visa is exploring blockchain-based use cases for Brazil’s central bank digital...

PayPal has been forced to update its 2023 earnings outlook due to its latest financial reports. Multinational digital payment company PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL) has released the financial report of its earnings in the first quarter of 2023. PayPal benefited from the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in 2020 as more people switched to online transactions. The company’s revenue ascended from $17.8 billion in 2019 to over $25 billion in 2021. Its shares also increased significantly during the...

The move appears to signal the intent of Baidu to create a hardware ecosystem that will complement its already prominent internet services. Beijing-based internet company Baidu might be only a week away from launching the brand’s first-ever smartphone. According to a Bloomberg report, the smartphone represents another addition to Baidu’s growing portfolio of smart gadgets. However, the move appears to signal the intent of Baidu to create a hardware ecosystem that will complement its...

Due to its commendable Q1 2023 streaming numbers, Warner Bros. Discovery expects its streaming business to stay profitable this year.  On Friday, May 5, Warner Bros Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD) reported its Q1 2023 earnings before the bell that came in mixed. For instance, the media and entertainment giant reported a significant overall loss despite raking in profit from its streaming endeavors. Warner Bros. Discovery lost $930 million in quarterly free cash flow even though its...

The reason behind the exchange’s decision is not clear. According to those familiar with the matter, closing the service is not linked to the scrutiny from SEC which has alleged that Coinbase was offering and trading unregistered securities, thereby violating federal securities laws.  Crypto exchange Coinbase Inc (NASDAQ: COIN) has announced its decision to stop issuing loans through its Coinbase Borrow service where Bitcoin (BTC) has been serving as collateral. Starting from May 10,...