Fintech, Finance, Technology, Banking Highlights – 29 March 2018
Waves announced the launch of its new payment gateway framework
The framework allows developers to quickly and easily deploy gateways to integrate new cryptocurrency coins within their ecosystem. With that, users can then begin trading on the Waves Decentralised Exchanged (DEX).
Digital payment gateways share a universal base structure that is common for all cryptocurrency coins. While developers are often tasked with rebuilding this structure for each gateway introduced on a blockchain ecosystem, the Waves framework provides a ready-to-build structure so developers are only required to provide the top-level code unique to their coin’s blockchain protocol.
“Gateways have always been a key feature behind the Waves ecosystem,” said Sasha Ivanov, founder & CEO of Waves. “This new framework provides developers with a simple and effective tool to get their payment gateways up and running on Waves, with almost no technical overhead required. It’s our goal to make this process as seamless as possible, helping users bring new coins and liquidity into the DEX and creating a more diverse ecosystem that in turn benefits the wider cryptocurrency community.”
WeSwap makes P2P exchange available in all currencies
Peer-to-peer currency exchange platform WeSwap can now be used in ANY currency, anywhere in the world – marking the latest launch in a series of 2018 rollouts that help travellers get the most out of their holiday money.
Today’s announcement comes at a time where the nation is planning to spend – on average – £821 per person on their trips abroad in 2018, up from £726 per person in 2017.
As well as being able to swap into any of WeSwap’s existing currencies, users’ home balance can now be used to spend anywhere in the world and converted instantly. WeSwappers can either load in pounds and go, or swap in advance to get even better rates.
Within less a week since launch, customers have used their WeSwap cards in over 40 new countries including Argentina, Costa Rica, Cambodia, Hong Kong and Vietnam.
The global currencies feature follows the launch of WeSwap’s rate tracker, which allows users to see live rates for any swappable currency and how it has been performing in the last 30 days to inform the best time to swap.
Also in development is WeSwap’s budget planner tool – the first of its kind leveraged on personalised, community-sourced data – as well as a corporate tool to make travel expenses easier to manage for individuals, and saving overseas more accessible for businesses of any size.
Visa Survey Finds Strong Interest in Biometrics Among UAE Consumers
Visa, announced the results from a survey of 500 consumers in the UAE that explores awareness and perceptions of biometric authentication, which finds consumers have a strong interest in biometric technologies that make their lives easier.
New forms of authentication, such as fingerprint, facial, and voice recognition, can make unlocking accounts and payments much easier and more convenient than traditional passwords or PINs – which are difficult to type onto tiny keyboards, easy to forget and can be stolen.
Neil Fernandes, Head of Risk, Middle East and North Africa, Visa said: “For the payments industry, now is the time to integrate biometric technology into banking apps and customer payments experiences, particularly given more than three quarters of consumers cited they would likely switch away from companies that do not. Identity and authentication is the key to securing digital payments and the industry is gradually moving beyond what you have and what you know to who, what and where you are.
“There is an opportunity for the UAE payments industry to deliver biometric authentication that benefits consumers, issuers, acquirers and merchants while offering the right balance of convenience and security. Visa is well positioned to facilitate this by working with payment partners to deliver a frictionless and secure payments experience.”
