1. Home
  2. CoinPayments

CoinPayments

Here’s why crypto companies need to focus on embedded finance

Personalized offers, financing loans, insurance, seamless payment and preferred payment mode were key features that came out as top priorities for customers.

A new study by Decta highlighted the importance of embedded finance features in today’s fintech world. With online shopping and digital payments becoming a norm, the study pointed toward some key drivers for a seamless customer experience.

Embedded finance is a new type of software distribution that works with financial infrastructure providers to include financial services in the ecosystems of already-existing products. The most common embedded finance offerings include banking, lending, insurance, payments and branded credit cards.

According to the study, quick payments and the availability of a selected payment option are the most crucial elements for a satisfying online buying experience. The lack of a preferred payment option or friction during the checkout process is the main reason for a bad shopping experience, with nearly 49% of respondents stating they would probably stop shopping if they ran into these issues.

Related: How Web3 could revolutionize loyalty programs

Personalized offers became one of the key features in embedded finance, which is valued and can be enhanced by focusing on different demographics. For example, 54% of Americans preferred integrated add-ons like financing and insurance. Generation X participants were most satisfied with personal offers, while Gen-Z and Baby Boomer participants gave the offers they got a lower rating.

Loyalty rewards, frictionless payments and same-page checkouts were some other preferred embedded features that got the respondents’ approval.

While crypto companies are slowly trying to integrate embedded finance features, be it crypto-based credit cards or loans, the study offers insights into customer targeting and acquisition. Crypto companies have been exploring loyalty rewards and helping mainstream firms incorporate these embedded finance services using blockchain.

The cryptocurrency ecosystem saw an influx of institutional investment during the last bull market. Some of the biggest fortune 500 companies and traditional hedge funds jumped on the crypto bandwagon, giving a glimpse of mainstream crypto adoption. 

However, there is still a long way to go with the main focus on making crypto a daily driver for retail users. The study around embedded finance could help crypto companies take a cue from the mainstream and implement it with crypto-linked products to offer a better customer experience. 

Bitcoin price pressured by whales, long-term holders, and miners: Bitfinex

Top Latin America delivery app to accept crypto

The company has partnered with Bitso and Bitpay to allow its users to pay for orders with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

Rappi, the most popular delivery service in Latin America, is working with Bitso and Bitpay to accept Bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptocurrency payments.

As reported by Cointelegraph Brazil, Rappi is integrating with Bitso and Bitpay through a trial project in Mexico. However, it's unclear whether the pilot plan will also enable access to the service in Brazil and other Latin American countries.

Sebastián Mejia, the co-founder and president of Rappi, noted that cryptocurrencies will not be accepted directly by the app at this first stage. Mexico's Rappi users will be able to pay for credits with cryptocurrencies. They may then use their credits on any items and services available through the app.

However, according to the institution's president, Rappi's plans with cryptocurrencies are much more ambitious. In addition, other integrations should be made public in the future. He noted that:

“In this first phase, we decided to build a product that allows our consumers to connect their digital wallets and exchange accounts to convert cryptocurrencies into Rappi credits and thus access all the products available within the platform."

It is not the first time a major delivery service has incorporated Bitcoin payments. Lieferando, like Rappi, was the first of its kind to accept cryptocurrencies as payment in 2017. Grubhub teamed up with Bitcoin rewards app Lolli to allow hungry consumers to earn cryptocurrency on their orders.

Related: Crypto education can bring financial empowerment to Latin Americans

The Latin America region has been a hotbed of activity for Bitcoin and cryptocurrency adoption. According to a recent study, 75 percent of investors in Asia-Pacific and Latin American emerging markets are seeking to expand their cryptocurrency investments. In September 2021, El Salvador officially became the first nation to recognize Bitcoin as a legal currency.

Bitcoin price pressured by whales, long-term holders, and miners: Bitfinex

Checkout.com raises $1B in Series D, bringing valuation to $40B

The British payment platform said it will use funds to further crypto payment processing.

Global payments processor Checkout.com announced a $1 billion Series D funding round on Wednesday, which marks a total of $1.8 billion raised to date and a $40 billion company valuation.

Among the primary investors in the latest round are Altimeter, Dragoneer, Franklin Templeton, GIC, Insight Partners, the Qatar Investment Authority, the Oxford Endowment Fund and more.

The U.K.-based startup plans to use the funds to scale operations in the U.S. market, further develop their payment platform and “strengthen leadership in Web3,” according to the statement. Checkout.com founder and CEO, Guillaume Pousaz acknowledged:

"At our core, we help enterprise merchants to navigate the complexity of moving money around the world, whether in fiat currency or bridging the gap to Web3."

Related: British Payment Firm Checkout.​com Joins the Libra Association

In addition to serving ecommerce and services merchants such as Netflix, Pizza Hut and Sony, Checkout.com also powers large crypto players, including Coinbase, Crypto.com, FTX and MoonPay. Its modular products are also used by the fan token provider Socios.com and the blockchain-based wallet Novi from Meta. The company also claims to be beta-testing a proprietary solution for merchants to settle transactions in digital currencies.

Pousaz added that the company is still in “chapter zero of our journey” of bridging fiat and cryptocurrencies. And according to Checkout.com's 2022 e-commerce trends report, payment diversification strategies are "vital" if brands want to convert more sales, especially as merchants increasingly offer digital wallet integrations, QR code scanners and even to sell their own NFTs.

Bitcoin price pressured by whales, long-term holders, and miners: Bitfinex