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Cryptocurrency adoption by merchants is reshaping global commerce, driving financial inclusivity and enabling a borderless future.
Opinion by: Anil Öncü, CEO of Bitpace.
Over the last decade, digital payments have grown from a niche convenience to global commerce’s backbone. Instant transfers and contactless payments are now the norm, reflecting a globalized demand for speed, efficiency and accessibility.
With giants like Visa constantly pushing new solutions, digital wallets are predicted to account for more than 50% of e-commerce transactions by next year. The idea that traditional finance and cryptocurrency oppose each other is fading. Hybrid solutions that serve global financial inclusivity are primed to take root.
While firms like Tesla are already in the S&P 500, VanEck’s Matthew Sigel says Block Inc. could be the first company in the index with an “explicit strategy” for accumulating Bitcoin.
Financial services and digital payments company Block Inc. may become the first company with an “explicit” Bitcoin strategy to be listed in the S&P 500, according to the head of digital assets research at VanEck, Matthew Sigel.
Sigel explained his reasoning on X on Jan. 9, stating that for a stock to be added to the index, which comprises the stocks of the top 500 US companies by market capitalization, six main criteria must be met.
To get listed, the firm must have a market cap greater than $18 billion, a public float of greater than 10%, and the most recent quarter’s earnings should be positive. The sum of the previous four quarters’ GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) earnings should also be positive; it should have high liquidity, more than 12 months of IPO (Initial Public Offering) seasoning, and be domiciled in the United States, said the VanEck executive.
El Salvador’s struck a loan deal with the IMF and will make Bitcoin acceptance voluntary and roll back government involvement in Bitcoin-related projects.
Update Dec. 19, 5:45 am UTC: This article has been updated to add a response from El Salvador’s National Bitcoin Office.
El Salvador is set to make merchant acceptance of Bitcoin voluntary, unwind its involvement in its little-used Chivo wallet and make public sector engagement of Bitcoin-related economic activity “confined” as part of a $1.4 billion loan deal with the International Monetary Fund.
The Central American nation will get $1.4 billion from the IMF over the next 40 months after El Salvador agreed to measures aimed at dropping its debt-to-GDP ratio, the global lender said in a Dec. 18 statement.
The new offering will be available across all Crypto.com card tiers with up to 8% rewards on spending.
Mastercard announced on Dec. 4 that it had issued a license to Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com to begin offering its pre-paid payments card services on the Mastercard network in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, beginning with Bahrain in January of 2025.
According to a blog post from Mastercard, once issued, cardholders will be able to fund their accounts via the Crypto.com app using e-money wallets or third party-issued credit and debit cards.
The card will be offered across all five Crypto.com card tiers, including its top-level “Black Obsidian” offering, with rewards of up to 8% and card payouts in US dollars.