Payments – Earlybirds Invest https://earlybirdsinvest.com Latest Crypto News Wed, 10 Sep 2025 17:41:51 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.8 https://i0.wp.com/earlybirdsinvest.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/cropped-New-Project-2024-12-17T235703.455.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Payments – Earlybirds Invest https://earlybirdsinvest.com 32 32 240146708 UQUID Report Identifies TRON as Core Infrastructure for E-Commerce Payments Across Latin America, Africa, and Asia https://earlybirdsinvest.com/uquid-report-identifies-tron-as-core-infrastructure-for-e-commerce-payments-across-latin-america-africa-and-asia/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/uquid-report-identifies-tron-as-core-infrastructure-for-e-commerce-payments-across-latin-america-africa-and-asia/#respond Wed, 10 Sep 2025 17:41:51 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/uquid-report-identifies-tron-as-core-infrastructure-for-e-commerce-payments-across-latin-america-africa-and-asia/

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Geneva, Switzerland – September 10, 2025 – UQUID, a leading Web3 shopping infrastructure, has published a research report, providing a detailed analysis of the transactions on the TRON network processed through the UQUID platform. The report highlights TRON’s accelerating adoption in stablecoin payments, everyday purchases, and its growing role as a preferred network in emerging markets where affordability and reliability are critical. TRON recorded the highest share of transactions across multiple regions on UQUID, including Latin America (45%), Africa (35%), and Asia (25%). These findings reflect TRON’s strength as a global settlement layer, advancing financial inclusion and enabling reliable digital payments where they are needed most.

UQUID is a comprehensive Web3 commerce platform designed to bridge the gap between cryptocurrency and everyday spending. Its extensive catalog features over 546,000 digital products and more than 178 million physical products, offering consumers a seamless way to use digital assets in their daily lives. By combining crypto payments with a broad marketplace, UQUID is advancing the adoption of blockchain technology in real-world commerce.

According to the report, TRON captured over one-third of total monthly transaction volume on the UQUID platform, with its share rising from 29% in January to nearly 39% by June. Over the first half of 2025, TRON’s share of altcoin transactions on UQUID nearly doubled, underscoring its growing role as a payment network of choice. At the same time, USDT on TRON represented more than 54% of all stablecoin activity on the platform, highlighting its dominance in powering everyday digital commerce. 

The report highlights accelerating Web3 shopping adoption across Latin America, Africa, and Asia, where crypto native users are driving retail payment growth with a strong preference for mobile access, fast processing, and low fees. TRON’s technical advantages, with fees typically under $0.01 and confirmation times within seconds, have made it the leading blockchain for Web3 payments in H1 2025, powering everything from mobile top ups and microtransactions to large retail purchases. Regional integrations, such as Argentina’s SUBE transit card top ups using USDT on TRON, further demonstrate its expanding role in everyday financial transactions.

Read the full report from UQUID here

About Uquid

Launched in 2016, Uquid is a pioneer in applying DeFi and Web 3.0 to e-commerce, aiming to deliver the ultimate Shop to Earn experience. With verified merchants, exclusive deals, cashback, and Payin3 with crypto, Uquid leads the way in the Web 3.0 shopping infrastructure. Over the years, Uquid has grown to serve 220 million users across significant platforms such as Binance, Crypto.com, and Gate.io.

With a remarkable monthly visitor count exceeding 50 million, Uquid is not just a platform but a pivotal player in shaping the new generation of e-commerce. Boasting the largest selection of over 175 million physical, digital, and NFT products and offering comprehensive shipping services to over 200 countries and territories, Uquid caters to a diverse global customer base.

Users shopping at Uquid benefit from flexible and convenient payment methods, including cryptocurrency, fiat, or wallets. In 2021, Uquid introduced the first Buy Now Pay Later with crypto option—Payin3—demonstrating its ambition to dominate the crypto marketplace. Uquid Payin3 allows customers to protect the future value of their crypto by delaying payment in three installments over 90 days, interest-free.

Offering an extensive array of products and the best Shop to Earn experience, Uquid continues to redefine the standards of convenience and accessibility in the digital shopping landscape.

For more information about Uquid, please visit: Uquid Official

Media Contact
Maeve Vu
[email protected] 

About TRON DAO

TRON DAO is a community-governed DAO dedicated to accelerating the decentralization of the internet via blockchain technology and dApps.

Founded in September 2017 by H.E. Justin Sun, the TRON blockchain has experienced significant growth since its MainNet launch in May 2018. Until recently, TRON hosted the largest circulating supply of USD Tether (USDT) stablecoin, which currently exceeds $79 billion. As of September 2025, the TRON blockchain has recorded over 331 million in total user accounts, more than 11 billion in total transactions, and over $27 billion in total value locked (TVL), based on TRONSCAN. Recognized as the global settlement layer for stablecoin transactions and everyday purchases with proven success, TRON is “Moving Trillions, Empowering Billions.”

TRONNetwork | TRONDAO | X | YouTube | Telegram | Discord | Reddit | GitHub | Medium | Forum

Media Contact
Yeweon Park
[email protected]

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Electric Car Maker Taps RLUSD For Payments As XRP Strategy Unfolds https://earlybirdsinvest.com/electric-car-maker-taps-rlusd-for-payments-as-xrp-strategy-unfolds/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/electric-car-maker-taps-rlusd-for-payments-as-xrp-strategy-unfolds/#respond Tue, 09 Sep 2025 16:14:01 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/electric-car-maker-taps-rlusd-for-payments-as-xrp-strategy-unfolds/

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VivoPower International’s electric-vehicle arm, Tembo, will start accepting Ripple USD (RLUSD) for payments, a move that could change how the company handles cross-border deals, a press release confirmed.

According to the company, the stablecoin will be used to speed up payments and cut the fees usually tied to bank wires.

Tembo Adopts RLUSD For Global Payments

Tembo serves clients in mining, agriculture, military, construction and humanitarian work. Many of those customers are in developing regions where bank transfers are slow and costly.

Based on reports, RLUSD can move value near-instantly across borders and at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods. That is the main reason VivoPower gave for the change.

The Vehicles And The Services Around Them

Tembo builds electric utility vehicles designed for both on-road and tough off-road tasks. The fleet is aimed at jobs where reliability matters more than style.

Charging, financing, battery swaps and even microgrids are offered alongside the vehicles. Those services are now available to be paid for in RLUSD, which could make transactions simpler for local dealers and international buyers alike.

Ripple Partnerships And Market Moves

Reports have disclosed that RLUSD’s market capitalization rose roughly 10-fold since January. Ripple has been extending RLUSD’s reach through tie-ups with firms such as Chipper Cash, Yellow Card and VARL, and it recently rolled RLUSD into the Horizon RWA market owned by Aave.

Those moves are being watched closely by firms that handle cross-border trade. Adoption in Africa, parts of Southeast-Asia and the Middle East is reported to be growing.

Total crypto market cap at $3.87 trillion on the daily chart: TradingView

VivoPower’s Broader XRP Strategy

VivoPower has been clear that this is more than a single payment option. The company said it is shaping itself into what it calls an XRP-focused digital asset enterprise.

Holdings in XRP and equity in Ripple Labs are being added to the corporate portfolio. Some of those assets are being held for treasury purposes.

Other parts are planned to support decentralized finance infrastructure and real-world blockchain use cases connected to Tembo’s business.

Implications For Treasury, Liquidity And Local Markets

Market observers have pointed to links with institutional sponsors like Doppler Finance, suggesting RLUSD could play roles beyond payments — for liquidity management and corporate treasury planning.

If that happens, the stablecoin may be used as a bridge between fiat rails and DeFi tools in places where traditional banking is weak.

Vendors and partners in regions where Tembo operates could see faster settlements and fewer conversion fees.

Featured image from Westend61/Getty Images, chart from TradingView

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.

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Fed includes stablecoins and DeFi in October conference on payments innovation https://earlybirdsinvest.com/fed-includes-stablecoins-and-defi-in-october-conference-on-payments-innovation/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/fed-includes-stablecoins-and-defi-in-october-conference-on-payments-innovation/#respond Wed, 03 Sep 2025 19:54:33 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/fed-includes-stablecoins-and-defi-in-october-conference-on-payments-innovation/

The Federal Reserve Board announced on Sept. 3 that it will host a payments innovation conference on Oct. 21, where it will discuss stablecoins, DeFi, and tokenization.

The conference will feature panel discussions on the convergence of traditional and decentralized finance, emerging stablecoin use cases and business models, artificial intelligence applications in payments, and tokenization of financial products and services.

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller emphasized the conference’s focus on technological advancement, stating that innovation has been a constant in payments to meet the changing needs of consumers and businesses.

Waller noted his anticipation for examining opportunities and challenges presented by new technologies while gathering ideas to improve payment system safety and efficiency.

Building on recent stablecoin focus

The conference follows extensive Federal Open Market Committee discussions on stablecoins during the July 29-30 meeting, where officials analyzed potential financial system impacts following passage of the GENIUS Act.

The comprehensive federal stablecoin framework, signed into law on July 18, established regulatory clarity that FOMC members cited as a driver for projected growth in stablecoin usage.

Fed minutes revealed officials’ recognition of stablecoins’ potential benefits, particularly for payment system efficiency and increased demand for Treasury securities used as collateral.

However, participants expressed concerns about broader banking system implications and emphasized the need for close monitoring of stablecoin backing assets.

The central bank’s proactive approach reflects a growing acknowledgment of the relevance of digital payment systems to its monetary policy and financial stability responsibilities.

Supportive stance

Governor Waller has consistently supported blockchain-based payment innovation, recently declaring “there is nothing scary” about DeFi operations at the Wyoming Blockchain Symposium.

He compared DeFi transactions to conventional debit card purchases, framing smart contracts and distributed ledgers as natural technological evolution rather than disruptive threats.

Waller credited stablecoin development with extending dollar accessibility globally, particularly benefiting high-inflation countries lacking affordable banking services.

He highlighted their potential to “maintain and extend the role of the dollar internationally” through 24/7 availability and rapid transferability.

The October conference represents the Fed’s commitment to understanding how emerging payment technologies might integrate with existing monetary infrastructure while addressing regulatory challenges and opportunities in the evolving digital payments landscape.

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Bitcoin is for payments; store of value is ‘just a neat byproduct’: BitVM creator https://earlybirdsinvest.com/bitcoin-is-for-payments-store-of-value-is-just-a-neat-byproduct-bitvm-creator/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/bitcoin-is-for-payments-store-of-value-is-just-a-neat-byproduct-bitvm-creator/#respond Sun, 31 Aug 2025 01:49:52 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/bitcoin-is-for-payments-store-of-value-is-just-a-neat-byproduct-bitvm-creator/

The debate about Bitcoin as a method of payment versus a store of value is ongoing. With prices consistently above $100k, the relentless push from ETF issuers and Bitcoin treasury companies, and the inevitable institutionalization of the space, using Bitcoin for small payments seems more alien than ever.

But is Jack Dorsey right in saying that Bitcoin fails if it’s only a store of value and not used for payments?

Bitcoin as a method of payment

Bitcoin was fundamentally created as a means of payment, a real form of electronic cash for private, peer-to-peer transactions, while its store of value status appeared later as an added benefit. As BitVM creator Robin Linus states:

“Bitcoin’s purpose is payments—store of value is just a neat byproduct.”

Over time, the dominant narrative around Bitcoin has shifted heavily toward “digital gold” and institutional investment, and many influential voices, like Dorsey and Linus, argue this misses the project’s original spirit and shortchanges its long-term relevance. Linus reinforced the historical perspective, declaring:

“The cypherpunk vision was clearly electronic cash for private, peer-to-peer payments. The ‘digital asset’ narrative came later from others. Strange that this is even controversial”.

Dorsey doubled down on his statement, saying:

“I think it has to be payments for it to be relevant on the everyday, otherwise, it’s just something you kind of buy and forget and only use in emergency situations or when you want to get liquid again. So I think if it doesn’t transition to payments and find that everyday use case, it just gets increasingly irrelevant. And that’s failure to me.”

Satoshi’s words leave no doubt

Satoshi Nakamoto’s very first communications, emails, and the infamous Bitcoin whitepaper make it clear that Bitcoin is about e-cash, currency, money, and payments. His intentions for Bitcoin as a method of payment are unambiguous.

In early emails with Adam Back in 2008, Satoshi described Bitcoin as a breakthrough method for building peer-to-peer electronic currency, referencing previous digital cash projects and focusing on payments.

He wrote about proof-of-work as a way to enable currency on a distributed timestamp server, making the intent for payments crystal clear.

Changing narratives: from currency to asset

Over the years, the narrative has shifted. Institutionalization arrived in the form of ETFs, “Number Go Up” (NGU)-focused marketing, and conversations about Bitcoin as a portfolio hedge.

While bringing liquidity and broader acceptance, these changes have arguably moved the ecosystem away from solutions that benefit everyday people and real-world payment use cases; a divergence from Satoshi’s vision.

While Bitcoin’s rise as a store of value has been notorious, it has overshadowed its true foundation in private, peer-to-peer, digital payments.

Some of the project’s strongest voices, Dorsey, Linus, Swan, and even Satoshi himself, remind the community that genuine, universal utility depends on embracing Bitcoin as money in action, not just money in storage.

Bitcoin Audible host Guy Swann called for a serious public debate, tagging the likes of Dorsey and Linus, and other influential Bitcoin community members like Michael Saylor, Saifedean Ammous, and Adam Back:

“I want the best here who will bring real arguments. Not just taglines, moral posturing, and quotes from the whitepaper.”

Relegating Bitcoin to a mere store of value risks losing the original vision and utility that once set it apart. The future of Bitcoin as a method of payment depends on a community willing to challenge prevailing narratives and restore focus on payments and real-world adoption.

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Chainlink and SBI Target Cross-Border Payments in Asia https://earlybirdsinvest.com/chainlink-and-sbi-target-cross-border-payments-in-asia/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/chainlink-and-sbi-target-cross-border-payments-in-asia/#respond Mon, 25 Aug 2025 22:53:57 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/chainlink-and-sbi-target-cross-border-payments-in-asia/

SBI Group has formed a partnership with Chainlink
LINK


$23.57

to explore blockchain-based tools for the financial sector in Asia.

The goal is to develop services that support real-world financial use, such as tokenized assets, cross-border payments, and on-chain verification systems.

This collaboration will initially target the Japanese market and later expand across the Asia-Pacific region. The companies plan to build tools that allow assets like bonds to be represented digitally and moved across different blockchains.

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They also intend to use Chainlink’s technology to confirm the backing of stablecoins by showing reserve data directly on-chain.

Chainlink’s system for connecting different blockchain networks will play a central role in these efforts. SBI wants to use it to support activities such as foreign exchange and cross-border money transfers, especially in regulated environments.

One area of focus will be providing data about the net asset value (NAV) of tokenized investment funds using Chainlink’s on-chain data services. This could help investors, managers, and regulators monitor funds in real time without relying on separate reports.

Yoshitaka Kitao, CEO and president of SBI Holdings, emphasized that stablecoin-powered payments and other tools created through this partnership could help make digital assets more accessible across the region.

Recently, JPMorgan Chase and Coinbase teamed up to make crypto easier to access for users worldwide. How? Read the full story.


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Beyond the hype: why crypto payments are still stuck in beta https://earlybirdsinvest.com/beyond-the-hype-why-crypto-payments-are-still-stuck-in-beta/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/beyond-the-hype-why-crypto-payments-are-still-stuck-in-beta/#respond Sun, 24 Aug 2025 16:58:35 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/beyond-the-hype-why-crypto-payments-are-still-stuck-in-beta/

Welcome to Slate Sundays, CryptoSlate’s new weekly feature showcasing in-depth interviews, expert analysis, and thought-provoking op-eds that go beyond the headlines to explore the ideas and voices shaping the future of crypto.

Crypto payments are having a moment.

From Circle’s billion-dollar IPO to the GENIUS Act clearing a path for stablecoin regulation, the tailwinds are blowing a gale.

Even Wall Street’s biggest names, including JPMorgan and Visa, are busily incorporating stablecoin rails into their tech stacks, finally bowing to a superior technology that can transfer value trustlessly and (near) instantly worldwide.

And all this is great, except…

There’s a flipside nobody talks about: the UX is stuck in beta.

It makes even the sanest of folks want to gouge out their eyeballs with a blunt spoon.

Why?

Crypto payments are strangled by regulators and red tape

POV: crypto payment providers are rapidly being co-opted by regulators and TradFi, bogged down in cumbersome practices like KYC and KYB, and strangled in red tape.

After nine years of reporting on crypto and being paid in every token under the sun, it’s a sad reality that receiving crypto payments has become harder, not easier, despite the prevailing narrative to the contrary.

Case in point. I recently had a UK-based client with a Gemini account who wanted to send a payment in USDC to my OKX address in Dubai.

After weeks of back and forth, trying to unfreeze her business account and supply additional necessary KYB documents, she gave up, deciding that Revoult to my bank account would be faster.

If that statement wasn’t depressing enough already, here’s the hammer blow:

It was also cheaper for her to send the payment—and cheaper for me to receive it.

No wonder Gemini registered a $280 million loss in the first half of 2025. They must be losing customers like rats from a sinking ship.

As for OKX? There isn’t any real incentive to do better in the UAE since all providers charge a flat crypto-to-fiat withdrawal fee of 75 AED (around $20).

And while many industry participants are grateful for the regulatory clarity, some of us now have to stomach the double conversion: you can’t cash out to fiat from USDC in the UAE, and you can’t get paid in Tether in Europe.

Face palm.

Converting USDC to USDT to AED (and getting royally horsewhipped every time) is like replacing a horse and cart with a Ferrari, only to insist on pumping the engine with molasses.

Don’t even get me started on being crypto native. Try telling a normie that if you accidentally select the wrong network out of an ever-expanding list of options, you’ll lose all your money forever.

Or if you leave your funds on an exchange that gets hacked, you’ll lose all your money forever.

Or if you decide to self-custody and lose your seed phrase, you’ll…

Ay! Revolut, anyone?

You get the idea. Hype? It couldn’t be hypier. UX? The absolute pits.

Just another banking platform, only harder to use and more expensive, with no backup or guarantees. It feels like crypto payments are still under construction.

Borderless payments work better within borders

That’s not to say crypto payments are doing nothing right. They work pretty well transferring value within national borders. But then, so do banks.

Nearly 32% of SMBs in the U.S. have paid or accepted a payment in crypto, and of the 560 million estimated crypto owners, around a third regularly use digital assets for payments, dwarfing other DeFi activities like staking or farming.

The GENIUS Act has finally provided regulatory clarity for stablecoin issuers after years of flying blind, and it walks the tightrope pretty well: regulators want consumer protection and anti-money laundering guarantees. Markets want clear rules on what constitutes a security. The GENIUS Act delivers both.

So why does crypto payment UX still send a shiver down our spines? Aren’t blockchain transactions supposed to be cheaper and faster?

Bill Zielke is Chief Revenue Officer of BitPay, an OG crypto payments provider that aims to reduce the cost of payment processing and enable borderless crypto payments. He acknowledges that not all platforms are primed to provide the best experience, saying:

“This is a fair concern, and one we hear often from users who are navigating the world of wallets and exchanges that aren’t optimized for low-fee crypto transfers. In many cases, high costs come down to poor fee transparency, suboptimal network choices, and cash-out platforms that charge high spreads or withdrawal fees.”

He explains that BitPay’s approach is different, focused on reducing points of friction to integrate support for cost-efficient networks like Polygon, Arbitrum, Base, and Optimism. While it’s still ‘select the wrong network at your peril’, at least the fees don’t make you wince.

“Users can send and receive payments with significantly lower confirmation fees than on legacy networks like Ethereum or Bitcoin.”

Network selection is a crucial factor, as fees can be unpredictable, and network congestion has been known to cause gas fees to skyrocket.

While most retail users still rely on centralized exchanges, they routinely charge flat withdrawal fees, a la OKX. $20 is typical for cashing out, making small payments impractical.

Ben Weiss is the CEO of CoinFlip, a longstanding crypto-native company that owns and operates more than 6,000 Bitcoin ATMs worldwide. After a decade of operating in this industry, he’s observed how crypto payments have evolved, sharing:

“A lot of [crypto payments] is a flat fee. So if you’re sending Bitcoin, you might pay the same fee for sending $1 million as for $5… Crypto doesn’t work as well for smaller payments. That’s starting to change, but real efficiency takes time. There’s still a lot of work to be done on the interface and usability. That lags a couple of years behind the core technology.”

For cross-border transfers, crypto is still battling against entrenched infrastructure. For example, the World Bank’s latest study reports traditional remittance fees averaging 6.4-7%, while digital remittance via crypto and mobile channels averages about 5%.

Many DeFi rails are cheaper, but they require users to navigate arcane wallets and private keys, or bridge between networks. Normies have left the building.

Being your own bank sounds fun until it isn’t

Another hurdle for crypto payments is custody. Blockchain enables truly peer-to-peer transactions and individual sovereignty, letting anyone be their own bank. But most people don’t want to be their own bank.

Self-custody remains a nightmare for the uninitiated, and many people don’t understand the need to retain financial control, if they’ve never had their account frozen or been systematically debanked. Weiss reflects:

“Not everyone wants to self-custody or figure out how to open up a cold storage wallet to send or receive crypto; they might just want to buy an ETF. In general, I’m for anything that makes the industry bigger, and gets more people into crypto. There’s no right or wrong way.”

Zeilke adds:

“The core challenge today is still UX. Things like setting up wallets, high network fees, or fear of sending assets to the wrong address create friction for everyday users. But we’re already seeing major improvements, especially with stablecoins and Layer-2 networks, which are dramatically reducing fees and settlement times.

We’re not fully there yet, but the foundation has been laid and the framing is underway. With regulatory clarity improving and infrastructure becoming more user-friendly, we’re moving closer to a future where crypto payments are as intuitive as tapping a card.”

And until sending crypto payments is as simple as tapping a credit card, it will never take off as the preferred way to transact value worldwide.

Are we recreating the banking system we wanted to escape?

Crypto promised to be faster, cheaper, and simpler than banks. Yet the practical pain points are stubborn, and at the risk of sounding like Jamie Dimon, if crypto payments aren’t easier than the bank, what’s the point?

And as TradFi rushes to “blockchainify” its systems, are we watching banks absorb crypto tech rather than crypto replacing banks?

UX fails, hidden costs mount, and when you finally want to cash out, you find fees as punitive as wire transfers. Zielke reflects on the challenge:

“Mass adoption takes time, but I believe we are on the right path. It took decades for credit cards to become the norm, largely because it required trust, consistent infrastructure improvements, and a refined user experience. Crypto payments are following a similar trajectory, but at a much faster rate.”

So, where are we headed? The trendlines are clear: more institutional adoption, more stablecoin rails, more regulatory compliance, and an ever-increasing use of crypto for large-value payments and cross-border commerce.

Yet the road to the frictionless everyday payments experience (the one that puts crypto on par with tapping a credit card) remains long and winding.

The hurdles are no longer just technical or regulatory, but experiential. Crypto needs to consistently undercut banks, especially for small payments, and sending and receiving must be simple, transparent, and error-tolerant.

Crypto payments aren’t winning because crypto is easy; they’re winning because the old system is still slow, closed, and uninclusive. While we can take the win, we can also acknowledge significant room for improvement. Winning by default isn’t the same as winning by design.

Posted In: Payments, Slate Sundays
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Argentina’s Capital Adopts Crypto For Tax Payments https://earlybirdsinvest.com/argentinas-capital-adopts-crypto-for-tax-payments/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/argentinas-capital-adopts-crypto-for-tax-payments/#respond Thu, 21 Aug 2025 01:07:05 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/argentinas-capital-adopts-crypto-for-tax-payments/

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Buenos Aires has switched on “BA Cripto,” a policy package that lets residents and businesses settle city taxes and administrative fees using cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin. Rolled out on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, the program covers municipal levies such as ABL (property tax), Patentes (vehicle tax), and Ingresos Brutos (turnover tax), as well as non-tax procedures like driver’s licenses and traffic fines, payable via a city QR flow.

Buenos Aires Goes Crypto

City Hall’s move is broader than a payments toggle. Officials unveiled four measures: adding crypto-linked activities to the city’s economic-activity nomenclator to simplify filings; excluding virtual-asset service providers (PSAVs) from certain bank-collection regimes under the turnover tax; shifting the taxable base for crypto trading from gross transaction value to the net spread; and enabling QR crypto payments for both taxes and administrative services. The government framed the package as a regulatory tune-up that reduces frictions while aligning taxation with how digital-asset markets actually operate.

Mayor Jorge Macri presented the initiative as an institutional modernization designed to attract investment and make compliance easier. “The goal is for the City to be a world leader in crypto,” he said, adding: “We already have the human capital, and now we are building the tools by reducing bureaucracy to make taxpayer compliance easier and to support the arrival of new companies setting up here.” The remarks were delivered at The Slow Kale in Colegiales, a venue that accepts crypto payments.

Macri also argued the package signals a friendlier posture toward the sector: “These measures ensure the crypto world sees that the City is increasingly friendly. The digital economy compels us to update and adapt with a modern, agile, efficient and intelligent State. We want talent to find a place to grow, innovate and lead without obstacles.”

The backdrop is growing usage. According to city data cited at launch, roughly 10,000 people in Buenos Aires receive income from abroad via crypto or PayPal, and the use of PIX rails has been rising. Nationwide, Argentina counts “more than 10 million” crypto accounts—about 22% of Latin America’s total—figures the city says justify tailored rules and public-service rails that natively accommodate digital assets.

For firms, the classification update matters because it gives crypto activities an explicit slot in the tax nomenclator, improving clarity “without fiscal cost” and easing cross-jurisdiction information matching. Excluding PSAVs from bank-collection regimes is intended to curb automatic withholdings that can tie up working capital, while the new spread-based tax base acknowledges the mismatch between high-volume, low-margin trading and a gross-receipts framework. Together, these steps amount to what the city calls a more “agile” and “transparent” environment for digital-asset businesses to operate in the capital.

On the consumer side, the payment experience is meant to be straightforward: scan a city QR and pay the selected tax or fee with a compatible wallet. Officials said only some wallets currently support crypto payments, but a Buenos Aires–provided “aggregator” is in the works to let “neighbors and companies” pay “from any wallet, directly, faster, and simpler.” The government did not publish a technical spec or list of supported assets at launch.

Hernán Lombardi, the city’s Economic Development Minister, cast the reforms as a recalibration of legal and tax treatment for digital assets. “These reforms mark a change in the legal and tax treatment of digital assets. Less bureaucracy, greater legal certainty, and clear rules will translate into more investment,” he said, noting the updated nomenclator will help “determine and clarify the activities of companies and individual crypto-asset users, and thus avoid withholdings that compromise the sector’s working capital.”

At press time, the total crypto market cap stood at $3.77 trillion.

Total crypto market cap
Total market cap hovers below the 1.414 Fib, 1-week chart | Source: TOTAL on TradingView.com

Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.

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Trump DOJ corruption? Fired aide alleges payments for merger approvals. https://earlybirdsinvest.com/trump-doj-corruption-fired-aide-alleges-payments-for-merger-approvals/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/trump-doj-corruption-fired-aide-alleges-payments-for-merger-approvals/#respond Wed, 20 Aug 2025 21:26:21 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/trump-doj-corruption-fired-aide-alleges-payments-for-merger-approvals/

A former Trump Justice Department appointee blasted some of his ex-colleagues in a speech Monday, saying they “perverted justice and acted inconsistent with the rule of law” — and he named names.

Roger Alford was a top appointee in the DOJ’s antitrust division in both President Donald Trump’s first and second terms. He and his boss, DOJ antitrust division chief Gail Slater, are associated with a faction on the right that wants tougher antitrust enforcement. They take a more skeptical view of mergers in sectors where only a few major companies are competing.

But Alford was fired last month. And now, he’s gone public about what happened, outlining what he said amounted to a “pay-to-play” scandal, where companies paid well-connected outside MAGA influencers to try to get mergers approved, and certain top DOJ officials played ball.

“For 30 pieces of silver, MAGA-in-Name-Only lobbyists are influencing their allies within the DOJ and risking President Trump’s populist conservative agenda,” Alford said. “Their goal is to line their own pockets by working for any corporation that will pay top dollar to settle antitrust cases on the cheap.”

“Perverted justice and acted inconsistent with the rule of law”

Though Alford didn’t have anything negative to say about Trump or Attorney General Pam Bondi, he pointed the finger at two officials in particular: Bondi’s chief of staff, Chad Mizelle, and Associate Attorney General nominee Stan Woodward.

Mizelle “makes key decisions depending on whether the request or information comes from a MAGA friend,” Alford said. He continued: “Aware of this injustice, companies are hiring lawyers and influence peddlers to bolster their MAGA credentials and pervert traditional law enforcement.”

The background to this is that back in January, shortly after Trump was sworn in, the DOJ’s antitrust team sued to block IT company Hewlett Packard Enterprise from buying a rival, Juniper Networks.

But in June, DOJ suddenly backed off, agreeing to a settlement that let the deal proceed with minor concessions.

This, Alford clearly believes, was because Hewlett Packard hired two outside MAGA figures to grease the wheels for them: Mike Davis (a conservative legal activist) and Arthur Schwartz (a longtime ally of Donald Trump Jr.).

“Mike Davis and Arthur Schwartz have made a Faustian bargain of trading on relationships with powerful people to reportedly earn million-dollar success fees by helping corporations undermine Trump’s antitrust agenda, hurt working class Americans, break the rules, and then try to cover it up,” Alford said in his speech.

Alford didn’t go into all the details about what happened, but Semafor has reported that Mizelle overruled Slater and Alford to push through the Hewlett Packard settlement — and Alford was fired soon afterward. (The drama spilled out into public, and even Laura Loomer got involved, as the antimonopoly advocate Matt Stoller has chronicled.)

Urging a judge reviewing the merger to dig into the matter more, Alford’s speech continued: “It is my opinion that in the HPE/Juniper merger scandal, Chad Mizelle, and Stanley Woodward perverted justice and acted inconsistent with the rule of law. I am not given to hyperbole, and I do not say that lightly.”

A DOJ spokesperson pushed back in a statement: “Roger Alford is the James Comey of antitrust — pursuing blind self-promotion and ego, while ignoring reality. He was fired from the Department, and all should treat his comments for what they are — the delusional musings of a disgruntled ex.”

What this is really all about

Over the past decade, a new antitrust movement skeptical of Big Tech and big corporations generally has gained some traction on both the left and right. Joe Biden’s FTC chair, Lina Khan, became the face of this movement for Democrats, and certain up-and-coming Republicans seeking a populist brand, such as JD Vance, professed admiration for her.

Most Republicans, though, loathed Khan, sympathizing with complaints from business leaders that she was overly scrutinizing mergers, and took the GOP’s traditional pro-corporate line.

When Trump won his second term, though, he nominated a Vance staffer, Gail Slater, as his DOJ antitrust chief. Antitrust reformers like Stoller liked Slater and took her appointment as an encouraging sign that “Trump wants to take on big tech.”

In practice, though, Trump’s administration has been most defined by its weaponization of government for shakedown tactics. Trump likes deals, and he likes getting companies (or universities) to cough up money. He likes it when people ask him for favors, and he likes asking for things from them in return. He was never truly committed to an ideological agenda of tough antitrust enforcement. And he’s fine with Big Tech, so long as Big Tech gives him what he wants.

Slater and Alford apparently didn’t get the memo and thought they’d have a free hand to enforce the law as they felt appropriate. But this earned them enemies inside and outside the administration, CBS News reported last month. There were deals to be had — and money to be made.

In his speech, Alford referred to “people inside and outside government” who “consider law enforcement not as binding rules but an opportunity to leverage power and extract concessions.”

But though Alford put the blame on those two DOJ officials, his description seems to fit Trump’s approach to governance quite well.

We don’t know whether Trump himself got involved in the Hewlett Packard matter. But, as the saying goes, the Cossacks work for the Czar.

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The Real Reason SpacePay’s APK Could Be the Key to Global Crypto Payments Following Its Presale https://earlybirdsinvest.com/the-real-reason-spacepays-apk-could-be-the-key-to-global-crypto-payments-following-its-presale/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/the-real-reason-spacepays-apk-could-be-the-key-to-global-crypto-payments-following-its-presale/#respond Sun, 10 Aug 2025 07:40:17 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/the-real-reason-spacepays-apk-could-be-the-key-to-global-crypto-payments-following-its-presale/

Last updated: 

The dream of paying with crypto in stores has been around for years. Many in the industry have said it would soon be a common sight. However, most stores today still do not offer the option to pay with digital currencies.

Retail payments continue to rely on traditional point-of-sale machines. These machines are everywhere, reliable, and familiar. Businesses are not eager to replace them.

Many crypto payment projects have tried to enter this space. They usually require new hardware or completely different systems. However, for a small business, this is not a practical move.

The result is a retail world that remains slow to adopt crypto. Until someone figures out how to build on top of what merchants already use, mainstream adoption will remain difficult.

SpacePay Works with What Merchants Already Have

SpacePay approaches the problem from a different angle. It does not try to replace what already exists but creates solutions that fit into existing payment flows.

The core of this strategy is a simple APK file that runs on Android point-of-sale machines that are already used in many parts of the world.

The APK is flexible and can work across various terminal brands. Merchants do not need to throw out old equipment or learn new systems. It feels just like an update to what they already use.

This familiar experience removes friction. It helps business owners feel more confident about accepting crypto. Transactions also become easier, not harder.

Crypto becomes another payment option on the same machine they already use every day. This is the kind of change that spreads fast because it does not disrupt daily operations.

To add to this, the system only charges 0.5% merchant fees per transaction, and there are no hidden fees. Also, transactions are processed without delays; it works for various types of businesses.

The whole system is decentralized, which means that no central authority controls users’ funds or data.

How the APK Could Boost Global Growth and Token Use

The APK could help SpacePay grow across global markets. The system works without a complex rollout or hardware change. This makes it easier for large numbers of merchants to get started.

Every new merchant that uses SpacePay adds value to the network. Each transaction supports the system and drives more utility for the SPY token.

This dynamic is simple and can bring in more adoption and utility for SpacePay and its native token, SPY. More use brings more demand for the token, which could create upward momentum.

The SPY token benefits from this because it plays a key role in how the system works, and it is already drawing the attention of investors who see the structure behind it. They are buying into a network with real potential to scale.

SpacePay Solutions Are Already Getting Recognized

SpacePay raised $750,000 in private funding and was named the “New Payment Platform of the Year” in 2022 and 2023 by CorporateLiveWire awards. It is already compliant with international standards, and it is designed to work in most countries without restriction.

The APK is what allows SpacePay to go live quickly in many markets without changing how retail already works.

The simplicity of this solution is the reason it may succeed. It is not just about crypto but also about making payments easier for everyone. The idea of accepting crypto could become real when it fits into what is already there.

A key component of this ecosystem is the SPY token. It supports transactions, rewards loyalty, offers voting rights, and even gives holders early access to new features and revenue-sharing opportunities.

With so much utility and a presale gaining momentum, SpacePay might be doing more than promising mass adoption. It may have actually found a way to build it.

How to Buy SPY Crypto in the Ongoing Presale

Anyone with a supported wallet can join the SPY presale. It takes just a few steps to participate.

First, visit the official SpacePay presale website. Connect your MetaMask or any other compatible wallet. Make sure the wallet is funded with ETH, BNB, MATIC, AVAX, BASE, USDC, or USDT.

If you prefer, you can use a bank card to make your purchase. Once connected and funded, use the widget on the site. Select how much you want to invest, authorize the transaction, and confirm that you have enough crypto to cover the fees.

You will receive SPY tokens in your wallet once the purchase is complete. The current price is $0.003181, but this may rise as the presale continues.

JOIN THE SPACEPAY (SPY) PRESALE NOW

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Ripple To Gobble Up Payments Platform Rail for $200,000,000 To Support Transactions via XRP and RLUSD Stablecoin https://earlybirdsinvest.com/ripple-to-gobble-up-payments-platform-rail-for-200000000-to-support-transactions-via-xrp-and-rlusd-stablecoin/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/ripple-to-gobble-up-payments-platform-rail-for-200000000-to-support-transactions-via-xrp-and-rlusd-stablecoin/#respond Fri, 08 Aug 2025 12:51:16 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/ripple-to-gobble-up-payments-platform-rail-for-200000000-to-support-transactions-via-xrp-and-rlusd-stablecoin/

The blockchain payments firm Ripple says it has agreed to acquire the stablecoin-powered payment infrastructure platform Rail for $200 million.

In a statement, Ripple says it is acquiring the Toronto-based Rail amid rising demand for transactions involving stablecoins – cryptocurrencies pegged to another asset such as the US dollar.

Ripple says the deal will allow the two companies to deliver the most comprehensive stablecoin payments solution available in the market.

Ripple says the acquisition will enable customers to adapt to the rising popularity of stablecoins by offering comprehensive stablecoin pay-ins and pay-outs across key corridors, sans the need to hold crypto on balance sheets.

The integration will also support payments across a range of digital assets, which include XRP and Ripple USD (RLUSD), the US dollar-backed cryptocurrency that the San Francisco-based firm launched in December 2024.

Says Ripple President Monica Long,

“Stablecoins are quickly becoming a cornerstone of modern finance, and with Rail, we are uniquely positioned to drive the next phase of innovation and adoption of stablecoins and blockchain in global payments.”

Announcing the development in a post on the social media platform X, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse says the team-up will create a powerhouse in the stablecoin market.

“Ripple + Rail together will be THE go-to provider of stablecoin payments infrastructure for global financial institutions around the world.”

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Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.

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