Cardano’s business arm partners with Wirex to launch crypto debit card

Core Insights - Emurgo, the commercial arm of Cardano, has partnered with Wirex to launch a physical Visa card called Cardano Card, enabling users to spend cryptocurrencies [1] - The initiative aims to enhance Cardano's visibility in the banking sector and bridge the gap between real-world utility and on-chain utility [2] - Cardano's payments and DeFi sectors are currently lagging behind competitors like Ethereum, Solana, and XRP, indicating ongoing challenges for the blockchain [3] Deployment Details - The Cardano Card will be deployed in two phases, allowing users to spend Cardano's ADA and other cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDC, while earning cashback and rebates [4] - The first phase will also introduce DeFi services, including loans and yield opportunities, integrated into the Wirex app [4] - The second phase will focus on expanding the Cardano Card into a non-custodial crypto card, further enhancing ADA's utility in payments and DeFi markets [5]