Core Insights - Lloyds Banking Group's acquisition of Curve for £120 million is a strategically significant move in the digital wallet and consumer payments sector, despite shareholder disputes and a valuation lower than Curve's previous fundraising [1] Group 1: Acquisition Details - Lloyds is acquiring a fully-regulated wallet platform that can manage multiple payment types through a single card or token, a capability that is still rare among banks [2] - The technology from Curve allows for real-time selection of funding sources at the moment of payment, linking transactions to the chosen account or credit line [3] - Curve's system includes smart rules that automatically direct transactions to different funding sources based on user preferences, and it is compatible with Apple Pay and Google Pay [3] Group 2: Strategic Implications - The acquisition is not merely about creating a digital wallet; it represents a funding-orchestration engine that can reshape customer relationships by offering choice, flexibility, and embedded credit [4] - While there is speculation about Lloyds building an alternative to Apple Pay, the real value of the acquisition lies beyond just NFC capabilities [5][6] - Curve's multi-funding infrastructure provides Lloyds the opportunity to develop a new type of bank account, allowing customers to select the optimal payment method for each transaction without needing to switch cards [7]