South Korea’s BC Card recently completed a pilot that lets foreign users pay local merchants using stablecoins. Tourists converted stablecoins from overseas wallets into digital prepaid cards and spent them at Korean shops without technical glitches or settlement errors. The trial tested stablecoin usage in Korea’s card payment sector while working within existing infrastructure, letting merchants receive funds through standard channels and consumers pay through familiar methods. BC Card sees this as a ...

韩国支付公司 BC Card 已完成一项稳定币支付试点，允许外国用户通过稳定币向韩国本地商户付款。 该试点由 BC Card 联合区块链公司 Wavebridge、钱包服务商 Aaron Group 以及跨境汇款机构 Global Money Express 共同推进，外国用户可将海外钱包中的稳定币兑换为数字预付卡进行消费。BC Card 是 韩国最大的支付公司之一，据称处理了全国超过 20% 的银行卡交易，覆盖约 340 万家本地商户。 （Cointelegraph） （来源：吴说） ...

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, Dec. 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- dLocal Limited (“dLocal”, the “company”, “we”, “us”, and “our”) (NASDAQ:DLO), a leading financial technology company powering payments across emerging markets, today announced it has completed the transition to a nine-person, majority independent Board of Directors, now comprising five independent members. Following through on the governance update shared in August during its second quarter earnings presentation, dLocal has appointed Paco Ybarra and Nel ...

Core Insights - Economic concerns have not significantly impacted holiday shopping, with retail sales increasing by 4.2% year-over-year across all payment types, including cash and checks [1] - Despite softer consumer sentiment and confidence compared to the previous year, consumer spending has remained resilient [2] - Even when adjusting for inflation, retail sales are still projected to be up by approximately 2.2% in inflation-adjusted terms [3] Consumer Behavior - There is a noticeable bifurcation in consumer spending, with the bottom 25% of income earners experiencing positive wage growth, albeit lower than the previous year [4][5] - A shift in consumer spending from goods to services has been observed, particularly among younger consumers, with increased interest in travel and experiences during the holiday season [6] Future Projections - Tax refunds are expected to be slightly larger in the coming year due to a recent tax cut package, which may boost early-year consumption [7] - Modest inflation is anticipated throughout the year, along with potential Federal Reserve rate cuts, supporting consumer spending growth projected at around 2.8% year-on-year, an increase from the estimated 2.6% for the current year [8]

Core Insights - Visa's annual Retail Spend Monitor indicates a 4.4% year-over-year increase in overall holiday retail spending in Canada, not adjusted for inflation [1] - The report highlights a shift in consumer behavior influenced by artificial intelligence, leading to more informed purchasing decisions [2] Retail Spending Overview - In-store sales accounted for 88% of total holiday spending, while online sales represented 12% [7] - Total e-commerce sales increased by 7% compared to the previous year, reflecting the total value of online purchases across all retail categories [7] - Clothing and accessories sales grew by 10%, making it the fastest-growing retail segment in Canada [8] Consumer Behavior Trends - General merchandise stores experienced a 9% increase in sales, up from 2% last year, as consumers sought convenience [8] - Health and personal care retailers saw a 5.4% increase in sales, compared to 3.5% the previous year [8] Global Context - Holiday spending trends in Canada mirrored increases in other countries, with the U.S. up by 4.2%, the U.K. by 3.6%, and Australia by 5.0%, indicating strong global consumer purchasing power [8] Visa Consulting & Analytics Impact - Visa Consulting & Analytics (VCA) provided insights that helped clients realize an estimated $6.5 billion in incremental revenue through nearly 4,500 consulting engagements over the past year [5]

Core Viewpoint - PayPal is currently viewed as a poorly performing stock, yet the underlying business remains fundamentally strong [1] Group 1 - PayPal is described as one of the most disconnected stocks in the market, indicating a significant disparity between its stock performance and business fundamentals [1]

Core Viewpoint - PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL) has recently attracted negative attention from investment banks, leading to downgrades and reduced price targets, indicating potential challenges for the company moving forward [2][3]. Group 1: Downgrades and Price Target Cuts - Morgan Stanley downgraded PayPal's shares from Equalweight to Underweight and cut the price target from $74 to $51, citing sluggish checkout integrations that may impact margins [2]. - Deutsche Bank also lowered its price target for PayPal from $75 to $65 while maintaining a Hold rating, following UBS's reiteration of a Hold rating with an $80 price target [2]. - Jim Cramer described the Morgan Stanley downgrade as "devastating," highlighting concerns over earnings risk and a slowdown in Venmo's growth [3]. Group 2: Market Sentiment - There is a prevailing negative sentiment towards PayPal, with multiple analysts expressing concerns about the company's performance and market position [3]. - Cramer emphasized that the stock could decline significantly, reflecting broader market apprehension regarding PayPal's future prospects [3].

We recently published 8 Stocks on Jim Cramer’s Radar.  Affirm Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:AFRM) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer's radars. Affirm Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:AFRM) is an American payments network operator. Cramer discussed the firm on the episode of Mad Money aired on December 15th as he recalled the reaction to the fiscal first quarter earnings. These results, which were released on November 6th, saw Affirm Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:AFRM) post $933 million in revenue and $0.23 in earnings per share. ...

MILWAUKEE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV) and Mastercard (NYSE: MA) are extending their partnership to advance agentic commerce for merchants. Fiserv will be one of the first major payment processors to leverage Mastercard's Agent Pay Acceptance Framework at scale, raising the bar for secure, intelligent and interoperable agentic commerce and empowering merchants to confidently embrace the era of AI-driven payments. Supporting Merchant Acceptance Through Agent Pay As commerce beco. ...

Mastercard Inc. (NYSE:MA) is one of the best forever stocks to buy according to hedge funds. On December 16, Mastercard Inc. (NYSE:MA) announced a strategic partnership with LoanPro to launch Loan on Card. The solution is designed to make it easier for lenders to deliver loans to approved consumer and small business borrowers through virtual and physical card-based experiences. Mastercard Incorporated (MA) Partners with LoanPro to Offer Loan on Card rvlsoft / Shutterstock.com The Loan on Card will go in ...