A rather alarming analysis of the disruptive effects of artificial intelligence (AI) on white-collar jobs sent the stock market into a panic on Monday. This helped push down the share prices of numerous prominent companies across several sectors. Most notably in the financial industry, Visa (NYSE: V) took it on the chin with an almost 5% decline on the day. Doom scenario On Sunday, an independent research firm, Citrini Research, published an article on Substack hypothesizing about the far-reaching effec ...

Core Viewpoint - Visa's exclusive partnership with the Olympics highlights the challenges Europe faces regarding payment systems, particularly the dominance of foreign payment providers and the declining use of cash [1]. Group 1: Visa's Role and Market Dynamics - Visa has been the sole card provider for the Olympics since 1986, with a sponsorship deal extended to 2032, emphasizing its monopoly in this high-profile event [1]. - Approximately two-thirds of card transactions in the euro area are processed by international card schemes like Visa and Mastercard, indicating a significant reliance on foreign payment systems [1]. - A spokesperson for Visa stated the company's commitment to enhancing the purchasing experience for Olympic products, despite the growing trend of consumers not carrying cash [1]. Group 2: European Central Bank (ECB) Initiatives - The ECB aims to launch a digital euro by 2029, which is seen as crucial for Europe's economic security and to reduce dependency on non-EU payment providers [1]. - The digital euro is intended to be available for both wholesale and retail payments, functioning offline like cash and online, to maintain control over monetary policy [1]. - Legislative proposals for the digital euro have faced delays in the European Parliament, but recent endorsements from the European Council and Parliament have strengthened the ECB's position [1]. Group 3: Cash Payment Acceptance - Cash payments are still accepted at Olympic venues, with ATM machines available for cash withdrawals, although the trend shows a significant preference for card payments [1]. - The Esselunga grocery chain, located in the Olympic press center, initially did not accept cash but announced it would start accepting cash payments to improve service [1].

RT BSCN (@BSCNews)💳 Crypto cards charge conversion fees. Monthly fees. Hidden fees.@inter_link 's Visa card? Zero. Spend USDT, BTC, ETH, or ITL at 50M+ merchants across 170 countries. Apple Pay. Google Pay. Instant conversion at checkout.Already live with early users. Wider rollout in 2026.Full breakdown ⬇️ ...

💳 Crypto cards charge conversion fees. Monthly fees. Hidden fees.@inter_link 's Visa card? Zero. Spend USDT, BTC, ETH, or ITL at 50M+ merchants across 170 countries. Apple Pay. Google Pay. Instant conversion at checkout.Already live with early users. Wider rollout in 2026.Full breakdown ⬇️BSCN (@BSCNews):https://t.co/hyOX6MaYPv ...

Core Insights - Visa Inc. is enhancing its competitive position in the Asia Pacific region through a partnership with Collinson International and On-us, providing access to over 1,800 airport lounges for eligible cardholders [1][8] - The collaboration utilizes Collinson's LoungeKey network and On-us' Smart E-voucher technology, allowing instant lounge access via a QR code after qualifying transactions [1][8] - The partnership aligns with the rising travel demand in the Asia Pacific and the increasing preference for travel-related benefits among cardholders [2][4] Company Strategy - This initiative boosts the value proposition of premium rewards for banks and issuers, driving higher transaction volumes and strengthening connections with cardholders [3] - By converting eligible Visa transactions into QR-enabled travel benefits, the company is targeting frequent travelers, a segment known for high spending and cross-border activity [4] Competitive Landscape - Competitors like Mastercard and American Express are also enhancing their offerings; Mastercard reported a 13% increase in net revenues and 15% growth in cross-border volumes in the first nine months of 2025 [5] - American Express has leveraged its relationships with luxury service providers, achieving a 9% rise in total revenues and 7% growth in network volumes during the same period [6] Financial Performance - Visa's stock has increased by 3.7% over the past year, contrasting with a 13.7% decline in the industry [7] - The company trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 24.79, above the industry average of 19.93, and has a Value Score of D [10] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Visa's fiscal 2026 earnings suggests an 11.7% increase compared to the previous year [12]

Tokenization - Avalanche (AVAX) is being used for tokenization across various sectors [1] - Tokenization use cases include Dinari, Frontier stable token, KRW1, Inversion, Apollo, BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, KKR, Diamond Standard, Republic Note, Wine Capital, Homium, Intain, Citi, Watr, Littio, ParaFi, Balcony, Misyon Bank, Lemonade, and Re [1] Payments - Avalanche (AVAX) is facilitating payments through platforms like StraitsX, Fonbnk, Visa card, and Nonco [1] Enterprise Solutions - Avalanche (AVAX) is being adopted by enterprises such as CA DMV, Deloitte, Chainlink/Balcony, Bergen County, Kinexys/JPM, and Blockticity [1] Consumer Applications - Avalanche (AVAX) is used in consumer applications including OTG, Maplestory, Zero One, Uptop, Youmio, film, SI Tickets, Tixbase, SK Planet, FIFA, Bowmore/Suntory, and Fanhub [2]

Industry Event - The SALT Conference Blockchain Symposium allows attendees to complete KYC (Know Your Customer) verification [1] - Attendees can receive a Rain-issued Visa card linked to FRNT [1]

Product Overview - Payy introduces a Visa card for spending stablecoins, emphasizing privacy [1] - The card is non-custodial and utilizes Zero-Knowledge (ZK) technology for enhanced privacy [1] - A physical card with a light-up logo is available in limited quantities [1] - Users can easily set up the card and deposit USDC or other cryptocurrencies [1] - A spend-to-earn points program is planned for the future [1] Functionality - Payy card enables users to pay with USDC on Polygon wherever Visa is accepted [1]

Core Viewpoint - New stablecoin legislation is causing concern among investors regarding Visa's business, leading to a nearly 10% decline from its all-time highs, as merchants and fintech companies are increasingly accepting stablecoins for transactions [1][5]. Group 1: Stablecoins and Legislation - Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies pegged to fiat currencies, such as the U.S. dollar, providing more reliability than traditional cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin [3]. - Recent legislation passed by the U.S. Senate aims to regulate stablecoins, ensuring issuers maintain proper reserves and undergo regular audits [4]. - The acceptance of stablecoins by merchants is expected to increase, potentially allowing them to bypass Visa's payment processing [5]. Group 2: Competitive Landscape - Merchants are motivated to adopt stablecoins to avoid the 2%-3% transaction fees charged by Visa, which could save them billions annually [6][14]. - Despite the push for stablecoins, Visa maintains a significant competitive advantage due to its extensive global acceptance, with 150 million merchants and 4.8 billion cards in circulation [10]. - Consumers are unlikely to abandon Visa due to the cash-back rewards and perks associated with using Visa cards, which stablecoins do not currently offer [11][14]. Group 3: Investment Perspective - Although Visa's stock has declined, it is not expected to plummet to zero, and the company is considered a high-quality business [15][16]. - The current price-to-earnings ratio of 34 suggests that Visa may not be a solid buy at this time, as it is a mature company with stable but slow growth prospects [15].