Visa Inc. CEO Alfred Kelly told CNBC that Bitcoin currently is a “speculative commodity” and not “a payment-system player.” Visa only will process fiat currency transactions, Kelly said at the National Retail Federation’s annual conference this week in New York. Varo Money Inc. said it raised $45 million in a …

A bipartisan group of 18 state attorneys general sent a letter to Congress asking lawmakers to advance legislation “that would allow states that have legalized medical or relational use of marijuana to bring that commerce into the banking system.” Marijuana remains illegal under federal law, forcing many legal cannabis businesses in 29 …

Vantiv Inc.’s acquisition of Worldpay Group plc, which was announced in August, officially closed Tuesday, forming a company called Worldpay Inc. The combined company processes more than 40 billion transactions worth more than $1.5 trillion annually around the world. Over a 24-hour period, a swooning Bitcoin shed nearly $2,600 in …

Cardlytics Inc., which provides marketers with payment card purchase information as well as ACH and bill-payment data from 2,000 partner financial institutions, filed for a $75 million initial public offering. Cardlytics says that in 2016 its platform analyzed more than 18 billion online and in-store transactions across more than 94 million accounts, …

Processor JetPay Corp. announced its payments, payroll, and account-opening services are now available to clients of Bolts Technologies, a software provider specializing in deposit account onboarding for financial institutions. VeriFone Systems Inc. introduced its e280, a mobile point-of-sale device with a 3.5-inch color touchscreen that accepts near-field communication contactless payments, …

The U.S. Marshals Service plans to auction 3,813 Bitcoins in 11 blocks Jan. 22. The agency acquired the digital currency through forfeitures in 18 federal criminal, civil, and administrative cases. Bidder registration opens today. At Thursday morning’s price of approximately $14,000 per Bitcoin, the assets are worth about $53.4 million. …

Payment-security provider Bluefin Payment Systems announced that Choice Entertainment Technologies will offer Bluefin’s point-to-point encryption service to users of its ChoiceCRM platform for performing-arts organizations. Payments company Wirecard AG is providing services to Moonrise, a unit of American Family Insurance. Moonrise enables employers to pay shift workers using a Wirecard-issued …

First American Payment Systems LP launched 1stPayPOS Pro, a tablet-based point-of-sale system that uses an Android-powered device to accept multiple payment methods, including EMV and Apple Pay and Google Pay. Payments provider National Merchants Association said it plans to open an office in London after it obtains a payment-facilitator certification …

Vantiv Inc. shareholders approved the processor’s planned acquisition of London-based merchant acquirer Worldpay Group plc with 99.9% of votes cast in favor, Vantiv reported. The companies expect the merger to close Jan. 16 following approval of a British court. The merged company will be known as Worldpay Inc., and its …

Suburban Cleveland-based merchant processor Electronic Merchant Systems announced it will move its headquarters to downtown Cleveland in mid-2018. The new location offers about 48,000 square feet of space. Point-of-sale equipment maker Star Micronics released PromoPRNT, a service that enables merchants to create printed promotions in addition to receipts. U.S. Attorney …