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- Some 57% of large companies are either seriously studying or in the process of deploying blockchain technology, according to a Juniper Research survey of nearly 400 company executives. Most-often-cited uses include settlement, land registry, and digital fiat currency. The study cautions, though, that some companies may be underestimating both the challenges of blockchain and the value of alternative options.
- A so-called hard fork in the Bitcoin code is seen as likely Tuesday that will create an alternative cryptocurrency called Bitcoin Cash, leading many Bitcoin exchanges to indicate they will not support the new coin owing to a lack of resources. The hard fork stems from a long-running debate over how to increase transaction capacity on the Bitcoin blockchain as volume grows.
- The Bancorp Inc., parent company of prepaid card issuer The Bancorp Bank, said prepaid card dollar volume increased 4% year-over-year to $11.9 billion in the second quarter.
- Research done for The Western Union Co. claims that public U.S. universities would pay more than $285 million in annual credit card acceptance fees for tuition payments from international students if tuition was paid by card, and that private universities would pay even more. The wire-transfer provider, which has a service for student payments, says its survey of 100 university finance and admissions offices found the average credit card transaction fee was 1.14%. The $285 million estimate is based on each of the approximately 1 million foreign college students in the U.S. attending a public university and all of them paying average tuition of $25,000 by credit card.
- With processor acquisitions heating up in recent months, particularly in Europe, an analyst suggests Worldline S.A., a French company, and Germany-based Wirecard A.G., could be attractive targets.
- Transit fare-payment technology provider Cubic Transportation Systems announced a contract extension for up to five years with the San Francisco area’s Metropolitan Transportation Commission to support the Clipper payment system; the extension, which starts in November 2019, is valued at about $25 million annually.
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