Digital Transactions Authoritative, insightful and timely information for payments professionals
• The U.S. Marshals Service announced that bidder registration began today for its Aug. 22 online auction of 2,719.33 Bitcoins forfeited to the government in various criminal, civil, and administrative cases. The Bitcoins, which will be sold in one block, are worth nearly $1.61 million at today’s price of $590.25 for one unit of the virtual currency, according to Bitcoin information service CoinDesk. The Marshals Service already has conducted four auctions of Bitcoin seized in the FBI’s 2013 bust of the notorious Silk Road underground market.
• More than 20 credit unions and some credit-union associations have joined a federal class-action lawsuit against hamburger chain The Wendy’s Co. over a data breach that affected more than 1,000 franchised Wendy’s restaurants, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
• Payment processor Fidelity National Information Services Inc. (FIS) said it and the state of Arkansas agreed to extend their funding of the state’s VC FinTech Accelerator program for two more years; the program helps fund early-stage startups in financial services.
• BlueSnap Inc., which specializes in conversion technology for mobile and online commerce, said it has integrated Visa Inc.’s Visa Checkout service into its platform.
• Mobile-payments technology provider Mozido Inc. said its China gateway PayEase teamed up with KG Inicis, South Korea’s first online payment-service provider, to expand e-commerce services in both countries.
• Risk-analytics firm FICO announced four new patented technologies for cyber security, the Internet of Things, model governance, and decision optimization for marketing.
• Ken Elderts, a payments veteran who had been vice president of sales for the ISO channel at AnywhereCommerce and was honorary advisor and former president of the Western States Acquirers Association, died Friday, August 5. Elderts also worked at Dejavoo Systems, TASQ Technology, and VeriFone Systems Inc., according to his LinkedIn profile. His family has set up a GoFundMe.com crowdfunding campaign.
