Is consumer crypto really dead? Every market cycle brings fresh predictions that consumer crypto is finished, and in our conversation @marklg pushed back firmly on the idea that institutional adoption is now the only story that matters. His comparison to equity markets is instructive: bear markets regularly trigger the same doom narrative around stock trading, yet trading activity simply follows the natural rhythm of the cycle, rising when people are making money and pulling back when they are not. Consumer crypto behaves the same way, waves of activity tied to market conditions rather than a permanent structural decline. The recurring obituaries for consumer crypto say more about short-term sentiment than about the underlying trajectory of the space. @Payward @PaywardServices @krakenfx

AI agents are becoming a new customer for creators. They can search, compare sources and act on information. The unresolved question is how they access trusted research and pay for it without relying on scraped content or pushing creators into another race to the bottom. In this episode of the WRAP UP, I sit down with @blauyourmind, founder of Drip, to discuss the emerging infrastructure behind machine-to-machine content payments. Drip gives AI agents a way to discover and purchase premium financial newsletters, podcast research and specialist analysis. We unpack why financial research is an early use case for this model. An agent analysing a company, sector or trade does not need a full media subscription. It may need one analyst’s view, a historical newsletter archive or a specific data point. That creates a new commercial model for independent publishers: make their work available to agents and earn when it is actually used. We also discuss what this means for the economics of the creator business, the role of protocols such as x402 and MCP, and why payment, permissions and attribution need to work together before agentic research can scale. The conversation goes beyond the creator economy. It is about a basic question for the internet: when software can consume information and make purchases, who gets paid, how is trust established, and what changes when the buyer is an agent rather than a person? By the way, my newsletter is available on Drip check them on dripstack dot xyz

🚨 PAYMENTS: RedotPay Selects OpenPayd to Strengthen Global Stablecoin Payment Infrastructure for Millions of Customers RedotPay, a global stablecoin-based payment fintech, has selected OpenPayd, a leading financial infrastructure provider, to enhance its treasury operations, multi-currency payments, and cross-border remittances for customers worldwide. The collaboration strengthens RedotPay’s payment infrastructure, enabling a more seamless experience for global fund movement so users can navigate between local and digital currencies effortlessly. As a result of the integration, RedotPay users benefit from faster, more efficient cross-border remittances and frictionless multi-currency payment options. The integration also optimizes how liquidity is managed behind the scenes. As a result transactions are processed securely and without unnecessary delays, regardless of where the user is located. By leveraging OpenPayd’s infrastructure and integrating the best of traditional and digital finance into a single, intuitive platform, RedotPay enables users to move seamlessly between local and digital currencies as it continues to scale its global footprint. Throughout, it maintains its commitment to a fast, flexible, and user-centric payment experience. Source: Financial IT #Fintech# #payments# #crypto#

In this episode of the WRAP UP Podcast, I sat down with @BunitaSawhney, Chief Consumer Product Officer at @Mastercard, to reflect on how consumer payments are changing beneath the surface. What stood out most from our conversation is that the future of payments may not be defined by a single new rail or feature, but by how trust, control, and simplicity come together in a more complex world. Consumers want speed, but they also want confidence. They want personalization, but without losing privacy. They want more choice, but without more friction. We explored why contactless still feels like the benchmark experience, where QR can create friction, and why many markets are still catching up. We also discussed a bigger shift now emerging: AI moving from assistant to decision-maker. As agents begin to help people shop and pay, the real challenge becomes less about technology itself and more about intent, accountability, and who consumers trust to act on their behalf. Another idea that stayed with me was the move toward a single intelligent credential connected to multiple funding sources. Not just a better payment tool, but a simpler financial experience built around how people actually live. My biggest takeaway: the best payment experiences are often invisible to the user, but incredibly intentional underneath. If you’re curious about where payments, AI, and consumer behavior are heading next, I think you’ll enjoy this conversation. #fintech# #ai# @MastercardNews