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IndustryUpdate

Fold offers bitcoin cash back, secures capital
Fold, which offers shoppers bitcoin cash back, is now
available to iOS and Android users. Fold also recently
raised $2.5 million in a seed round from Craft Ventures,
CoinShares, Slow Ventures, Goldcrest Capital, Fulgur
Ventures, Thesis and others. When users shop with
the Fold app at such merchants as Amazon, Starbucks,
Delta or Target, they will instantly earn bitcoin rewards
(up to 20 percent) on every purchase, the company said.
Users can spend these rewards on their next purchase,
save for later use, or withdraw to a personal wallet.

Google to offer checking accounts
Google intends to offer checking accounts starting in
2020, according to several media reports. "The news
comes after the release of the Apple Card, Apple and
Goldman Sach's controversial joint project, in August;
ANNOUNCEMENTS this week's release of Facebook Pay; and the mass exo-
dus by payments companies from Facebook's Libra
Aximetria supports Euro-backed stablecoin Association last month," Brendan Garrett wrote in a
Nov. 16, 2019 deBanked article. Partners in the project,
Aximetria, a fintech company that offers a crypto-centric titled "Cache," will include a selection of banks and
mobile finance app for exchange, remittances and pas- credit unions, including Citigroup and a credit union
sive investments, now supports EURS, a Euro-backed based at Stanford University.
stablecoin. This support enables users who lack bank
accounts to transact fiat values – digitally, in-person Ingenico lands Kensington Tours
or across borders ‒ and then convert them into cash.
Aximetria stated that empowerment is the promise of Kensington Tours selected Ingenico Group to provide its
cryptocurrency and blockchain in the first place, but few payment services, stating that it will leverage Ingenico's
firms working in the space have managed to remain true seamless, global, end-to-end payment capabilities to
to the mission of banking the unbanked. power its technology for building highly customized
luxury tour experiences for travelers. "Payments can-
Brim adds Brim eShop not be a pain point for us, as we need tailored solutions
and capabilities to match our customized offerings,"
Brim Financial, a fintech and card issuer, launched Brim said Alison Hickey, president of Kensington Tours.
eShop, expanding its proprietary marketplace and pro- "Ingenico has excelled at meeting these needs and that
viding exclusive offers to all Brim card members. "With makes a world of difference not only for us, but also
this new expansion, Brim will allow its members to earn for our customers who want a seamless tour experience
even more points when shopping online with a wide from planning to payment."
range of merchants – including global giants like Nike,
Lululemon, Microsoft, Indigo, Stubhub and AliExpress RESEARCH
just to name a few," Brim said. Brim added that it offers
unlimited earning potential and up to 5, 10 or even 20
percent back with marketplace partners. ATMIA reports on Germany's ATM sector

Exiger's DDIQ wins RegTech award ATMIA published new research on the independent
ATM sector in Germany, following earlier studies of
Exiger, which provides tech-enabled financial crime, the North American and U.K. markets. In this study,
risk and compliance solutions, won the 2019 Canadian researchers interpreted the data and trends analysis and
FinTech and AI Award for RegTech Solution of the Year. found a cash-intensive economy with a robust indepen-
The distinction is awarded to the company that best dent sector with room for additional growth. The report
demonstrates a material impact on regulatory compli- gives an overview of the economy and independent
ance through technology and responsible innovation. ATM sector in Germany, and details ATM data and IAD
Exiger was recognized for the development and deploy- market share, cash use, ATM density and economics,
ment of innovative artificial intelligence powered solu- ATM network structure, competitive factors, and IAD
tions for financial institutions, multinational corpora- business developments and opportunities.
tions and government agencies.

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