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IndustryUpdate

and integration of NFC capabilities in apps like Apple ties. Users can now use Visa and Mastercard on Alchemy
Pay and Google Pay offer growth opportunities. The re- Pay's On & Off-Ramp for seamless crypto transactions,
port analyzes key players' strategies and the competitive including NFTs, the partners stated. Worldpay, acquired
landscape in the NFC payments market. by FIS in 2019, said it handles over 130 million daily
transactions across 146 countries, making it a key player
Ransomware attacks rise 67 percent from 2022 in international payments. This collaboration aims to
boost crypto adoption by simplifying transactions, the
NCC Group's November Threat Pulse found that in partners added, noting that Worldpay previously part-
November 2023, global ransomware attacks surged by 30 nered with prominent crypto entities, further indicating
percent over October, for totals of 442 and 341 attacks, re- its commitment to crypto's future.
spectively. The November attacks pushed the year's total
to 4,276, exceeding earlier predictions, researchers found. Evita, Layer2 team up on cross-border payments
The industrials sector remained the most targeted, with
146 attacks, a 28 percent increase from October. Consum- Layer2 Financial, a banking-as-a-service and paytech
er cyclicals and healthcare followed. LockBit dominated firm, partnered with Evita, a B2B cross-border payments
as the most active threat actor. Notably, banking software specialist. This alliance optimizes cross-border payments
Carbanak returned in November, evolving and imper- by leveraging each company's strengths, the partners
sonating various business-related software, researchers stated. Evita said it specializes in facilitating high-value
found, adding that cybersecurity vigilance remains essen- transactions (for example, luxury cars) that are faster and
tial, especially in the industrials sector. more cost-effective than traditional bank transactions,
and it chose Layer2 due to Layer2's speedy onboarding
Financial cards, payments flourish in UAE and efficient compliance handling. In addition, Evita will
use Layer2 to open For Benefit Of (FBO) accounts to help
The United Arab Emirates is progressing toward a cash- it operate seamlessly in U.S. dollars.
less society, driven by the increasing adoption of digi-
tal payments, contactless cards and prepaid solutions,
ResearchAndMarkets reported. This trend, researchers ACQUISITIONS
noted, is motivated by the convenience of card and digital
payments, along with rewards and cash-back incentives, Future acquires Fan Rewards startup
reducing cash usage. The Financial Cards and Payments
in UAE report explores the market for various types of Future, a climate-positive fintech company, acquired Fan
financial cards, including credit, debit, prepaid and smart Rewards, an AI-driven rewards platform for fans of art-
cards. It provides insights into key players, card circula- ists and influencers. Future aims to create a payments and
tion, transaction numbers and values, offering strategic rewards platform for the sustainable economy, making
analysis and forecasts for the sector's growth, according eco-friendly choices accessible and exciting for house-
to ResearchAndMarkets. holds. The company said FutureCard Visa Debit Card
offers over 5 percent cash back on sustainable purchases,
PARTNERSHIPS while the app provides additional rewards for renewable
energy purchases. The acquisition, Future noted, expands
its community and leverages AI to identify rewarding
Affirm, Walmart expand self-checkout sustainable practices.

Affirm said it expanded its partnership with Walmart, of- Improving Payments acquires
fering transparent pay-over-time options at self-checkout Science of Sales portfolio
kiosks in over 4,500 Walmart stores across the United
States. This allows eligible shoppers to make monthly Improving Payments acquired the portfolio of Science of
payments for electronics, apparel, toys and more, the Sales, a New York-based payment processing company,
company noted. The company further cited in-house as part of its commitment to providing top-tier solutions
research showing that 54 percent of Americans seek buy for merchants and enhancing its industry presence. The
now, pay later options, and 76 percent would delay or acquisition, Improving Payments noted, enhances its stra-
forgo purchases without Affirm. Affirm pointed out that tegic growth plan and reinforces its dedication to excel-
its services are also available at Walmart Vision and Auto lent customer service and payment solutions. The acquisi-
Centers, and customers are always presented with the tion also diversifies Improving Payments' client base and
total cost upfront, with no hidden fees. enables the company to offer innovative solutions to a
broader range of businesses, Improving Payments stated.
Alchemy Pay, Worldpay from FIS join forces
ReCo acquires EZ SecurePay online platform
Alchemy Pay, a fiat-crypto payment gateway that offers a
range of payment options, partnered with global acquirer ReCo acquired the EZ SecurePay online payments plat-
Worldpay to expand payment channels and capabili- form for municipalities from F&E Payment Pros. The inte-

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