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IndustryUpdate

and digital fingerprints, it ensures only authorized
agents access sensitive systems, the company affirmed.
Expected in the second quarter of 2025, the innovation is
expected to strengthen protection across industries.
Workato now PCI Level 1 certified

Workato reported it has achieved PCI DSS v4.0 Level
1 compliance, the highest industry standard for pay-
ment security, reinforcing its commitment to cyberse-
curity and compliance. This milestone enables secure
automation for industries handling sensitive payment
data, including retail, financial services, healthcare and
hospitality, the company stated. Workato mentioned
it also earned ISO/IEC 27002:2022 and ISO/IEC 27701
certifications, strengthening its enterprise-grade security
posture. With robust encryption, access controls and risk
management, Workato strives to empower businesses to
ANNOUNCEMENTS automate critical workflows while ensuring compliance
with evolving regulations. Its secure, low-code platform
ETA recognizes POPcodes for innovation simplifies compliance for highly regulated industries,
the company added.
POPcodes won the Most Innovative Product or Solution
Award from the Electronic Transactions Association for RESEARCH
its Direct-to-Merchant (D2M) Communication Platform.
The award recognizes advancements in usability, profit-
ability and reducing friction in the payments ecosys- FPC shares 2025 Faster Payments
tem. D2M enhances merchant engagement by enabling Barometer results
instant, campaign-based messaging at the point of
purchase, reducing training costs and increasing value- The U.S. Faster Payments Council and Volante
added service adoption, judges noted, adding that Technologies released the 2025 Faster Payments
POPcodes serves top global payment processors and Barometer, analyzing adoption trends and challenges
continues to drive innovation in the industry. in U.S. faster payments. Surveying over 400 organiza-
tions, the study found 80 percent view faster payments
Fold Holdings goes public on Nasdaq as essential, with financial institutions leading adop-
tion. Key growth areas include ecommerce, payroll and
Thesis*, a venture studio behind a number of Bitcoin- P2P transactions, though fraud, interoperability and
native financial products, celebrated a milestone as costs remain barriers. Multi-rail strategies are gaining
Fold Holdings Inc. became the first Bitcoin financial ser- traction, with FedNow and RTP adoption expected to
vices company to go public on Nasdaq under FLD and rise significantly. Industry collaboration and enhanced
FLDDW. Fold, initially incubated by Thesis*, enables security measures like multifactor authentication will be
users to earn Bitcoin rewards on everyday purchases. crucial for sustained growth and ubiquity.
Fold CEO Matt Luongo sees the company's success as
validation of Thesis*' venture model. Following a $13 U.S. bankruptcy filings increase 14 percent in 2024
million Series A and a SPAC merger, Fold’s listing marks
a step toward mainstream Bitcoin adoption, Thesis*, U.S. bankruptcy filings in 2024 increased 14.09 per-
noted, adding that it continues innovating with projects cent over 2023, reaching 494,169, despite a 1.4 percent
like Mezo, focused on Bitcoin-backed lending. decline in the fourth quarter, breaking a two-year
upward trend. Analysts at G2 Risk Solutions forecast a
VikingCloud files patent for further 12 percent rise in 2025, though regional trends
universal merchant ID system vary. The Southeast led 2024 bankruptcy growth, with
Florida seeing the highest volume increase. Four regions
VikingCloud, a provider of cybersecurity and PCI com- (Mountain, Pacific, Southeast, and North Central West)
pliance, filed a new patent for its Universal Merchant saw declines in filings in the fourth quarter of 2024,
Identification System, adding to its 28 granted pat- while others continued rising. States leading in bank-
ents. Partnering with Mastercard, VikingCloud aims ruptcy growth include Colorado, Wisconsin, Minnesota,
to enhance SMB cybersecurity against AI-driven social Massachusetts, Washington, Florida and Texas.
engineering threats. The system, VikingCloud point-
ed out, offers social engineering-resistant multi-factor
authentication and seamless single sign-on for secure
access to cybersecurity tools. Using cryptography
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