Mastercard links bonuses to ESG goals

In a memo to staff, Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach said all employees’ compensation would be tied to the company’s ESG goals. This had previously only been the case for Mastercard executives.

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How can crypto affect the future of taxes?

Adam Willems, Lead Reporter for The Financial Revolutionist, wrote about the future of taxes for WIRED. Looking at crypto’s efforts to tokenize city taxes, Adam argues that crypto is trying to turn taxes into another investment vehicle.

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Majority of central banks mull CBDCs

According to PwC, 80% of central banks worldwide are considering rolling out a central bank digital currency (CBDC). PwC estimates the larger stablecoin ecosystem to be worth $190B.

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Facing sanctions, Russian billionaires sell fintech holdings

FIBR Tech Ltd., which provides online lending to businesses, and ANNA Money, a business account and admin service provider, have announced searches for new buyers. Both businesses are currently owned by ABH Holdings, which includes sanctioned Russian billionaires as its owners.

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The crypto industry is writing its own laws

Investigative work by the New York Times revealed that lawmakers in at least six states have worked directly with crypto lobbyists to draft legislation. Some bills copy-paste wording directly from lobbyists’ proposals.

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What’s up with NYC pols and Wells Fargo?

In a letter to Wells Fargo, the New York City government said it won’t open new Wells Fargo depository accounts. It follows accusations that the bank discriminates against Black homeowners.

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The future of proptech with Kenon Chen (Clear Capital)

The PAVE report could drastically change how homes are bought and sold in the U.S. and address a long history of discrimination against minority homeowners—especially if PAVE’s recommendations are codified into law. That’s a big if when Congress has a hard time agreeing on, well, almost anything.

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Indian payments body dismisses Coinbase launch

The National Payments Corporation of India, which maintains the country’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI), released a voluntary statement saying it did not know of any crypto exchange using UPI. This came after Coinbase announced its launch in the country featuring UPI support.

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Meta restarts currency plans

Internal memos suggest Meta, which owns Facebook, has plans to add virtual coins, tokens, and lending to its apps. This includes “social” or “reputation” tokens that reward substantive contributions to Facebook groups.

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Visa faces antitrust suit over network fees

Yesterday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated two counts in an antitrust suit against Visa related to its debit card fees for payment processing networks. The plaintiff, Pulse Network LLC, argues that Visa’s fixed monthly fees for using its debit network encouraged payments processors to favor Visa over other card networks.

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Uber gears up for super app launch

The rideshare giant said it will soon add plane, train, and rental-car booking to its app in the U.K. It also said it may scale these services beyond the U.K. if the new services gain traction.

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Citigroup pauses SPACs, awaits regulation

Citigroup pauses SPACs, awaits regulation

The financial giant said it would temporarily halt public offerings through special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs). It’s concerned about increased oversight into SPACs from the SEC, which has yet to solidify specific guidelines.

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What’s Egypt’s long game with InstaPay?

What’s Egypt’s long game with InstaPay?

Launched on March 23 by Egypt’s central bank, InstaPay permits electronic transfers from accounts belonging to different banks. 13 banks currently use the app and run on its Instant Payment Network (IPN).

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E.U. to outlaw anonymous crypto transactions

E.U. to outlaw anonymous crypto transactions

European Union lawmakers have voted to apply AML regulations to crypto, while also requiring ID verification for payers and recipients of any amount of cryptocurrency. The E.U. may also cut off unregulated crypto exchanges from financial systems if they fail to comply.

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Bank of Italy bans N26 onboarding

Bank of Italy bans N26 onboarding

Italy’s central bank has banned N26, the Germany-based neobank giant, from onboarding new customers or offering new products. Italian regulators have flagged N26 for its weak AML procedures.

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