Hugo Boss adds NFC tags to baseball caps

Adding an avatar by scanning NFC tag in Hugo Boss baseball cap that link to NFT

Fashion house Hugo Boss has added an NFC tag to a range of baseball caps that enables purchasers to create non-fungible token (NFT) digital twins that they can use to dress avatars on the Ready Player Me metaverse platform... More




Japan to host first entirely cashless World Expo in 2025

Logo for Japan cashless World Expo 2025 in Osaka

The World Expo 2025 in the Japanese city of Osaka will be the first world’s fair to be entirely cashless and is developing a dedicated blockchain-enabled Expo Digital Wallet that visitors will be able to use to make contactless payments with their smartphone both inside and outside the venue as well as after the event... More


Kochi Metro promotion drives upsurge in mobile ticketing adoption

Kochi Metro discount on mobile QR ticketing advert

The number of passengers purchasing QR code mobile tickets for journeys on Kochi Metro services in the Indian state of Kerala has increased twenty-fold since the rapid transit system launched a promotion offering a 10% discount for peak-time and 50% discount for off-peak travel to mobile ticketing users... More


EU begins work on digital visas for Schengen visitors

Sweden’s Minister for Migration Maria Malmer Stenergard

The European Union is to begin negotiating a proposal to enable travellers who require a visa to transit through — or make a short stay in countries within — the border-free Schengen area of Europe to apply for and store a digital version of the credential on their smartphone... More




TSA to extend contactless digital ID verification pilot to airports in Puerto Rico and Tennessee

TSA map of contactless digital ID acceptance across USA

The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is to start letting passengers use their digital driving licence or state ID card stored on their smartphone to verify their identity at checkpoints in Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport in Puerto Rico and Nashville International Airport in Tennessee later this year, according to TSA administrator David Pekoske... More




European Banking Federation lays out principles for a retail digital euro

European Banking Federation chart showing objectives for a retail digital euro

The proposed retail digital euro should be appropriately designed in collaboration with the private sector, create value for end-users, preserve financial stability and incentivise and enable private sector intermediaries to add solutions and services within the central bank digital currency (CBDC) ecosystem, according to a European Banking Federation (EBF) vision paper... More




Google Wallet begins to roll out in Japan

Google Wallet Japan on 3 smartphone screens

Google Wallet has launched in Japan, enabling users to store and use their credit, debit, transit and loyalty cards, boarding passes, tickets and other digital credentials on their Android NFC smartphone or Wear OS smartwatch... More





OECD seeks feedback on digital identity recommendations

oecd logo

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published a draft recommendation for the implementation and governance of national and cross-border digital identity systems and is inviting comment on the document from government officials, civil society organisations, international bodies and interested citizens and stakeholders... More