IATA completes first end-to-end contactless passenger journey

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has successfully tested an end-to-end digital ID proof-of-concept (PoC) that enables air travellers to use biometric digital credentials to verify their identity at every stage of their journey – from purchasing a ticket to arriving at their destination... More



Australian university tests central bank digital currency for cash disbursements in emergency situations

The Australia and New Zealand Bank (ANZ) has completed an eight-week pilot programme with Southern Cross University in New South Wales that has shown how organisations such as universities could provide immediate financial support using a central bank digital currency (CBDC) in emergency situations when ATMs and other payments technologies are unusable... More



European Central Bank launches next phase of digital euro project

The European Central Bank (ECB) has completed the initial two-year investigation phase of its digital euro project and will now implement a two-year preparation phase that will cover the finalisation of a digital euro rulebook, the selection of providers to develop a digital euro platform and infrastructure, as well as testing and experimentation across a range of use cases for the central bank digital currency (CBDC)... More


X9 to upgrade wireless financial services standards for NFC, contactless and mobile payments technologies

The Accredited Standards Committee X9 is to upgrade the ANSI X9.112 Wireless Management and Security standard to address new and future vulnerabilities and risks to technologies – including NFC, RFID, WiFi and Bluetooth – that are used in devices supporting contactless and mobile payments such as payment cards, smartphones, point-of-sale (POS) terminals and ATMs. More


China offers financial incentives for companies moving into Shenzhen’s digital yuan zone

Digital yuan symbol

Industrial enterprises, fintechs, commercial banks, start-ups and other businesses relocating to China’s newly opened digital yuan industrial park in the city of Shenzhen will receive incentives including settlement payments of between 500,000 and 50m yuan (US$6.8m), free rent for up to three years and loans with favourable interest rates. More



Spanish banks find that digital euro can run on existing payment rails

A working group of 30 Spanish banks and payment services providers, including BBVA, Banco Sabadell, Banco Santander, CaixaBank and Iberpay, have completed a proof of concept (PoC) trial for digital euro transactions and recommended that the proposed central bank digital currency (CBDC) is designed to leverage existing payments infrastructure... More