What's New in Payments

Quantum cheques could be a forgery-free way to move money

Quantum cheques could be a forgery-free way to move money — New Scientist — “Say Alice wants to pay Bob using a quantum cheque. She would have to go to the bank, verify her identity and then the bank would issue her with two qubits taken from its central quantum computer. These qubits are inextricably linked to the remaining qubits within the bank’s central computer – a quality known as quantum entanglement. Measuring the state of any one qubit in an entangled system will reveal the state of all qubits within that system. The bank can use this entanglement to verify that its coffers were the origin of a quantum cheque.”


Synthetic fingerprints make plastic particles tiny security keys

Synthetic fingerprints make plastic particles tiny security keys — New Scientist — “Microscopic wrinkles squeezed onto the surface of tiny plastic particles could be used to create security keys that are impossible to duplicate… The particles could be used to verify a person’s identity instead of them using a security card, or their own fingerprint. The particles could also be fixed to a priceless piece of art so people can be sure it’s the real deal.”