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Spend Crypto at 700,000 Merchants in SA Using Luno Pay
Together with Scan to Pay’s 650,000 merchants and Luno Pay’s existing network of over 30,000 merchants, this expansion unlocks access to major household retailers, including Checkers, Makro, Vodacom, and Shoprite, bringing crypto payments into the mainstream and marking a major step for cryptocurrency adoption.
Additionally, Luno Pay users earn up to 10% back in Tether (USDT) instantly when paying with USDT at any of these nationwide merchants. Tether is a popular stablecoin pegged to the US dollar.
Christo de Wit, South Africa country manager for Luno, says, “We’re moving from niche acceptance to the mainstream, giving our users the freedom to spend their crypto anywhere they shop while also earning meaningful rewards. Luno is making crypto payments as simple as traditional card transactions, but without extra fees, yet with the added flexibility of paying directly from over 50 different crypto assets and the benefit of instant USDT rewards.”
The expansion builds on Luno Pay’s already impressive track record since its launch in November 2024. Over 48,000 completed payments have been processed across more than 1,600 merchants, representing a transaction volume of over R28 million. Notably, 70% of Luno Pay users are repeat customers.
The integration leverages existing payment infrastructure, ensuring merchants don’t need to make technical changes or investments to accept Luno Pay. For consumers, paying with cryptocurrency is simple: scan the QR code displayed at checkout using the Luno app, confirm the payment details, and select the cryptocurrency you wish to use for payment. Rewards in USDT are automatically applied to your purchase.
This development positions Luno Pay at the forefront of South Africa’s digital payment evolution, while rewarding customers for adopting innovative payment technology. Luno Pay users can confidently use crypto for daily purchases, from groceries and electronics to telecommunications and online shopping.
Access to all Scan to Pay merchants has been made possible through Luno’s payments partner, MoneyBadger.
Carel van Wyk, MoneyBadger co-founder and CEO, says, “South Africans are increasingly moving from holding Bitcoin as an investment vehicle to using their Bitcoin for day-to-day expenses. This move expands the number of places where South Africans can pay with Bitcoin significantly, and we believe it will benefit everyone.”
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Spend Crypto at 700,000 Merchants in SA Using Luno Pay
Together with Scan to Pay’s 650,000 merchants and Luno Pay’s existing network of over 30,000 merchants, this expansion unlocks access to major household retailers, including Checkers, Makro, Vodacom, and Shoprite, bringing crypto payments into the mainstream and marking a major step for cryptocurrency adoption.
Galaxy Launches GalaxyOne, Bringing Institutional-Quality Financial Offerings to Individual Investors
Galaxy Digital Inc. (NASDAQ: GLXY) (TSX: GLXY) today launched GalaxyOne, a financial technology platform offering U.S.-based individual investors to access high yields on fiat cash, alongside crypto and equities trading in a single digital experience. Accredited investors1 can access 8.00% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) through Galaxy Premium Yield2, while all investors can earn 4.00% APY3 on cash deposits and the ability to auto-reinvest earned interest into bitcoin or other supported crypto – all backed by Galaxy's financial expertise, rigorous risk management, and white-glove client service.
"We've spent years building institutional-quality infrastructure to serve the world's most sophisticated investors. Now, we're extending that edge to individuals," said Mike Novogratz, Founder and CEO of Galaxy. "Importantly, GalaxyOne advances our mission of becoming a full-spectrum financial services provider that builds trusted, regulated, and accessible products for all market segments."
GalaxyOne, which is available on mobile (iOS and Android) and online in the U.S., launches with four core products:
- Galaxy Premium Yield 2: Earn 8.00% APY through an investment note issued by Galaxy Digital LP, a subsidiary of Galaxy Digital Inc. and available exclusively to U.S. accredited investors on GalaxyOne. Yield is generated by Galaxy's institutional lending business, active since 2018. Each investment requires a $25,000 minimum and is capped at $1 million per investor with an initial $250 million total investment cap. Interest accrues daily and is paid monthly into the GalaxyOne Cash account.
- GalaxyOne Cash 3: Earn 4.00% APY in a high-yield cash deposit account FDIC insured up to $250,000. Banking services are provided by Cross River Bank, member FDIC.
- GalaxyOne Crypto: Buy, trade, hold and transfer major blue-chip digital assets, including bitcoin (BTC), ethereum (ETH), and solana (SOL). Transparent pricing, recurring purchases and real-time execution are available on the platform.
- GalaxyOne Brokerage: Access commission-free trading of more than 2,000 U.S stocks and ETFs in individual brokerage accounts. Retirement accounts (traditional and Roth IRAs) are also available. Fractional share trading is available with a $10 minimum per trade. Clients have the option to earn passive income by lending their eligible stocks through the GalaxyOne Stock Lending program4.
GalaxyOne was originally developed under the name Fierce, which Galaxy acquired in 2024. The platform is led by Zac Prince, Managing Director at Galaxy, alongside the original development team. Fierce's former CEO, Rob Cornish, will continue to support the platform's operations as Chief Technology Officer of Galaxy. GalaxyOne sits alongside GalaxyOne Institutional as part of a unified suite of products, each tailored to client needs, but both built to Galaxy's institutional standards of security, scale, and risk management.
"As technology reshapes how people invest, expectations are clear: more yield, easier access from a single platform, and opportunities that extend beyond traditional boundaries," said Mr. Prince. "GalaxyOne delivers exactly that: a unified opportunity to earn yield on cash, trade crypto, and access U.S. equities, all supported by Galaxy's financial discipline, institutional oversight, and professional team trusted by some of the world's most sophisticated institutions. We have an exciting roadmap ahead and are excited to deliver a differentiated financial experience to our clients. This is just the beginning."
To sign up and learn more about GalaxyOne, please visit: https://one.galaxy.app/sign-up
TerraPay Becomes One of the First Global Payment Leaders To Adopt Stablecoin-Native Flows, Powered by Fipto
TerraPay, a global money movement company, today announced the launch of stablecoin-native flows in partnership with Fipto, the regulated infrastructure layer powering secure, compliant blockchain-based treasury operations.
Crypto Security Failures Highlight Urgent Need for Stricter Safeguards, Says D24 Fintech
The crypto industry is facing a fresh reckoning over security following a series of high-profile breaches. Some of the largest breaches included hackers stealing $1.5bn from Bybit, Phemex losing out on $69m in a crypto heist, and WazirX losing £230m. Despite the rapid mainstreaming of digital assets, vulnerabilities in exchange infrastructure continue to leave billions of pounds at risk.
dtcpay Partners with WalletConnect to Advance Onchain Payments and Stablecoin Adoption
dtcpay, a licensed Major Payment Institution (MPI), today announced a strategic partnership with WalletConnect , the connectivity layer for the financial internet. The collaboration will accelerate the adoption of secure, frictionless onchain payments and reinforce dtcpay’s role in shaping the next generation of onchain finance.
Leading Crypto Firm, 21Shares, and New Wealth Management App, Stratiphy, Partner to Enable Investors to Access Digital Assets
Global-leading exchange traded product issuer 21Shares and new personalised wealth management platform, Stratiphy have partnered to unlock regulated access to cryptocurrencies and digital assets for UK investors once the FCA changes have been introduced to UK investors.
Binance Launches The Blockchain 100 Award to Honor Top Creators Driving Blockchain Innovation
Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange by trading volume and users, today announced the inaugural launch of The Blockchain 100. This new annual awards show is designed to recognize and celebrate the most influential creators advancing blockchain education, innovation, and community engagement.
EXCLUSIVE: “Taking the Pain Out of Compliance” – Camillo Werdich, Sinpex in ‘The Fintech Magazine’
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Global Tech Leaders Unite to Propel Emerging Future-Critical Sectors at GITEX GLOBAL 2025
With capabilities of AI advancing every year, its potential to address challenges once thought unsolvable is rapidly expanding, from the possibility of curing genetic diseases to transforming urban mobility or enabling green data centres. With the global AI market set to reach $4.8 trillion by 2033 (UNCTAD), the race to deploy AI for critical sectors has never been more urgent. Against this backdrop, GITEX GLOBAL 2025 convenes as the world’s largest tech and AI event, with this year’s edition highlighting significant developments in biotech, physical AI, quantum computing, semiconductors, and data centres.
U.S. Bank Leverages Gen AI for Banking Services
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Two Thirds of Millennial Travellers Say Flexible Payments Are Their Deciding Factor When Choosing Airlines
New research commissioned by Affirm, the payment network that empowers consumers and merchants with flexible and transparent payment options, reveals that payment flexibility is now one of the most important factors influencing travellers when booking flights and holidays.
Big Issue Partners With fumopay To Roll Out New Way for Vendors To Take Cashless Payments via Open Banking
Big Issue has partnered with open banking payment provider fumopay to offer its vendors an innovative new way to take cashless payments.
Spend Crypto at 700,000 Merchants in SA Using Luno Pay
Together with Scan to Pay’s 650,000 merchants and Luno Pay’s existing network of over 30,000 merchants, this expansion unlocks access to major household retailers, including Checkers, Makro, Vodacom, and Shoprite, bringing crypto payments into the mainstream and marking a major step for cryptocurrency adoption.
More Rewards, More Flexibility: PayPal Introduces 5% Cash Back on Buy Now Pay Later Purchases this Holiday Season
PayPal has announced that U.S. customers will earn 5% cash back on PayPal Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) purchases between now and the end of the year1. As 60%2 of shoppers feel more financial stress heading into this holiday season, PayPal, one of the leading BNPL providers worldwide, is helping to make it easier to manage spending this holiday season.