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Bitcoin enthusiasts are thoroughly convinced digital payments are the way forward. Although card payments are becoming more common every month, there are high fraud rates associated with this form of transferring value. Visa Europe head of Digitization and Innovation Shahar Fridman feels confident digital payment should be the focus, even for his company.
Consumers around the world are showing a growing need for different types of financial services these days. The payment industry is seeing an accelerated pace of evolution that has not been witnessed ever before. Keeping up with these demands, going digital seems to be the only way forward.
Visa Europe is Keen On Blockchain Technology
For some reason, a lot of financial players are slow to adapt to these new challenges and changes. Visa Europe has noted an increase in mobile and contactless payments, as they combined for over US$3bn in the previous twelve months. Visa wants to be at the center of the mobile ecosystem going forward, which means they will focus on new technologies and payment options.
It is interesting to note Visa Europe acknowledges digital payments is the logical evolution of transferring value. Contactless payments were the first iteration of new payment types, followed by mobile and cloud-based solutions. At the same time, it’s hard to provide adequate security solutions for these new payments.
Transitioning from traditional payments to their mobile counterparts is quite a challenge, even for Visa Europe. Blockchain technology is of particular interest to this institution, similar to how a lot of banks are keen on distributed ledgers as well. It is important to keep in mind Visa Europe would not use an open blockchain, such as Bitcoin, but rather private and permissioned solutions. It is not surprising they are more interested in blockchain than Bitcoin.
Shahar Fridman also has an opinion on cryptocurrency in general, which is often referred to as a direct competitor for traditional payments. Visa Europe is not particularly concerned about Bitcoin and consorts, albeit it does appreciate the technology powering this protocol. The company will keep an eye on the evolution of the cryptocurrency space, though, as innovation is at the top of their priority list.
Source: Hairbro
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