Second largest US mortgage lender UWM dumps Bitcoin payment plans

United Wholesale Mortgage previously announced plans to test Bitcoin and Ether for mortgage payments in August. United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM), one of the largest wholesale and purchase lenders in the United States, is ditching Bitcoin (BTC) payment plans after running a test.UWM officially announced Thursday that the company has successfully conducted its first-ever cryptocurrency mortgage pilot, accepting five crypto payments in October and one in September.The firm did not disclose more information about the test, neither specifying what cryptocurrencies were part of the pilot nor what companies have assisted the firm in completing it.“We’re proud to be the first mortgage lender to successfully pilot this technology and further demonstrate that we’re innovating for the long term,” UWM CEO Mat Ishbia stated.But despite running the test successfully, the mortgage company has decided to stay away from Bitcoin payments, citing associated issues like regulation:“Due to the current combination of incremental costs and regulatory uncertainty in the Crypto space we’ve concluded we aren’t going to extend beyond a pilot at this time.”UWM noted that the pilot process has helped the firm learn about crypto payment transactions and prepared the company to make it available “once cryptocurrency transactions become something that will propel the organization forward.” The firm noted that the lender will continue monitoring developments in the crypto and blockchain industry for potential use in the future.Related: Bacon Protocol launches decentralized mortgage platformThe second-largest mortgage lender in the United States, UWM broke the news on its plans to experiment with crypto mortgage payments in August, looking to test mortgage payments in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ether (ETH).

Nearly 45% of Consumers Around the World Will Use Crypto for Payments by 2023: New Study

A new study conducted by an information technology company indicates that crypto payment method adoption is primed to skyrocket in the next two years.

Adoption Continues: Online Marketplace Allows Buying Tesla with Bitcoin Again

Car For Coin, PacSun, and Nicklaus Children's Hospital Foundation are among the latest organizations to add crypto payment options for their clients.

Bitcoin Platform Bakkt Partners With This Tech Giant To Expand Crypto Payment Options

Digital asset marketplace Bakkt is teaming up with a tech giant in hopes of making cryptocurrencies more accessible to its users.

Verifone Enables Retailers to Accept Cryptocurrencies, Says Merchants’ Appetite for Crypto Payments ‘Has Exploded’

Verifone, a global payment system provider with 35 million devices in 150 countries, is rolling out crypto payment support in the US in partnership with Bitpay.

El Salvador's largest bank partners with Flexa for Bitcoin payments

Bancoagrícola will work with Flexa to accept Bitcoin across the bank’s network for payments like loans and credit cards. Bancoagrícola, El Salvador’s largest financial institution, is set to boost the country’s Bitcoin adoption policy following its partnership with digital payments gateway Flexa.According to an announcement by Flexa on Thursday, Bancoagrícola has inked a deal with the crypto payment network to enable Bitcoin (BTC) transfers for the bank’s customers including retail and merchant clients.As part of the partnership, Bancoagrícola customers can make credit card payments denominated in United States dollars via Flexa or other Lightning Network-enabled wallets like Chivo and Éclair.

Shop.com now accepts Bitcoin payments after partnership with BitPay

The e-commerce portal offers the option to pay with Bitcoin, Ether, Dogecoin as well as several major dollar-pegged stablecoins. United States-based e-commerce platform Shop.com is the latest such site to adopt cryptocurrency payments. The company, which is owned by Market America, announced its partnership with crypto payment service provider BitPay, which will allow it to accept payments in several cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin (BTC).The new partnership enables Shop.com users to select the BitPay option during checkout to pay via their crypto wallets.

Belgian startup debuts Bitcoin payments for parking tickets

The company says it expects Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to come into greater everyday use, especially once tokens become more environmentally friendly.

DBS Bank Gets Approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore to Provide Crypto Payment Services

Singapore-based DBS Bank has officially received approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to provide cryptocurrency payment services, starting from next Monday.

Bitpay Adds Google Pay for US Cardholders to Spend Cryptocurrencies

Crypto payment service provider Bitpay has updated its wallet app to include Google Pay for US cardholders to spend their cryptocurrencies.

DBS wins regulatory approval in Singapore for crypto payment services

Starting next Monday, DBS Bank’s crypto exchange will start operating, allowing institutional investors to trade Bitcoin. Singapore’s largest bank, DBS Bank, has expanded its scope of supported cryptocurrency services by scoring another regulatory approval.DBS Bank’s brokerage arm, DBS Vickers (DBSV), has received in-principle approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to provide digital payment token services as a payment institution, the company officially announced Thursday.The approval is granted under Singapore’s Payment Services Act, paving the way for DBSV’s payment license.

Crypto Payment Provider Alchemy Pay to Launch Virtual Crypto-Linked Card Backed by Visa and Mastercard

The leading crypto payment technology provider Alchemy Pay (ACH) announced that it will launch the Virtual Crypto-Linked card, aiming to expand the scope of cryptocurrency payments to meet the growing demand for crypto-related card transactions.

Alchemy Pay to launch virtual crypto cards with Visa and Mastercard support

Crypto payment firm Alchemy Pay is planning to roll out a crypto-linked virtual card that is accepted on the Visa and Mastercard payments networks. Hybrid crypto-fiat platform Alchemy Pay announced Monday that the company will be launching virtual crypto-linked cards accepting more than 40 cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC).The new cards can be linked to Google Pay and PayPal digital wallets, and make payments across the Mastercard and Visa networks, as well as popular e-commerce platforms like Amazon and eBay.According to the announcement, Alchemy Pay has already completed the product’s development and launched beta testing in multiple key markets.

Voyager Digital Acquires Crypto Payment Platforms Coinify in a $84M Deal

Voyager has acquired crypto payment platform Coinify, as part of the company's strategic plan to offer digital asset payments worldwide.

Spanish Opposition Party Partido Popular Proposes Bill Allowing Crypto Payment for Mortgage

Spain opposition party- Partido Popular (PP) party has proposed a bill allowing the use of cryptocurrency to pay for mortgage loans.

Brand executive posts discounted Utah home listing for Dogecoin

The influencer marketer says prospective buyers can get 10% off the listing price of his house listing if payment is made in Dogecoin. Crypto as a payment option for real estate continues to gain traction as the adoption of virtual currencies for both commercial transactions continues to take shape.Scott Paul, the founder of Utah-based marketing agency Wooly, put up his Saratoga Springs home for sale with Dogecoin (DOGE) as an acceptable payment method, according to a report by Fox 13 on Sunday.While the listing price is set at $399,000, Paul is reportedly ready to offer a 10% discount if the purchase is made via Dogecoin.

Crypto Payment Option Makes Services More Affordable: Zimbabwe Music Studio Director

A Zimbabwean music production company, Mutscon Music, recently announced that its clients can now pay for services using cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and ethereum.

Amazon Hires Cryptocurrency Talent to Enhance Crypto Payment Experience for Customers

E-commerce giant Amazon is hiring a digital currency and blockchain expert, hinting that the company may soon launch a new service that enables its users to pay for online products and services using cryptocurrencies.

Legacy Healing Center Accepts Crypto Payment Option for More Addiction Treatment

Legacy Healing Center, a US-based addiction treatment centre in Florida and New Jersey, aims to open the doors to more people seeking treatment by accepting Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) as valid forms of payment.

SEC vs Ripple May Extend to 2022—Here Are The Next Steps

The lawsuit between the SEC and crypto payment company Ripple keeps dragging on.

NASCAR driver opts for crypto payment in sponsorship deal

"There are a handful of pilots who like crypto, but I am probably one of the ones who has been around long enough and I am quite comfortable with how it works," said Landon Cassill. Landon Cassill, a professional race car driver in NASCAR’s Xfinity Series, will be receiving part of his salary in Bitcoin and Litecoin as part of a sponsorship with crypto broker Voyager.According to a Thursday report from the Associated Press, Voyager has finalized a 19-year agreement to sponsor Cassill starting this weekend at the NASCAR race at the Nashville Superspeedway.

American convenience store chain now accepts Bitcoin payments

Mid-Atlantic convenience store giant Sheetz is set to accept Bitcoin and crypto payments across its outlets. Retail crypto payment acceptance in the United States continues to grow as Sheetz announces plans to allow the use of virtual currencies in its outlets across America.In a release issued on Thursday, the convenience store chain announced its partnership with digital payments provider Flexa to enable customers to pay for products and services with cryptocurrencies.As part of the announcement, Sheetz revealed that the crypto payment option was for both in-store items and gas pumps at their over 600 outlets across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and West Virginia.Cryptos that will be accepted by convenience store chain include Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), and Dogecoin (DOGE) among others.The company’s crypto payment adoption move is also an extension of its business relationship with point-of-sale payment provider NCR.Apart from enabling Bitcoin and crypto payment, Sheetz also plans to allow customers to link their Flexa-enabled payment apps with the company’s loyalty reward program.Indeed, crypto is seeing significant adoption in the rebates and loyalty rewards arena with digital currencies being seen as being viable for rewarding patrons.The Sheetz announcement now adds convenience stores to the growing list of businesses accepting crypto payments in the United States.

City in North Dakota now accepts cryptocurrency for utility payments

The city of Williston of North Dakota has officially started accepting cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin for utility payments via BitPay. A city in North Dakota is joining the cryptocurrency adoption race in the United States by starting to accept crypto payments.Hercules Cummings, finance director for the City of Williston, announced Thursday that the city administration has partnered with crypto payment firm BitPay to start accepting cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) as payment for utility bills.“We have partnered with BitPay, the largest virtual payment merchant whose partners include Microsoft and Facebook.

Crypto Payment Firm Simplex Acquired by Publicly-Listed Canadian Firm Nuvei for $250 Million

The publicly-listed Canadian firm Nuvei Corporation announced the acquisition of the cryptocurrency company SimplexCC Ltd in an all-cash deal for $250 million.

eBay Contemplates Adding Crypto Payment Option on its Platform

eBay considers adding cryptocurrencies to its retail platform, according to the company's CEO.

Ebay exploring crypto payment options and NFT auctions

According to CEO Jamie Iannone, eBay will be "exploring opportunities" to enable nonfungible tokens. Major online marketplace eBay will be pursuing crypto payment options for its customers along with exploring ways to introduce nonfungible tokens on the platform. In an interview with CNBC today, eBay CEO Jamie Iannone said the company will "continue to look" at payment options like crypto.

Bitcoin Dominance In Payments Drops Amid Dogecoin, Altcoins Surge - BitPay

Major crypto payment processor BitPay has reported the share of bitcoin (BTC) in their payments was the lowest last week, as altcoins such as dogecoin (DOGE), have been gaining traction, according to Sonny Singh, the company’s Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). “BitPay processes over a billion dollars a year, so people are spending crypto.

TIME Magazine to Start Accepting Cryptocurrencies as Subscription Payments

TIME Magazine has partnered with Crypto.com to roll out a crypto payment system for its magazine subscriptions.

Electronics retailer Newegg now accepts Dogecoin as payment

After debuting Bitcoin payments back in 2014, online electronics retailer Newegg added a Dogecoin payment option. American online electronics retailer Newegg has added Dogecoin (DOGE) as an official payment method amid the ongoing parabolic surge of the meme-based cryptocurrency. Newegg announced Tuesday that the company added the option through crypto payment platform BitPay. The firm said that the new feature was introduced in conjunction with Doge Day — a community crypto holiday pushed by DOGE proponents to be celebrated on April 20.

Bitcoin Falls to $60K amid a Sharp Drop in Hash Rate and Turkey's Crypto Payment Ban

Bitcoin fell below the $61K level for the first time today due to the decline in hash power of Chinese mining pools and the ban on cryptocurrency for the purchase of goods and services proposed by the Turkish government.

Romanian university plans to accept crypto payments for admission fees

The academic institution with a student body of roughly 11,000 said the addition of crypto payments was part of a plan to support local businesses like Elrond. A public university in the Romanian city of Sibiu in Transylvania has said it will allow students to pay for their admission fees in crypto. According to an announcement from Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, or LBUS, on Wednesday, the institution plans to implement crypto payment methods for its more than 11,000 students starting in July.

Interview: Gambla’s Erik King on Crypto Payment Providers for Online Casinos

Gambla.com is a popular gambling resource platform that reviews and lists both crypto as well as conventional online casinos.  The platform has recently embarked on a green initiative, contributing towards the reforestation of Amazon rainforests.

US luxury hotel brand to begin accepting Bitcoin payments

Bitcoin penetration in the hospitality industry is set for another expansion as a US luxury hotel chain adopts cryptocurrency as a payment option. The Kessler Collection, an American luxury hotel brand, has begun accepting Bitcoin (BTC) and cryptocurrencies as a payment option. According to a press release issued on Tuesday, the hotel chain has partnered with crypto payment gateway service BitPay to begin accepting Bitcoin.

Mark Cuban’s Dallas Mavericks to Accept Dogecoin Payments

Mark Cuban's Dallas Mavericks will accept Dogecoin payments for game tickets and merchandise on its online store via crypto payment service provider, BitPay.

Argo Blockchain CEO becomes first publicly traded company exec paid in Bitcoin

The crypto-miner CEO makes Bitcoin history by being the first exec of a publicly-traded company to take their full salary in Bitcoin. On Wednesday, British cryptocurrency mining company Argo Blockchain revealed that CEO Peter Wall is now the first executive of a publicly traded company to take their entire salary in Bitcoin (BTC). In a February operational update, the company — which trades on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker ARB — said that as of Monday, Wall began taking his salary in the cryptocurrency and that “Any other Argo team members may choose to be paid in Bitcoin for part of or all of their salaries.” In an interview with Cointelegraph, Wall said that the decision was an obvious one for Argo, which mined 129 BTC last month and currently has 599 BTC on the books.