Blockchain
Merchant Payment Platforms Now Seeing Cryptocurrency as Cash
Reading Time: 5 minutes
New merchant processing and point of sale platforms have been introduced into the market at a rapid rate over the last few years. A recent industry report said: “Money and the idea of its exchange through payments have evolved a lot from the time of its inception… Over the last decade or so, payment technologies have grown at a dizzying pace… Payments are now evolving at a rapid pace with new providers, new platforms, and new payment tools launching on a near daily basis. This shift precipitates a need for retailers to adapt toward fast, simple and secure mobile payments… It’s predicted that by 2025, 75% of all transactions will be made without cash.” Cryptocurrency is one of those new methods. The same report added: “A cryptocurrency-based global payment solution would… work very differently from credit cards and other online transfers. Instead of the payment being authorized by the owner and then taken from the account by the recipient, the owner transfers the coins directly to the recipient – a “push” model, rather than an “authorize and pull” model. Cryptocurrency-based global payment solutions offer the possibility of vastly improving the speed and security of international payments while reducing transaction costs… To make the payment, of course, the owner must have enough coins in the wallet. Active Companies in the industry include NetCents Technology Inc. (CSE:NC) (OTC:NTTCF), Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ:FISV), PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: PYPL), Pareteum Corporation (NASDAQ: TEUM), Square, Inc. (NYSE: SQ).
Cryptocurrency payments work in much the same way as cash. The owner keeps their coins in a secure digital wallet to which only he/she has the “key” – a digital signature that only the owner knows. The wallet can receive payments without being opened, but to make a payment the owner must open the wallet with the key. To make things extra safe, some wallets have multiple keys: for example, a wallet might have three digital signatures, one held by the owner, a second held by a trusted third party and a third in offline (“cold”) storage. Making a B2B payment from one of these “multisig” wallets requires two or more keys, not just one. This is not unlike business checks that must be countersigned to be valid for payment.
NetCents Technology Inc. (CSE:NC) (OTCPK:NTTCF) (Frankfurt:26N) BREAKING NEWS: NetCents Technology s pleased to announce that it has completed its integration into the NetCents Merchant Gateway and has begun processing with Surge365 LLC (“Surge365”). NetCents will also be entering into a referral agreement with Surge365, following last month’s announcement.
With the integration of the NetCents Merchant Gateway into the Surge365 platform, Surge365 is able to accept and process international membership subscriptions and transactions in cryptocurrency and will work towards offering cryptocurrency as a payout option for company residuals and bonuses, ranging between $1,000 to $1 million dollars.
Surge365 is a direct sales company that gives members access to hundreds of thousands of hotels, resorts, cruises, and all-inclusive resorts around the globe and offers their members huge discounts to sell and offer their network. Surge365 offers training and memberships for individuals to build their own home-based businesses by providing members all the tools required to act as an individual travel agency with custom branded sales portals. Read this and more news for NetCents at: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-nc/
Other recent developments in the tech industry include:
PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: PYPL) recently announced that it has joined Cambridge Blockchain, Inc’s Series A funding round. With this investment, the two companies will explore potential collaborations to leverage blockchain technology.
“Our service helps streamline digital identity compliance while giving customers control over their identity data,” said Matthew Commons, Cambridge Blockchain’s CEO. “We are honored by PayPal’s vote of confidence, and we look forward to their support and guidance.”
Square, Inc. (NYSE: SQ) recently announced a first-of-its-kind partnership with Levy Restaurants and the Washington Nationals. During the 2019 season, Caviar Pickup and the new Square Terminal will make it faster and easier for fans to order and pay for their favorite food and drink from their seat without missing a pitch.
Square has partnered with the Nationals to create a concession stand that offers the only skip-the-line, order-ahead experience in the ballpark, powered by Caviar Pickup. Fans who open the Caviar app from their seats will be able to order their concessions in advance – including beer and wine for fans 21 and over – and receive an alert when their food is ready to be picked up.
Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV) a leading global provider of financial services technology solutions, recently announced that one of the Mediterranean region’s most innovative banks, Hellenic Bank, is furthering its digital transformation strategy with the implementation of payments technology from Fiserv. The Dovetail Payments Platform from Fiserv will enable the bank to simplify its payments architecture, operate more efficiently and offer customers new and customized capabilities.
“Our diverse client base has a range of payment needs, and over time we have added a variety of payment systems to meet those needs,” said Phivos Leontiou, Chief Operating Officer, Hellenic Bank. “By moving to a centralized payments platform, we have been able to streamline our payments operations while offering the payment options customers expect. We’re also able to easily add capabilities, such as support for new real-time payment schemes.”
Pareteum Corporation (NASDAQ: TEUM) a rapidly growing global cloud software communications platform company with a mission to connect every person and every(thing)TM, recently announced it launched seven new customers into production during March 2019. This brings to 15 the total number of customers deployed into commercial service during the three months to March 31st, 2019. The announcement caps a first quarter during which Pareteum grew its 36-month Contractual Revenue Backlog (36MCRB) of signed sales agreements to a new total of $938 million.
Strong growth in new sales transactions reflects the recent strategic acquisitions of Artilium and iPass. These acquisitions have deepened Pareteum’s capabilities and created a rich seam of cross- and up-sell opportunities with existing customers, as well as significantly expanding the overall addressable market.
DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates FinancialNewsMedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM’s market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult =a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM has been compensated forty nine hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press releases issued by NetCents Technology Inc. by a non-affiliated third party. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.
This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company’s annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.
SOURCE FinancialNewsMedia.com
Blockchain
Blocks & Headlines: Today in Blockchain – May 30, 2025 (Fraser Edwards, Kyiv NFT, Spirit Blockchain Capital, Indian eHealth, Hedera)
Blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies continue to redefine industries—from competitive gaming and cultural heritage preservation to corporate finance, healthcare, and alternative tokens. Today’s briefing highlights five pivotal developments shaping the ecosystem: Fraser Edwards’s vision for trust in eSports; Ukraine’s wartime cultural preservation via NFTs; Spirit Blockchain Capital’s Q1 2025 operational report; India’s push for blockchain-enabled electronic health records (EHRs); and the rise of viral altcoins such as UniLabs, Sui, and Hedera Hashgraph. Together, these stories illustrate the themes of trust and identity, preservation and provenance, institutional maturation, public-sector innovation, and token diversification. In this op-ed–style round-up, we distill the essence of each story, cite sources, and offer analysis on how they advance Web3, DeFi, and NFT frontiers.
1. Rebuilding Trust in eSports: Can Blockchain Fix Competitive Integrity?
Source: CCN
Summary:
In a recent CCN interview, veteran trader and eSports investor Fraser Edwards argues that blockchain’s immutable ledgers can restore credibility in the rapidly commercializing world of competitive gaming. According to Edwards, match-fixing scandals and opaque prize-pool distributions have eroded fan confidence. By tokenizing tournament entries and payouts on public blockchains—complete with smart-contract–enforced escrow—organizers can guarantee that prize monies are distributed exactly as advertised, and that no post-match manipulation occurs. Tournament operators in Asia and North America are already piloting Ethereum-based payout dApps, aiming to increase transparency for players and sponsors alike.
Key details & analysis:
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Smart-contract escrow: Funds are held in a time-locked contract that releases prize money only upon verifiable match results. This prevents disputes over referee decisions or delayed payments.
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On-chain reputation: Player and team reputations can be tokenized via non-fungible reputation badges that accrue based on fair play and community votes—discouraging cheating.
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Scalability concerns: High-traffic tournaments may require Layer 2 rollups or alternative chains (e.g., Polygon, Immutable X) to reduce gas costs and latency.
Opinion: Blockchain’s dual promise of provable fairness and programmable finance makes it uniquely suited to eSports. Yet adoption hinges on UX: seamless wallet integrations, minimal transaction fees, and clear regulatory guidance on esports tokens.
2. When Art Meets Blockchain: Ukraine’s Wartime Cultural Preservation
Source: The Kyiv Independent
Summary:
As monuments crumble under artillery fire, Ukrainian curators and technologists are partnering to mint NFTs representing lost or endangered artifacts. The Kyiv Independent reports that the National Art Museum of Ukraine has launched “Project Phoenix,” tokenizing high-resolution 3D scans of sculptures, manuscripts, and paintings. Proceeds from initial sales fund restoration and digital archiving efforts. Each NFT embeds provenance metadata—including GPS coordinates, curator notes, and condition reports—ensuring that future generations can verify authenticity and context, even if the physical artifact is destroyed.
Key details & analysis:
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Metadata richness: Beyond simple ownership, NFTs store structured metadata—using ERC-721 metadata extensions—that capture curatorial insights and conservation logs.
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Decentralized archives: IPFS and Arweave are employed to host ultra-high-resolution imagery, with on-chain hashes guaranteeing data integrity.
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Community engagement: Fractional-NFT drops allow diaspora communities to collectively own tokens, strengthening cultural ties and crowdfunding preservation.
Opinion: Blockchain’s ability to immutable record heritage provides a lifeline for war-torn nations. However, ensuring that local institutions retain governance over metadata edits and future migrations is critical to avoiding “cultural colonialism” by global NFT marketplaces.
3. Spirit Blockchain Capital’s Q1 2025 Highlights: Growth, Investments, and Outlook
Source: GlobeNewswire
Summary:
Spirit Blockchain Capital’s Q1 2025 report benchmarks the firm’s operational milestones and financial performance. Assets under management (AUM) climbed 45% to $1.02 billion, driven by strategic allocations to top-tier Layer 1 and Layer 2 protocols, DeFi liquidity pools, and a newly launched token-index fund. Operating income rose 37%, fueled by management fees and performance incentives. The firm also closed its second blockchain-focused venture fund at $150 million, earmarked for early-stage Web3 projects in gaming, infrastructure, and decentralized identity.
Key details & analysis:
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Diversification strategy: 60% of AUM in blue-chip cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethereum); 25% in DeFi (Aave, Uniswap, Lido); 15% in tokenized commodities and NFTs.
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Fund performance: The flagship fund delivered a 9.8% return in Q1, outperforming the 6.2% benchmark set by the Bloomberg Galaxy Crypto Index.
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Venture investments: Early stakes in zero-knowledge proof startups and decentralized storage platforms signal confidence in scalability and privacy innovations.
Opinion: Spirit’s robust growth and disciplined diversification mirror institutional maturation in the blockchain asset management space. As regulatory clarity improves, expect further inflows from endowments, pensions, and family offices.
4. Blockchain EHRs in India: The Next Digital Health Revolution
Source: ORF
Summary:
The Observer Research Foundation (ORF) details India’s pioneering pilot of blockchain-backed electronic health records (EHRs) in the state of Andhra Pradesh. By leveraging a permissioned Hyperledger Fabric network, the initiative ensures that patient records—from vaccination histories to diagnostic imaging—are securely shared across hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies. Patients control access via digital identities anchored to India’s Aadhaar system, granting temporal permissions for data viewing and preventing unauthorized sharing.
Key details & analysis:
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Interoperability: HL7 FHIR standards are mapped to on-chain transactions, enabling seamless data exchange with existing hospital information systems (HIS).
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Privacy safeguards: Off-chain storage of PHI (Protected Health Information) is encrypted with patient-held keys; only hashed pointers reside on-chain to ensure immutability without exposing sensitive data.
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Regulatory alignment: The pilot aligns with India’s draft Digital Health Act, which emphasizes data sovereignty and patient consent frameworks.
Opinion: Blockchain EHRs can democratize healthcare access in a populous nation—but success depends on user-friendly portals, robust identity verification, and contingency plans for network outages in rural areas.
5. The Hottest Viral Altcoins of 2025: UniLabs, Sui, and Hedera Lead the Pack
Source: TronWeekly
Summary:
According to TronWeekly, the altcoin landscape in 2025 is dominated by three viral tokens: UniLabs (UNI-L), Sui (SUI), and Hedera Hashgraph (HBAR). UniLabs, a governance token for a decentralized laboratory network, saw a 1,200% year-to-date surge on news of its AI-driven drug-discovery partnership. Sui’s Move-based smart-contract platform gained traction for sub-second finality and low gas fees, with total value locked (TVL) surpassing $2 billion. Hedera’s HBAR continues its enterprise pivot, securing multi-year agreements with global brands for identity verification and supply-chain tracking.
Key details & analysis:
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UniLabs use case: Token holders vote on research grants and share in royalty revenues from patented compounds developed on-chain.
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Sui performance: With a novel object model and horizontal sharding, Sui supports over 3,000 TPS (transactions per second) without compromising on decentralization.
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Hedera enterprise: The Governing Council—comprising Boeing, Google, and LG—bolsters confidence in HBAR’s governance model and paves the way for compliant enterprise deployments.
Opinion: These tokens exemplify the diversification of blockchain applications. Investors should assess not only market hype but also protocol fundamentals—developer activity, economic incentives, and real-world adoption.
Cross-Story Trends & Key Takeaways
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Trust & Transparency at the Core
From esports prize-pool ledgers to wartime NFT archives and permissioned health records, blockchain’s immutability fosters verifiable trust—a prerequisite for mainstream adoption across sectors. -
Institutional & Public-Sector Innovation
Spirit Blockchain Capital’s fund growth and India’s EHR pilot signal that both private and government entities view blockchain as a strategic infrastructure, not just speculative assets. -
Vertical Specialization Fuels Token Growth
Viral altcoins like UniLabs, Sui, and Hedera thrive by addressing niche use-cases—governance in biotech, scalable DeFi rails, and enterprise identity—underscoring the importance of purpose-built protocols. -
Metadata & Provenance Drive NFTs Beyond Art
Ukraine’s cultural NFTs demonstrate how rich on-chain metadata can preserve heritage, while esports applications show that reputation tokens can enforce fair-play credentials. -
Ecosystem Maturation Requires UX & Governance
Across all stories, user experience—wallet onboarding, identity verification, metadata curation—and robust governance frameworks (tokenomics, regulatory alignment) emerge as decisive factors in blockchain’s next wave.
Conclusion
Today’s blockchain headlines reveal a maturing ecosystem where trust, transparency, and targeted innovation unlock new frontiers—from safeguarding digital heritage amid conflict to revolutionizing healthcare and sports. As institutional players allocate billions, and public-sector pilots chart regulatory pathways, the fate of tomorrow’s Web3 landscape hinges on seamless UX, rigorous governance, and demonstrable real-world utility. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s Blocks & Headlines, where we’ll continue tracking the trends, tokens, and technologies that define the blockchain revolution.
The post Blocks & Headlines: Today in Blockchain – May 30, 2025 (Fraser Edwards, Kyiv NFT, Spirit Blockchain Capital, Indian eHealth, Hedera) appeared first on News, Events, Advertising Options.
Blockchain
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