World Mobile Tests Balloon to Deliver Telecom Service in Mozambique

Hi NoRamp Community,

Daily News:

1) Circle Conditionally Registered for Digital Asset Services in France

2) Trezor Hardware Wallets Add Support For Solana and SPL Tokens

3) World Mobile Tests Balloon to Deliver Telecom Service in Mozambique

4) NexPay Teams With Flagright for Faster Student Payment Processing

5) Beem Credit Union Appoints Sue Britton as Chief Innovation Officer

Circle Conditionally Registered for Digital Asset Services in France:

• France is actively attracting crypto companies, offering clearer regulation compared to the U.S., as shown by Circle's conditional registration as a digital asset service provider (DASP) with France's Financial Markets Authority (AMF).

• Circle, the issuer of the USDC and EURC stablecoins, needs an electronic money institution license to operate fully in France, aligning with the country's push for responsible innovation in FinTech and digital assets.

• The European Union's new Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) legislation, effective next year, adds to the appeal, with Circle's strategy officer praising France's entrepreneurial and financial ecosystem and appointing Coralie Billmann, formerly of JPMorgan and PayPal, to lead its operations in France.

Trezor Hardware Wallets Add Support For Solana and SPL Tokens:

• Trezor, a web3 hardware wallet manufacturer, has expanded its support to include SOL and Solana Program Library (SPL) tokens for its Model T and Safe 3 hardware wallets.

• The Trezor Safe 3, priced at $79, offers enhanced security with a special chip, while the Model T, at $179, features a touch screen interface; both models support over 8,000 different coins and tokens.

• This addition coincides with a surge in interest and value in Solana, with SOL's price increasing significantly in recent months and a 250% rise in Google search volume for "Solana" from early October to mid-December.

World Mobile Tests Balloon to Deliver Telecom Service in Mozambique:

• World Mobile, a blockchain-powered telecom company, is deploying a tethered aerostat balloon to provide internet and mobile services in Mozambique, in partnership with Vodacom Mozambique, capable of connecting 100,000 users.

• The aerostat, positioned 300 meters above ground and described as the world’s first commercial aerostat, offers high-speed connectivity similar to fiber optics and complements World Mobile's use of unused TV spectrum and Starlink technology in Africa.

• World Mobile, which rewards its network operators in fiat and blockchain token WMT, has launched its app in several countries and faces competition from Safaricom's M-Pesa, a mobile money-service recently licensed in Ethiopia and available in nine other African countries.

NexPay Teams With Flagright for Faster Student Payment Processing:

• NexPay, an Australian FinTech specializing in student payments, partners with Flagright to enhance its real-time payment processing and improve customer satisfaction by moving away from batch-based processes.

• Flagright, offering anti-money laundering (AML) compliance and fraud prevention, aids NexPay in speeding up transactions, ensuring security, and enhancing compliance through sanctions screening.

• This partnership aligns with a broader shift towards instant payments, as highlighted by industry experts, with the FedNow® Service and The Clearing House’s RTP® Network driving the move towards faster payments in the U.S. market.

Beem Credit Union Appoints Sue Britton as Chief Innovation Officer:

• Beem Credit Union, emerging from the merger of Gulf & Fraser and Interior Savings, appoints Sue Britton as Chief Innovation Officer (CIO), starting January 2nd, following its launch on January 1st in Canada.

• Britton, with over 30 years in financial services and roles at companies like Finastra and Broadridge, is expected to drive product innovation at Beem, enhancing the new credit union's vision.

• The merged entity will become the second-largest provincially regulated credit union in British Columbia, with about $10 billion in assets, 1,000 employees, and over 160,000 members, offering banking, insurance, and wealth management services across 53 branches.

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