G+D Spotlight

Billions of SIM cards are shipped worldwide annually. Even with local preferences for pre- and postpaid cards, the market is huge. It can and should be made more sustainable. Such a transformation would deliver measurable environmental and reputational gains for any organization.

Central banks have reached a critical juncture in their CBDC journey. A new report by OMFIF’s Digital Monetary Institute and G+D reveals that technical obstacles to CBDC are falling, and central banks are now shifting the focus to implementation. Protecting monetary sovereignty and improving financial inclusion are among the key drivers.

Consumer demand for digital assets is on the rise, with a diverse customer base eager to diversify their investment strategy. For financial institutions, this shift presents both an opportunity and threat: adapt and integrate this new asset class, or risk falling behind newer players.

The payments ecosystem in Africa is moving to a new equilibrium where cash and digital co-exist and innovative solutions are driven by fast-evolving consumer needs. This sixth part in our series on regional payments looks at the dynamic landscape across the diverse 54-nation continent, following on from profiles of payments in India, Latin America, the United States, Australia, and Brazil.

With Apple’s opening up of use of the Secure Element of iPhones to third-party wallets through NFC, attention is turning to the implications for the larger ecosystem, including for payments and identities. Akshay Warikoo, Global Lead Go-to-Market for Digital Solutions at G+D, was speaking with Kristian T. Sørensen, Head of Products at IN Groupe.

While users may love their passwords, so do fraudsters. Yet the need for authentication online keeps growing. Securing identities online will require more than just longer passwords: biometrics and passkeys are the way of the future.

Digital wallets are becoming a core feature of the ever-changing financial and consumer landscape. They’re already the virtual containers used by many millions to host digital payment cards, boarding passes and tickets, vaccination certificates, rewards cards, crypto-assets, and car keys. In the not-too-distant future, they are likely to hold even more valuable tokenized assets, including the digital equivalent of cash (as CBDC), key identity credentials, driving licenses, health records, and education certificates. They can be present on a mobile phone, a wearable, a smart card, a key fob, a laptop, or any smart device or appliance.