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Today SoftBank subsidiary Line announced it is partnering with NuriFlex Inc to target a central bank digital currency (CBDC) platform for roll out in Africa and South America. Nuriflex targets utilities such as electricity and telecoms firms with software solutions. The KOSDAQ (Korea) exchange-listed company has a blockchain-based digital payment platform that has a deal with Cameroon’s national health insurance system.
Line Corp, which runs Japan’s biggest social network and Line Pay, was formerly owned by Korea’s Naver. As of March 1, Naver and SoftBank each own half and Line was combined with SoftBank’s Yahoo Japan holding company ZHD.
Users in Japan are now able to use Apple Pay at any retail store that supports Visa touch.
Following the late 2020 addition of Apple Pay to Japan s Line Pay mobile wallet, Visa has introduced support for the service as well.
Line Pay is chiefly used in stores across Japan, and Visa is targeting its Apple Pay support for the same kinds of shopping. It can be used at convenience stores and supermarkets in Japan that have the Visa touch payment support mark, says Visa on its local official site (in translation). The number of stores that can use Visa s touch payment is expanding!
Visa Japan now supports Apple Pay
Following the late 2020 addition of Apple Pay to Japan s Line Pay mobile wallet, Visa has introduced support for the service as well.
Line Pay is chiefly used in stores across Japan, and Visa is targeting its Apple Pay support for the same kinds of shopping. It can be used at convenience stores and supermarkets in Japan that have the Visa touch payment support mark, says Visa on its local official site (in translation). The number of stores that can use Visa s touch payment is expanding! We are very pleased to be able to provide consumers and merchants with safe and secure digital payments and Visa touch payments using Visa s token technology through the support of Apple Pay, said Stephen Carpin, President and CEO of Visa, in a statement (in translation).
Data show rise of uptake of digital savings accounts
By Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporter
There were 7.28 million digital savings accounts in Taiwan as of the end of March, up 12.7 percent from a quarter earlier, Financial Supervisory Commission data showed on Tuesday.
Taishin International Bank (台新銀行) retained top spot with 2.49 million accounts for its Richart online service, up 5.5 percent from 2.36 million at the end of last year, the data showed.
Cathay United Bank (國泰世華銀行) was second with 1.12 million accounts, up 15.8 percent from a quarter earlier, the data showed.
A person holds a smartphone to allow the Line Pay application to be scanned in an undated photograph. There were 7.28 million digital savings accounts in Taiwan as of the end of March, up 12.7 percent from a quarter earlier, Financial Supervisory Commission data showed on Tuesday.
Can security be improved by bringing personal data back to Japan? [Japan Times, Tokyo]
Apr. 22 Following a data management incident in March, Line Corp. announced it would move sensitive user information from data centers in South Korea to Japan to ease concerns, especially from those in the public sector.
But will transferring personal information data to Japan from overseas improve its safety?
Not necessarily, critics say.
Line’s data management drew flak last month after the firm acknowledged it allowed its Chinese software firm to access users’ personal information. The messaging app giant was also storing data including photos, videos and transactions of e-money Line Pay in data centers in South Korea.