ChainCatcher news, the payment protocol AEON has announced a strategic partnership with the high-performance blockchain platform Viction. AEON Pay now supports the application of Viction ecosystem's native assets ($VIC, $C98, and stablecoins) in offline consumption scenarios.Users can use AEON Pay to scan and pay $VIC, $C98, and stablecoins within the Viction ecosystem at over millions of merchants in Southeast Asia and globally, covering various offline consumption scenarios such as shopping and dining.

ChainCatcher news, according to Tech.eu, the crypto payment company INXY Payments has announced the completion of a new funding round of $3 million, led by Flashpoint VC, with participation from several angel investors.INXY Payments, headquartered in Cyprus, has now obtained EU authorization to integrate crypto payments into traditional business operations and ensure compliance. The new funds are intended to optimize its multi-currency processing, automatic payments, and cryptocurrency to fiat currency conversion features.It is reported that INXY, as a payment gateway, focuses on providing cryptocurrency payment solutions for businesses, supporting multi-currency processing, automatic payments, and conversion from cryptocurrency to fiat currency.

ChainCatcher news, according to DL News, a 26-year-old man from Indiana, James Watt, was sentenced to 3 years of probation for producing approximately 30,000 fake IDs. Court documents show that Watt worked for a fake ID production website for 4 years, receiving 14 bitcoins (approximately $1.4 million) as payment.Law enforcement discovered that he had created a fake Missouri ID for Marvel superhero Thor during a search of his residence. John Childress, the acting prosecutor for the Southern District of Indiana, stated that this case once again demonstrates that despite the increasing acceptance of bitcoin by mainstream financial institutions, it is still used as a tool for illegal transactions. The bitcoins involved in the case were seized by the government last November.

ChainCatcher news, Missouri State Representative Ben Keathley has introduced the state's second Bitcoin reserve bill, proposing to allow the state to hold and accept Bitcoin payments.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Block, a report on crypto crime by Chainalysis for 2025 indicates that ransomware payments are expected to decrease by 35% year-on-year in 2024, dropping from $1.25 billion in 2023 to $813 million.The report shows that in the first half of the year, ransomware amounts exceeded those of the same period in 2023, with the Dark Angels organization demanding as much as $75 million in a single ransom. However, ransomware payments saw a significant decline in the second half of the year, leading to an overall decrease for the year.

ChainCatcher news, the U.S. Treasury Department stated that the personnel sent by Musk to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have "read-only" access to its $5 trillion sensitive payment system, and no payments have been paused or denied.An unnamed official stated in a letter on Tuesday evening: "The ongoing review of the Treasury's systems will not result in any payment instructions submitted to the Treasury by other federal agencies being paused or denied. In particular, the review by the Treasury has not led to delays or changes in payments for obligations such as Social Security and Medicare."This letter marks the first public acknowledgment and explanation by the Treasury regarding the role of Tom Krause, CEO of Cloud Software Group, in relation to DOGE. In recent weeks, Krause has been described as a central figure connected to DOGE, pushing efforts to ensure access to the payment system, and ultimately received access granted by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.The letter stated that Krause is now an employee of the Treasury, with "read-only access to the encoded data of the Treasury's payment systems to continue this operational efficiency assessment."

ChainCatcher news, according to CNN, the U.S. Treasury Department stated that the personnel from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) sent by Musk have "read-only" access to its $5 trillion sensitive payment system. In response to a letter from lawmakers, the Treasury emphasized that the current review work will not result in any payments being suspended or denied, particularly mandatory payments such as Social Security and Medicare are unaffected.This is the first time the Treasury has publicly detailed the functions of DOGE personnel, especially the role of Tom Krause, CEO of Cloud Software Group. The letter mentioned that Krause is now an employee of the Treasury, responsible for continuously assessing the operational efficiency of the payment system, and has "read-only access" to the coded data.

ChainCatcher news, the official Trump watch has been launched for sale on its official website, supporting payments in Bitcoin or the TRUMP token on the Solana chain. This series of watches is a limited edition, with each one marked with a unique number. Users who choose to pay with TRUMP tokens can complete the transaction through the "Solana Pay" payment option on the website.

According to ChainCatcher news, Bloomberg reports that to attract more Trump supporters, several websites selling Trump-branded merchandise have begun accepting the Trump-themed token TRUMP as a payment method.Multiple websites, including GetTrumpWatches.com, GetTrumpFragrances.com, and GetTrumpSneakers.com, currently allow users to check out using TRUMP while still supporting credit card and Bitcoin payments.

ChainCatcher news, Bitget Wallet announced that it will designate PayFi as its core strategy for 2025. By combining the convenience of crypto payments with the yield capabilities of DeFi, it aims to upgrade the wallet from a storage and trading tool to an integrated financial application for wealth management and consumption. By integrating wealth management, transfers, and spending, Bitget Wallet will build an on-chain financial ecosystem that allows funds to operate efficiently and continuously appreciate. Users can deposit assets into flexible savings accounts, earn real-time returns, and use them directly for payments, realizing the concept of Buy Now, Pay Never.Bitget Wallet plans to launch the Bitget Wallet Card, supporting global cryptocurrency payments and providing crypto-friendly, secure, and compliant international multi-currency bank accounts. Bitget Wallet will also collaborate with partners to create a Web3 payment ecosystem covering scenarios such as gift card purchases, mobile top-ups, QR code payments, and POS payments, while optimizing transfer and wealth management functions to promote inclusive crypto finance and asset growth.

ChainCatcher news, Tether's investment video-sharing platform Rumble Chairman and CEO Chris Pavlovski recently confirmed that Rumble Wallet is about to launch. This is a massive internal project that creates a new way for creators to transact. Creators can receive tips and subscription fees instantly in Rumble Wallet via BTC or USDT.Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino commented, "One cool feature of Rumble Wallet is the use of AI agents/assistants to help manage payments, suggest Bitcoin savings strategies based on past activities, and tip the most popular creators."

ChainCatcher news, Circle announced on social media the launch of Circle Paymaster, which supports USDC payments for gas fees on Base and Arbitrum.Users no longer need to convert tokens between blockchains; they can simply use USDC for payments, transfers, and gas fees.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, the CEO of a major American bank stated that the financial industry is ready to embrace cryptocurrency payments if regulators approve.

ChainCatcher news, the modular infrastructure TradeOS has launched a brand new Meme DEX platform, allowing users to purchase Solana Meme assets with one click using the native trading system through Telegram, utilizing Apple and Google Pay.Users can get the latest Solana Meme news in real-time through Telegram communities, mini-programs, or AI bots, enabling direct, one-stop, decentralized purchasing.TradeOS is a modular decentralized infrastructure that aims to revolutionize the online C2C/B2B trading system through zk-TLS/TEE-TLS technology. Its launched Meme DEX platform guarantees transactions based on "Proof-of-Delivery," which are unlocked only after delivery certification is completed, and there is no need for private key custody, allowing users to control their own funds during transactions. It has now integrated multiple AI Meme trading bots to create DeFAI autonomous trading.

ChainCatcher news, Cannes Mayor David Lisnard stated that as part of the Web3 strategy, the city government will encourage and train local merchants to accept cryptocurrency payments in order to attract high purchasing power customer groups. The training session will be held on February 4, 2025, at 14:30 in the Palais des Festivals, where experts will explain practical content related to technology, law, taxation, and more.In addition, Cannes will host the 8th EthCC conference from June 30 to July 3, 2025, which is expected to attract 10,000 participants and bring new business opportunities to merchants. The city government will also launch a "crypto-friendly" map listing merchants that support crypto payments, making it convenient for participants and the public to use.

ChainCatcher news, according to Bitcoin.com News, shows that a recent survey by Ripple indicates that 52% of financial leaders in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) prioritize blockchain payments and tokenized assets for development. The survey points out that, led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, blockchain technology is expected to fundamentally change banking in the region by 2025.

ChainCatcher news, several Philippine banks, including UnionBank, Rizal Commercial Banking, Cantilan Bank, and Rural Bank of Guinobatan, plan to launch a peso stablecoin named PHPX later this year, initially operating on the Hedera Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) network.This project is initiated by the Singapore startup Just Finance, and the banks will play a significant governance role. Cross-border payments, especially remittances, are one of the key use cases for this project.

ChainCatcher news, according to the official announcement from Travala.com, the crypto travel platform Travala.com now supports payments using STX tokens.$STX is the native token of the Stacks ecosystem, which is a Bitcoin-based Layer-2 solution that supports smart contracts, applications, and decentralized financial services (DeFi). Users can now pay for travel and accommodation services using STX.