Square

Square Inc. shares climbed after Chief Executive Officer Jack Dorsey said the company is introducing Bitcoin trading for almost all users of its cash payments app, signaling support for the volatile cryptocurrency.

Tightening its connections to restaurants with a brisk delivery business, Square has acquired a longstanding Dallas-based local food delivery service to add to its Caviar food-ordering platform.

Financial services organizations increasingly need an unwavering commitment to customer experience in order to compete, or the competitor down the street will do it first, writes Chris Millner, a principal of financial technology and a payments consultant at North Highland.

Some are in new roles or replacing legends, others are embracing new strategies or eyeing big deals and at least one is currently out of banking — but could soon resurface. Here are the industry executives to keep an eye on in 2018.

On his last day at the agency, Keith Noreika called for scaling back the Bank Holding Company Act, arguing that it burdens banks with duplicative regulation and restricts their economic potential.

CFPB director’s departure gives President Trump the chance to revamp the agency; the bank regulator is reverting to its industry-friendly ways.

It may seem odd at first that Square is using the Cash app as a testbed for bitcoin, but if Square Cash is ever to distinguish itself from the bigger options in P-to-p, it needs to take risks that Square can't afford with its primary customer base.

The influx of mobile point of sale systems created an odd situation for retailers that now had to turn their screens around or hand over their smartphones to consumers. More manufacturers are addressing this awkwardness by giving shoppers their own screen — but innovation comes at a price.

Over the years, Square has evolved from a supplier of simple card readers to a provider of diverse omnichannel services. But the consumer market has always eluded it.

Barros has no answer for Senate committee on encryption; a bitcoin network split won’t happen … for now.