Investment

Adoption is increasing, but most consumers would stop using the technology if they suffered a security incident

Today, less than 10% of all gift cards sold in the U.S. are digital. That could start to change, as the industry's heavy hitters break down the walls between their plastic and digital gift card operations to spur global growth.

Despite massive technological changes over the last two decades, Pam Brodsack of TMG says credit unions still face the dual challenge of not just catching up but getting ahead of the curve.

The 2012 Jobs Act let regular Americans invest in startups, spawning a glut of crowdfunding sites offering real ownership stakes in return for cash, rather than the new smartwatches or electric skateboards available on pioneering platform Kickstarter.

Wearable payment devices are cutting edge, fast and diverse. But they are not a steady, predictable or popular consumer trend. Even so, investors see a rich opportunity to get involved in the market for wearables.

Artificial intelligence is steadily making its way through the payments and financial services world. The technology's usefulness for fraud detection is clear, but there are other areas where AI can have an impact.

Readers sound off on airing political opinions at the office; putting banks and fintechs under the same regulatory umbrella; putting consumer needs first regardless of tech advancements; and more.

Slock.it says its current project will enable people to exchange the ownership of devices connected to the internet of things.

An improved state-level system could be a tremendous advantage. Working closely with a cooperative regulator, innovators large and small can rapidly test a concept within state lines.

It's well accepted that the earliest version of 3-D Secure was off-putting to merchants and consumers who didn't like how it added friction to the checkout process in the interest of online security. The new version of 3-D Secure wants to avoid the same pitfall, and merchants are cautiously optimistic.