Microsoft Corp.'s Microsoft Points, a virtual currency used to buy games and other digital media on its Xbox consoles, is being eliminated today.

Tradehill Inc., an exchange for virtual currencies such as Bitcoin, is moving customer accounts to a U.S. credit union, a shift designed to make it easier for clients to complete transactions.

BitPay Inc., a Bitcoin payment gateway for online merchants, has created a simplified interface for consumers and added several plugins to encourage more merchants to accept the virtual currency without writing new code.

Bitcoin Ventures Inc.'s new CoinTap allows consumers to obtain bitcoins by purchasing a stored-value card in retail stores.

Several money transmitters are offering their state licensing portfolio to emerging payments agents, allowing them to get to market quicker — but startups lose some autonomy if they go this route.

A new Baltimore federal court filing shows that more than $2.9 million was seized by the Department of Homeland Security from Mutum Sigillum LLC, a U.S. subsidiary of Tokyo-based Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox, in May.

While some Bitcoin businesses hesitate to respond to the evolving regulatory framework surrounding digital currency, Robert Pargac, director of global investigations and compliance at Navigant Consulting, says Bitcoin businesses should stay proactive and aggressive in their approach to risk and compliance.

Recognition by a market-based standards organization such as ISO, in the form of a three-letter code, would set the stage for increasing market depth and liquidity of bitcoin trading — in turn facilitating overall consumer and merchant adoption.

The German Finance Minister has ruled that Bitcoin is a “currency unit” and a form of “private money," and that the digital currency's users should pay sales tax as well as capital gains tax, Ars Technica reported on Aug. 18.

Bitcoin users who help maintain the digital ecosystem's official record of transactions may soon find themselves required to register with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network as administrators of the alternative currency.

As the Isis mobile wallet comes out of pilot, it's important to note that not every emerging payments initiative makes it this far. But in experiments, any result can be valuable if the companies behind the test find something to learn from it.

The New York State Department of Financial Services issued subpoenas to 22 emerging payments players, including many that handle the digital currency Bitcoin, demonstrating that new payments models have not yet found their place in the eyes of the law.

New York’s banking regulator issued subpoenoas to about two dozen companies associated with bitcoin as it looks into the virtual-currency industry, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

A federal judge ruled that bitcoins are “a currency or form of money” and therefore subject to relevant U.S. laws in a case against a Texas man accused of creating a fraudulent Bitcoin hedge fund.

The Lamassu machine, a so-called Bitcoin ATM, is a rare device that makes it possible for the unbanked to obtain digital currency. It was invented by a pair of guitar-store proprietors who wanted to break into the payments industry — and are prepared to face the music when regulators take notice.

Bitcoin fanatics and skeptics met under the same roof at a recent event in New York. Now that the digital currency is recognized under guidance from Fincen and bitcoin users established a self-regulating organization, entrepreneurs and payments-industry veterans are finding some common ground.

Coinbase, a Bitcoin digital wallet provider, has launched a microtransactions feature to allow its customers to transfer small amounts between accounts for free.

A group of technology companies is working to build digital currencies into Web browsers, a move that could help payment methods such as Bitcoin thrive.

While many people think of Bitcoin as a currency, Jaron Lukasiewicz, CEO and co-founder of Coinsetter, says Bitcoin should be thought of more as a payments infrastructure, allowing quick, inexpensive funds transfer. But for Bitcoin to thrive, banks must agree with this perspective.

Leaders in emerging payments and virtual currency have formed a committee to establish a self-regulating body to ensure regulatory compliance as the marketplace changes.