Economic news

Rakuten Inc. plans to raise 242 billion yen ($2.2 billion) by selling shares to investors including Tencent Holdings Ltd., Walmart Inc. and Japan Post Holdings Co., bankrolling expansions into AI, finance and mobile.

With so many personally and financially impacted by COVID-19, consumers have made it clear that the way customers pay for goods or services can no longer follow a one-size-fits-all approach, says eBay's Alyssa Cutright.

As the Federal Reserve continues to explore issuing a digital U.S. dollar, the Biden administration and key congressional leaders are endorsing the idea as a way to expand banking access for underserved consumers.

As government debt swells, the outer limits of what the U.S. can safely borrow are becoming less and less clear.

Jumia Technologies is expanding in online food delivery as the pioneering Africa e-commerce business looks to grow beyond its main market of trading phones and electronics.

The U.K. should overhaul its stock listing rules and visa requirements to help the country’s fast-growing fintech industry compete after Brexit, a government-backed review has found.

More people are joining the gig economy, and a major driver of this trend — particularly for those working multiple gigs — is a need for faster access to cash to meet expenses.

Financial services firms, from traditional banks to fintech payment processors to data companies, need to beef up their compliance teams, raise standards and improve education to ensure teams are ready to tackle the latest types of financial fraud, says ACAMS' Rick McDonell.

The shift from cash has boosted digital and called attention to the importance of standards, says EMVCo's Brian Byrne.

Governments are digitizing money, creating a need for banks to provide rails to connect consumers and central banks.

Best Buy is expanding its test of a new store format that reduces the space for customers to browse by nearly half to focus more on getting digital orders out the door, according to people familiar with the move.

Making gig workers’ pay automatically available at no cost each day or after each completed shift would benefit everyone, while providing a win-win scenario for the worker and platform alike, says Payfare's Marco Margiotta.

Small shops are facing more competition online. Combined with the impact of Brexit, this has made it even more important for businesses to sell overseas.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said a digital version of the dollar could help address hurdles to financial inclusion in the U.S. among low-income households.

A survey commissioned by Bank of America found that Black entrepreneurs are more hopeful about revenue opportunities than other small-business owners, though many are still struggling to bring in the capital needed to expand.

Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com Inc. said it plans to spin off its JD Logistics shipping business in a listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

It would be misguided to expect cash-like features of a central bank digital currency, according to one of the monetary authorities furthest ahead in exploring such a system.

Economist Lisa Cook has the backing of several key White House officials and allies outside the administration as a possible choice for President Joe Biden in filling a vacancy on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, according to people familiar with the matter.

Instant payouts for gig workers have been gaining traction globally for the last five years, but Canada lacked many options until COVID-19 struck.

The innovation recognizes inventory levels and uses machine learning and sales history to identify the ideal price point to incentivize a consumer to select the product with a limited shelf life, says Quicklizard's Pini Mandel.