United States

Instant noodles are becoming increasingly popular worldwide. In U.S. prisons, they have supplanted tobacco, stamps, and pre-paid cards as a form of money.

U.S. credit card balances hit over $1 trillion in June for the first time. Senator Richard J. Durbin introduced a bipartisan bill to lower credit card fees by increasing competition in processing networks.

The remittance market is growing rapidly, and cash is a popular way of sending funds. ATMs play a critical role by providing senders and beneficiaries convenient access to cash.

Crypto incumbents defend themselves from regulation and scrutiny, befriending and hiring former (and current) regulators and politicians. However, top U.S. regulators remain skeptical of cryptocurrencies.

Some crypto exchanges are not diligent in safekeeping users’ funds. Hackers employ platforms to obscure the destination of their ransoms. North Korean hackers have targeted exchanges in Hong Kong and South Korea.