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In a bid to mainstream cryptocurrency transactions, digital currency exchange BTSE unveiled on Fridayits BTSE Card which allows users to top up with cryptocurrencies and then make purchases in fiat across Mastercards merchant network, both online and in physical stores.

Users can also withdraw cash from any location where Mastercard MA is accepted,especially within Europe.

The announcement comes ahead of the much-anticipated Benzinga's Fintech Deal Day on Nov. 13 andFuture of Digital Assets conference on Nov. 14, where the evolving landscape of digital assets and their integration into the global financial system will be a focal point of discussions.

BTSE's initiative is set against a backdrop where traditional financial institutions are increasingly delving into building payment infrastructures that accommodate digital assets.

In a press release shared with Benzinga, BTSE stated that there were increasingdemands from customers to spend their crypto holdings and trading gains and that itsobjective is to embed crypto payments into everyday transactions.

Also Read:Crypto Bear Market Over? 'Not-Too-Bullish' Analyst Sets Bitcoin Target Above $30K

The BTSE card cardholders cantransact at any of Mastercards 53 million merchants spread across 210 countries, with a transaction ceiling of 15,000 euros.

Furthermore, the card provides access to Mastercards global ATM network, capped at a 2,000 euroATM withdrawal limit.

Users can top up their cards using a range of cryptocurrencies like Tether USDT/USD , USD Coin USDC/USD , Bitcoin BTC/USD , EthereumETH/USD , and even eurosdirectly via BTSEs platform.

BTSE CEO Henry Liuemphasized the card's versatility, stating, Users can now utilize their BTSE balances across diverse sectors, from retail shopping to e-commerce, travel, and beyond. Our commitment remains to craft the finest products for our clientele and foster global crypto utilization.

BTSE COO Jeff Meiechoed similar sentiments, highlighting the potential of the BTSE Card in driving crypto adoption.

With the BTSE Card, our users can leverage the vast global network of Mastercard. Payments stand out as one of the most compelling use cases for crypto, a domain brimming with untapped potential. Our card marks a pivotal stride towards global crypto acceptance, Hei said.

Read Next:Hong Kong Legislator Challenges Ethereum Founder To Visit City: Here's Why

Meet and engage with transformativeDigital Asset and Cryptobusiness leaders and investors at Benzinga's exclusive event:Future of Digital Assets. Tickets are flying:Get yours!

Photo: Shutterstock

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Norwegian tax authority sees 30% jump in crypto reporting

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Norwegian tax authority sees 30% jump in crypto reporting

Norwegian tax authority sees 30% jump in crypto reporting

According to Norwegian authorities, more than 73,000 people in the country reported on $4 billion in crypto holdings for the 2024 tax year.

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Technology

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang starts a key trip to South Korea — here’s what he might be up to

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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang starts a key trip to South Korea — here's what he might be up to

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang delivers remarks next to U.S. President Donald Trump at an ‘Investing in America’ event in Washington, D.C., on April 30, 2025.

Leah Millis | Reuters

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is headed to South Korea, one of the company’s most important markets, ahead of meeting there between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

For Huang, it’s expected to be a trip that mixes business and politics with a meeting with Trump on the cards as well as execs from South Korea’s biggest firms such as Samsung and SK Group.

Market watchers will also be looking out for clues as to Nvidia’s future in China.

Here’s what might happen this week with Nvidia.

Nvidia’s key suppliers

South Korea is home to one of Nvidia’s most important suppliers: SK Hynix. The company develops so-called high-bandwith memory, or HBM, a specific type of semiconductor that goes into Nvidia’s high-end AI systems.

Among the execs that Huang is expected to meet is SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Yonhap reported. SK Group is SK Hynix’s parent company.

The meeting could be a chance to discuss future HBM development. Rival Samsung also develops HBM but its product has not been certified by Nvidia for use. A discussion about the progress on Samsung’s HBM could be on the cards as Huang said Tuesday he would meet with the company.

Infrastructure and business deals

Trump meeting and China

And for Huang, it’s not just about business. Geopolitics will be a big focal point as Huang’s trip coincides with a planned meeting between Trump and Xi in South Korea.

Trump called Huang “an incredible guy” during a speech at the APEC Summit in South Korea. Separately, Trump said he will meet with the CEO on Wednesday.

This week could be crucial for providing insights on Nvidia’s future in China. The tech giant was previously banned from exporting its AI chips to China until earlier this year when the Trump administration ended the restrictions. While Nvidia is permitted to export its downgraded H20 chip to China, Beijing has reportedly pushed local companies not to purchase it. Instead, China is pushing its local firms to buy domestic Nvidia alternatives.

Trump on Wednesday signaled that Nvidia’s Blackwell AI processors could be up for discussion with Xi.The Blackwell chip is Nvidia’s most advanced product and is not currently allowed to be exported to China.

“Trump wants to do business with China and he considers almost everything is business including Nvidia,” George Chen, partner and co-chair of the digital practice at The Asia Group, told CNBC on Wednesday.

“We may see China wants some sort of guarantee that the U.S. will not add location trackers into U.S. chips to be sold to China … The U.S. may also have its own demands in return, hence Nvidia now becomes one of the bargains for the two presidents in Korea.”

Chinese regulators in July raised concerns about the security of Nvidia chips in July. The world’s second-largest economy is a lucrative market for Nvidia and being shut out has already cost the tech giant billions of dollars in lost sales. Any opening up of the China market will be positive for the chip maker.

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CNBC Daily Open: Rallies and tech ‘revolution’ — all powered by AI

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CNBC Daily Open: Rallies and tech 'revolution' — all powered by AI

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (L) shakes hands with Microsoft Chief Technology Officer and Executive VP of Artificial Intelligence Kevin Scott during the Microsoft Build conference at the Seattle Convention Center Summit Building in Seattle, Washington, U.S., on May 21, 2024.

Jason Redmond | Afp | Getty Images

Investors can’t get enough of artificial intelligence, despite worries over the sector’s excessively high valuations.

The S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq Composite rose Tuesday stateside, with all three notching new intraday highs. The major averages were juiced by gains in tech. Nvidia popped nearly 5%, while Microsoft climbed roughly 2%.

Both Apple and Microsoft reached a market capitalization of over $4 trillion after their shares rose. It was the first time Apple hit that milestone, though it closed just shy of that level.

Tech companies can’t get enough of each other, either.

Nvidia announced a $1 trillion investment in Nokia, which the Finnish company said will go toward developing its AI plans. For those, like me, who remember Nokia as a company that made the most desirable and bullet-proof phones: It primarily produces cellular equipment now.

Meanwhile, with its 27% stake in OpenAI’s for-profit business, Microsoft is potentially sitting on a goldmine — provided AI finds its footing as a sustainable, revenue-generating business in the long run. OpenAI on Tuesday announced it had completed its restructuring as a nonprofit with a controlling stake in its for-profit arm.

It’s not just Microsoft. Investors who have poured money into tech could potentially gain big — as Cathie Wood of Ark Invest says, “If our expectations for AI … are correct, we are at the very beginning of a technology revolution.”

What you need to know today

And finally…

Jerome Powell, chairman of the US Federal Reserve, during the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Fall meetings at the IMF headquarters in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025.

Kent Nishimura | Bloomberg | Getty Images

The Fed has a rate cut plus a bunch of other things on its plate this week. Here’s what to expect

Markets are assigning a nearly 100% probability that the Federal Open Market Committee will approve a second consecutive quarter percentage point, or 25 basis point, reduction in the federal funds rate. The overnight lending benchmark is currently targeted between 4%-4.25%.

Beyond that, policymakers are likely to debate, among other things, the future path of reductions, the challenges posed by a lack of economic data and the timetable for ending the reduction in the Fed’s asset portfolio of Treasurys and mortgage-backed securities.

— Jeff Cox

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