Happy Monday! As we gear up for another awesome week of processing payments for our favorite merchants, we?re here to share the latest industry news. Here?s some of the top stories you need to know about in the world of credit card processing and merchant services! Enjoy!

Cosmetics Giant Lush Accepts Bitcoin

Anti-animal cruelty and vegan cosmetic and skincare giant Lush is one of the first retail brands to embrace new payments technology by accepting Bitcoin as a form of payment on its online store. Lush joins companies like Microsoft, Expedia and Steam in this uptick of Bitcoin. Read the full article here.

Samsung Could Open Samsung Pay To Rival Smartphones

It’s rumored that Samsung Electronics may be opening up its Samsung Pay digital payment service to non-Samsung smartphones. If this ends up being true, it would mark a stark departure from Samsung?s strategy of keeping its digital payment platform housed in its own devices. Read the full article here.

You can now use PayPal through Skype?s mobile app

The PayPal partnerships keep coming, with the company announcing a new deal with Skype that will allow users in 22 countries worldwide to send money to other Skype users through an updated version of the Skype mobile app. Read the full article here.

Study: Nearly 6 in 10 large corporations considering blockchain deployment

Nearly six in 10 (57 percent) large corporations are either actively considering, or are in the process of deploying, blockchain technology, according to a new study by Juniper Research. Read the full article here.

Cryptocurrency Explained- What It Is, and How It Works

As many things in our world transition to becoming digital, so is our money. Terms like cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, and Etherium have become major buzz words in the payments world, and they are the next evolution of money. Learn what cryptocurrency is, how it works, and how to get started with it. Read the full article here.