MoneyGram and Ripple testing bank transfers of the XRP cryptocurrency. Fortune Staff Writer Jeff John Roberts explains why this partnership is so significant.
"Unlike Bitcoin or Ethereum, it (Ripple) is centrally controlled," explains Roberts. "This is Ripple's moment of truth because people are speculating on XRP." With transaction fees so high for Bitcoin, some investors are seeing Ripple as a good alternative.
"Ripple is at the forefront of blockchain technology and we look forward to piloting xRapid," MoneyGram CEO Alex Holmes said Thursday. In the release announcing this partnership, both Ripple and MoneyGram promoted the efficiency and speed of this digital currency.
Apple Pay is getting in on the buy now pay later boom with a feature allowing users to split purchases into four separate payments over six weeks at no additional cost or interest.
San Francisco-based technology startup Illumix just closed a $18 million Series A round of funding, and in a rare move for the Shark Tank star, Mark Cuban contributed.
Neuralink, Elon Musk's brain implant venture, is reaching out to major U.S. neurosurgery centers to potentially begin testing its devices on humans, according to a Reuters report.
A Minnesota utility began shutting down a nuclear power plant near Minneapolis on Friday after discovering water containing a low level of radioactive material was leaking from a pipe for the second time. While the utility and health officials say it is not dangerous, the issue has prompted concerns among nearby residents and raised questions about aging pipelines.
