Just before the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the leading private banks in Latin America made a strategic move: it began replacing its legacy card issuing system in a bold shift toward digital-first issuing. That investment was quickly put to the test when later, during times of lockdown, the bank was tasked with issuing one million prepaid cards for a nationwide financial aid initiative. The timeline? Less than 30 days from concept to delivery. Their investment paid off. After acing that deadline, the bank expanded to serve fintechs and other banks across the region, enabling instant digital issuing, winning industry recognition…

Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) have largely existed in the virtual realm, with transactions initiated primarily through web and mobile interfaces. However, a significant shift has occurred with the launch of Eurasia’s first CBDC cards in Kazakhstan, providing 20 million consumers with a new, tangible way to manage CBDC funds. The first CBDC card transaction in Eurasia was successfully made on 15 November 2023. It was a contactless payment on POS using a card issued by Eurasian Bank JSC on the Way4 digital payments software system. This marked a milestone in the region’s digital currency journey. Today, just six months…