ARTICLE AD
X Payments Chief Information Security Officer Christopher Stanley said the ultimate goal centers around creating a comprehensive financial ecosystem within the X platform.
Social media giant X recently revealed its plan to expand payment features within its app. Going beyond “just tipping”, X Payments now aims to become the all-in-one financial hub, addressing diverse user needs within a single application ecosystem.
Christopher Stanley, the chief information security officer of X Payments, disclosed strategies for an integrated wallet feature. This digital wallet functionality will enable users to send and receive funds from other X users, replicating popular money transfer applications like Venmo. However, Stanley’s vision extends beyond the simple peer-to-peer financial transactions.
“Think Venmo at first,” Stanley stated. “Then, as things evolve, you can gain interest, buy products, eventually use it to buy things in stores (think Apple Pay).”
X Plans to Become a One-Stop Payment Platform
The ultimate goal, according to Stanley, centers around creating a comprehensive financial ecosystem within the X platform. The ideal scenario would allow users to seamlessly execute everyday transactions without leaving the application.
“The end goal is if you ever have any incentive to take money out of our system, then we have failed, you shouldn’t ever need to take money out because you should be able to do anything you need on our platform,” Stanley explained.
The X platform’s ambitious plan comes after its acquisition of a money transmitter license in Tennessee on April 19th, 2024. This development raises the total number of states where X holds such licenses to 25, according to the Nationwide Multi-State Licensing System (NMLS)
While reports indicate X’s payment platform will mainly handle traditional currencies initially, there are hints of potential crypto support later. In December 2023, X’s executive chairman Elon Musk voiced interest in crypto options during talks with ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood. He wished to roll out financial services sooner but acknowledged regulatory challenges.
However, Musk has advocated for cryptocurrency before, with Tesla still owning a significant Bitcoin amount and accepting Dogecoin for merchandise purchases, recent remarks hint at a shift in priorities. In December’s discussion with Wood, Musk admitted to spending “hardly any time” considering cryptocurrency. Moreover, there have been no confirmations regarding crypto integration in X’s payment platform.
X Payments Disrupts Traditional Banking
X’s entry into finances could shake up the traditional banking landscape. By providing a user-friendly, perhaps no-cost option, X might draw a wider audience, especially those lacking bank access. However, concerns remain about safety, rules, and if an all-in-one in-app money system can truly work.
Despite these positive developments and endorsement from Elon Musk, currently trading at $0.1574, Dogecoin is 2% down in the last 24 hours and 78% down from its all-time high of $0.7376 on March 8, 2021. However, there are predictions that DOGE could regain its all-time high again in 2025.