California Governor Jerry Brown has signed new legislation into law that legalizes the use of Bitcoin and other digital currencies. These currencies had been banned in the state for some time, but this prohibition was overturned by those that believed a ban on digital currencies was outdated. The growing popularity of mobile commerce played a role in attracting support to the legislation, highlighting the fact that the way people are shopping for and purchasing products is beginning to change significantly. Digital currencies have some degree of controversy surrounding them currently. Currencies like Bitcoin are largely unregulated, which makes them quite …

Rakuten, one of Japan's largest e-commerce organizations, has launched a new global investment fund that will focus on the development of startups in Israel, the United States, and in the Asian Pacific region. The new fund will be based in Singapore, but will be managed by Rakuten Ventures and has more than $100 million at its disposal. The fund will seek to invest in startups that have ambitious goals in the mobile space, particularly those interested in mobile commerce. Rakuten has not yet announced which companies it is seeking to invest in but may do so in the near future. …

Nearly one in four people use mobile frequently to deposit checks in a bank, as mobile's transformational impact continues to spread to personal finance, according to a new report from Bank of America. Its survey found that as customers increasingly access a banking mobile application, the most common activities include monitoring account balances and statements, transferring funds and paying bills, as well as depositing checks via mobile check deposit, although visits to bank branches also remain high. The results reflect the public's increasing comfort level with using mobile for even the most sensitive and important financial transactions.

Although the Hive mobile wallet was still seeking developers and was little more than a well thought out concept, four months ago, since that time they have not only managed to find the skilled individuals that they needed, but they have also reached the point that they have now released the product. This mobile wallet is unique in that it is based on HTML5, available on the web instead of requiring an app download. By visiting the URL for the first time, the user is given the choice to either create a new wallet or to open an existing one. …

The current retailing revolution isn't about overthrowing the old elite; it's about the speed with which the old dogs are learning new tricks. One such example: Amazon.com has joined the uppermost ranks of STORES magazine's Top 100 Retailers. Last year Amazon was beaten - percentagewise - in e-commerce sales growth by Wal-Mart. Amazon's total online volume dwarfed Wal-Mart's, but Wal-Mart's 30 percent increase in web sales outpaced Amazon's 20 percent. "That's just the law of big numbers," says Bryan Gildenberg, chief knowledge officer for Kantar Retail, which compiles the annual list of the nation's top retailers for STORES. "The combined …

In the era of continuous innovation there are constant improvements in technology. The emergence of smartphones has thrown up a large number of ways for companies to grow. One such industry is the M-commerce industry, which has opened up a lot of opportunities for electronic payment providers. People find it extremely easy to shop and make payments through their phones, and hence the need for these providers. eBay is one such player that has been truly enjoying the benefits of this new development. Its mobile payment solution, called PayPal, has been very successful.

Bulk shopping at warehouse stores such as Costco or Sam's Club can be a polarizing experience, especially for young people. For some folks, a $50 membership is worth every penny if it means they can get good deals on bulk items; for others it can be difficult to justify for a few select things. Online retail startup Boxed launched in August 2013 to make the experience easier and cheaper. The Boxed team set out to bring bulk shopping to mobile, allowing users to select items from a curated list and have them delivered to their door in a few days. …

Yelp is extending booking capabilities on mobile into wineries via an integration with CellarPass, a digital reservations system designed for winery, brewery and distillery tasting. The partnership marks the first-ever integration of a reservation-based platform into Yelp's new transaction platform. Mobile users who book tours and tastings will experience all of the benefits familiar to regular CellarPass users, including real-time availability, instant confirmations, and reminder emails, all without ever leaving the Yelp site.

Yahoo is looking to tap into the e-commerce market of Taiwan. The company's Taiwanese division has taken note of the growing adoption of mobile devices and how these devices are beginning to have a major impact on consumer behavior. Yahoo believes that online sales will soon outpace sales coming from traditional, physical stores, with the Taiwanese e-commerce market reaching $33.34 billion in sales by the end of 2015. Yahoo Taiwan sees a great deal of potential in the mobile commerce space. The company notes that nearly 40% of its online shoppers are browsing from tablets and smartphones. The company is …

South Africa's cellular operators have been trying for years to crack the mobile commerce code, but they have not been able to repeat the successes they have had in countries such as Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya. But MTN, working with Pick n Pay, may just have found the key to success at home. This week, the mobile operator and the retailer unveiled a plan to offer consumers, especially those in lower-income groups, access to free banking.