In today’s top news, the chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said cryptocurrency needs more regulation, and Walmart has acquired telehealth firm MeMD. Plus, Square’s earnings report showed positive trends in in-person and online purchases. SEC Chair: Congress Should Regulate Crypto Exchanges In his first public hearing as chair of the SEC, Gary Gensler said that Congress should take a bigger role in bringing regulatory clarity to cryptocurrency proceedings, especially regarding crypto exchanges. Walmart Health Acquires Telehealth Provider MeMD Walmart has expanded its omnichannel health services with the acquisition of multispecialty telehealth provider MeMD. In the next few months, Walmart will use the acquisition to give more access to virtual care around the nation, including urgent, behavioral and primary care. Square’s Card Not Present GPV Surges 34 Percent Many observers may have been focused on bitcoin. And yes, that business was buoyant at Square. But the traditional business saw surging gross payments volume (GPV) and transaction growth — in person and over digital channels. Management pointed to strength in eCommerce and midmarket sellers. eCommerce Fraud Prevention Firm Riskified Mulls IPO Amid a COVID-fueled boom in eCommerce—and its accompanying fraud—Riskified is considering an initial public offering (IPO) that could come this year. The startup uses machine learning to fight eCommerce fraud and prevent chargebacks. NEW REPORT: How Online Merchants Build Trust With First-Time Customers Keeping data protection front and center can help merchants put first-time customers at ease — and keep them coming back. In The Trust Quotient: How Merchant Trust Drives Shopping Behaviors, PYMNTS surveys 2,563 U.S. consumers to better understand what visual cues consumers seek — and need to build trust — when deciding to check out with a merchant they’ve never shopped before. Fashion Wholesalers Walk The Runway Into The Digital-First Economy Before the pandemic, it was hard to imagine fashion buying without the runway, cool lighting and cocktails. Now, Joor CEO Kristin Savilia told PYMNTS that not only is the fashion buyer doing her buying online but has dragged paper invoices and the analog Excel sheet along for the digital ride. Retail’s (Margin) Conundrum Hinges On eCommerce Surges Higher shipping costs, on the road. Higher container costs, over the seas. Even higher box costs. Retailers have enjoyed the top-line torque of eCommerce. But costs are inching higher, which translates to higher consumer prices — this against, of course, the never-ending battle with Amazon. PYMNTS breaks it down. —————————— NEW PYMNTS STUDY: SUBSCRIPTION COMMERCE CONVERSION INDEX – APRIL 2021 About The Study: One third of consumers who signed up for subscription services within the past year were just in it for the free trial. In the 2021 Subscription Commerce Conversion Index, PYMNTS surveys 2,022 U.S. consumers and analyzes more than 200 subscription commerce providers to zero in on the key features that turn the “subscription curious” into sticky, long term subscribers. Related Items:Commerce, cryptocurrency, ecommerce, fashion, fraud, Joor, News, payments, SEC, Square, telehealth, Today In Payments, walmart Recommended for you