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The proposal would subject certain large non-bank companies offering wallet and payment services to federal regulatory oversight on par with banks and credit unions.

By Jenny Cieplak, Parag Patel, Barrie VanBrackle, and Deric Behar

On November 7, 2023, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) proposed a rule, Defining Larger Participants of a Market for General-Use Digital Consumer Payment Applications (the Proposal), to supervise large providers of digital wallets and payment apps. The Proposal aims to ensure that US-based non-bank financial service companies providing digital wallets and payment apps will be subject to the same federal supervisory rules as banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions that the CFPB already supervises.

According to the CFPB, fintech companies and other firms offering novel products and services in the consumer finance space have “blur[ed] the traditional lines of banking and commerce.” The Proposal therefore aims to “enable the CFPB to monitor for new risks to both consumers and the market,” and to “promote fair competition” through consistent enforcement between depository and non-depository institutions.

In a long-awaited paper, the FRB continues its exploratory approach and emphasizes the need for congressional support.

By Alan W. Avery, Pia Naib, and Deric Behar

On January 20, 2022, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (FRB) published its long-awaited discussion paper (the Paper) on the potential benefits and risks of issuing a US central bank digital currency (CBDC). The Paper, titled “Money and Payments: The U.S. Dollar in the Age of Digital Transformation,” is intended to initiate a discussion around the various factors the FRB is considering with respect to a potential US CBDC rather than “advance a specific policy outcome.”

The French Data Protection Authority’s white paper discusses how companies can comply with data privacy and security obligations.

By Christian F. McDermott, Myria Saarinen, Calum Docherty, Charlotte Guerin, Jiou (Alex) Park, and Amy Smyth

The use of card, contactless, and innovative digital payment solutions has significantly increased in recent years, fueled by the immediate impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the longer-term growth of e-commerce and open banking. In this context, the legal and regulatory environment around payment data is no longer limited to traditional actors in the banking sector or the long-established ambit of banking secrecy rules. As such, stakeholders from fintech startups to established technology giants face an increasing patchwork of compliance obligations.

As contactless transactions boom, EU regulators publish draft guidelines on the interplay between the GDPR and PSD2.

By Fiona M. Maclean, Christian F. McDermott, Calum Docherty, and Amy Smyth

Last year, more than half of all payments in the UK were made by card and contactless methods, while cash made up less than a quarter of all payments for the first time, according to the trade association UK Finance. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift towards a cashless society, as governments across Europe encourage citizens and businesses to adopt cashless solutions. At the start of the lockdown, in the spring, ATM transaction volumes in the UK fell 62% year on year, while the daily cash transaction volumes dropped by as much as 90% in Spain, according to the Financial Times.

A new report explores the advantages, impacts, and approaches the Eurosystem is considering as it contemplates a digital currency.

By Max von Cube

In October 2020, the European Central Bank (ECB) published a Report on a Digital Euro (the Report). The Report sets out the main findings of a task force initiated in early 2020 to investigate the potential for a central bank digital currency (CBDC) in the euro area.

Elisabeth Stheeman of the Financial Policy Committee outlined the new frameworks for building operational resilience against cyber risks and protection of payment chains.

By Brett Carr and Stuart Davis

On 9 September 2020, Elisabeth Stheeman, an External Member of the Financial Policy Committee (FPC) for the Bank of England (BoE) delivered a speech entitled, “The Financial ‘Plumbing’ Committee: from Plumbing to Policy” outlining the changes that financial services firms can expect in two priority areas — cyber and payments — in order to build operational resilience of the financial system.

Andrew Bailey outlined what payments market participants can expect from regulators seeking to address financial stability risk in the world of payments, including as part of the rise and adoption of global stablecoins.

By Brett Carr and Stuart Davis

On 3 September 2020, the Governor of the Bank of England (BoE) Andrew Bailey delivered a speech “Reinventing the Wheel (with more automation)”, in which he outlined regulatory changes that payments market participants can expect, including as part of the global regulatory response to stablecoins.

The additional temporary guidance aims to strengthen the arrangements for safeguarding customers’ funds and firms’ prudential risk management in light of the impact of COVID-19.

By Stuart Davis, Brett Carr, and Anna Lewis-Martinez

On 9 July 2020, the FCA published its finalised guidance on safeguarding customers’ funds during the COVID-19 crisis. The finalised guidance applies to payment and e-money firms.

The FCA’s guidance for firms on safeguarding and managing prudential risk is already available in the FCA’s payment services approach document (Approach Document). However, in light of the exceptional circumstances of COVID-19 on firms’ business models, the FCA has provided additional temporary guidance to strengthen firms’ prudential risk management and arrangements for safeguarding customers’ funds in this period of economic stress.

Latham fintech lawyers and key industry leaders explore the progress and potential of CBDCs, use cases for stablecoins, and the global regulatory landscape.

Many central banks around the world are currently considering central bank digital currency (CBDC). According to the Bank of International Settlements’ recent survey of 66 central banks, 80% of surveyed central banks are engaged in CBDC work in some capacity, whether that work is conceptual research, experimentation, or pilot projects, and over a third stated that it is “possible” they will issue a retail CBDC within one to six years. Additionally, stablecoins based on Ethereum have surged in use recently, which, along with other large and well-publicized stablecoin projects, has drawn the attention of regulators around the globe.

Upgraded legislation creates an enhanced regulatory framework for the new age of payments, including e-money and digital payment tokens. 

By Farhana Sharmeen and Simon Hawkins

After much anticipation, and following consultations with the industry at large, the game-changing Payment Services Act 2019 (PSA) has finally become operational.

The PSA, which came into effect on 28 January, is the omnibus legislation dealing with payment services and systems, which adopts an activity-based licensing framework and risk-based regulatory structure. The new legislation has been designed in recognition of the different kinds of payment services that are currently available, and with a view to anticipating the types of payment services that are likely to develop in the future.