Today In Payments: US SPAC Tailwind Hunting For European Unicorns; Zoom Expects Post-Pandemic Business To Remain Brisk

In today’s top news, SPAC Tailwind is hunting for a European tech unicorn to take public, and Zoom expects remote business demand to continue post-pandemic. Plus, Square is now a licensed bank out of Utah.

US SPAC Tailwind Hunting For European Unicorns To Take Public

Tailwind International, a U.S. special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), is on the hunt for European tech unicorns — in the range of $1-15 billion — to take public. SPACs have attracted the attention of record numbers of investors, prompting Tailwind to up the size of its listing to the maximum of $300 million.

Zoom Expects Post-Pandemic Business Will Remain Brisk

Wall Street predicts that as vaccines are more widely distributed, the need for remote business tools like Zoom will plummet. Zoom, however, begs to differ and is forecasting that demand will remain brisk post-pandemic.

Square’s Bank Is Now Open For Business

Square has launched banking operations, and other FinTechs are jumping into providing traditional banking services. Here’s why the industrial banking model may prove to be a lure as firms eye cross-selling traditional financial activities with a digital-first mindset.

Physical Retail Sees Buy Now Pay Later As Sales Savior

Can buy now, pay later (BNPL) save department stores and physical retail? It’s a bet some are making as they look to drive sales and traffic into physical or virtual storefronts. The payment form factor is rapidly on the rise, as some 48 percent of consumers now report they would not shop with a merchant that did not offer credit or some form of BNPL at the point of sale.

Taxing Problem: H&R Block Supports Consumer Need For Instant Digital Disbursements

Waiting six to eight weeks for a tax refund never cuts it – and it especially doesn’t this year. Kathy Pickering, chief tax officer for H&R Block, tells PYMNTS that instant, digital tax refunds are now one of disbursements’ biggest opportunities in this month’s Disbursements Tracker.

Circle CEO: Programmable Money Ushers In Era Of ‘Continuous, Streaming Payments’

Stablecoins and blockchain grab their fair share of separate headlines. However, as Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire tells Karen Webster, when stablecoins work as “programmable money” with smart contracts, the result has the potential to change the way capital markets and the economy operate.

In Europe, Funding Pours In For Online Grocery Platforms

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to put lives at risk worldwide, consumers are becoming increasingly accustomed to technologies that offer COVID-safe alternatives for potentially dangerous activities — and demand is only growing for such solutions. In Europe, funds are streaming in for online platforms that offer remote, low-contact alternatives to traditional groceries.